When frosts whiten Europe's hillsides and forests, a hungry female buzzard wheels slowly through the cold December air in search of scarce prey. Rabbits, voles and mice keep under cover more, and surviving small birds are wary of predators. Insect grubs and worms are mostly tucked well away. If there is a dead rabbit about, the buzzard will settle for carrion.
When her keen eye spots a young male eating grubs in a rotting tree slump, she swoops down to threaten him with shrill cries and flapping wings. The youngster is reluctant to give up his food and spreads his wings over it, but she puffs out her body feathers and raises her head and nape feathers. Then she drops back on her spread wings and tail, freeing her feet to strike. She is prepared to fight him, perhaps to the death. He submits to the appreciably larger and more experienced female, and escapes when she begins to feed. He has lost this meal, but at least he can fly away unharmed to find another
