Buzzard attacks leave runners with six holes in head
- Published
The buzzard is the most widespread UK bird of prey
A runner has been left with painful claw marks on his head after being attacked by a buzzard.
Ewan Cameron was out for his run in Friockheim, Angus, when the bird of prey swooped on him.
After sharing his story online, multiple other runners came forward saying they had experienced similar attacks.
Mr Cameron said: "It's like someone is punching you in the back of the head."
He told the BBC Scotland's Drivetime he was running around three miles outside his village when the attack happened.
"The talons are very sharp and they just sunk into the back of my head effectively. I've got a collection of about six holes in my head as a consequence of the attack.
Mr Cameron said the bird is notorious, having swooped in on him twice previously.
"The first time it happened to me I actually thought that a truck wing mirror had hit the back of my head on the way past," he said.
Ewan Cameron runs near his home in Angus regularly
He said he was surprised to hear other runners had experienced the same thing. "I think there was about 240-odd reactions to it and the comments are still coming today.
"A lot of people indeed have also been attacked by buzzards or at least getting swooped at, but maybe not actually being hit by them."
Mr Cameron added some runners had said they had been left traumatised and are now anxious at the thought of running in the countryside.
The buzzard is the most common and widespread bird of prey in the UK.
Ewan Cameron was left with blood dripping down his head after the attack
Fellow runner, Jo Barbour has also been at the receiving end of a buzzard attack.
She was running in Fife when one of the birds came at her from behind.
She said: "The talons went into the top of my head and my eyebrow, luckily missed my eye but it was a close call.
"It continued circling above me and swooping down but I was running backwards at that point and screaming with my arms flailing around in the air."
Ms Barbour added she thinks she may be left with a scar on her eyebrow and is now "quite nervous" when running in the countryside.
"I've bought a cap, though, so I feel like my eyes are protected now at least," she said.
Jo Barbour was left with a gouge just above her eye
The protected species' wingspan can vary from 48in (122cm) up to 60in (152cm).
Paul Reynolds from the New Arc Wildlife Centre in Aberdeenshire told Drivetime that attacks like this are not a common occurrence.
He said: "If we think about it on the grand scale of things, there's more people injured by cows I think than the bird of prey side of things.
"Most buzzards are laying their eggs around mid-April until the start of May. So that's when they're sort of at their peak of defending their territory immediately adjacent to their nests."
He said that people should take "appropriate mitigation" such as avoiding nesting areas and even wearing a helmet or cap if necessary.
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