Miserable Autumn weather in the Brecon Beacons.
13th November 2025
What a thoroughly miserable spell of weather we are enduring in the Brecon Beacons this November. Heavy rain, strong winds and low grey cloud, it’s enough to depress anybody. However, today we have had a break, it is dry and very mild with bouts of sunshine. I drove down to a local church where about a hundred Starlings were flying into the old Yew trees in the graveyard and eating the berries. It made a nice scene because Starlings are beautiful birds and against the dark Yew needles and bright red berries, they looked very nice indeed.
It didn’t last long though, because suddenly they all scattered and I knew something was wrong and then I could see what it was. A Common Buzzard had been watching them feeding and came in low through some bare trees with a view to catching a Starling unawares.
I managed to lock onto it for a few seconds and get a few shots, the Starlings had already flown so there was no success for the Buzzard.
In Autumn and Winter raptors like Common Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, Goshawks and Peregrines often try to predate Starlings when they are feeding and during murmuration prior to roosting.
The weather forecast is predicting up to 100mm of rain tomorrow for the Brecon Beacons and this combined with very strong winds makes for highly dangerous conditions for anybody walking the mountains.
Let’s hope for some dry cold weather soon.
It didn’t last long though, because suddenly they all scattered and I knew something was wrong and then I could see what it was. A Common Buzzard had been watching them feeding and came in low through some bare trees with a view to catching a Starling unawares.
I managed to lock onto it for a few seconds and get a few shots, the Starlings had already flown so there was no success for the Buzzard.
In Autumn and Winter raptors like Common Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, Goshawks and Peregrines often try to predate Starlings when they are feeding and during murmuration prior to roosting.
The weather forecast is predicting up to 100mm of rain tomorrow for the Brecon Beacons and this combined with very strong winds makes for highly dangerous conditions for anybody walking the mountains.
Let’s hope for some dry cold weather soon.