Buzzards as a sign?

[tulip]

Does anyone know if Buzzards mean anything? We are really lucky to have a pair nesting in our garden in a big tree which was previously used by crows. I have watched the crows there for a few years and now they have been ousted by these lovely birds. I have also had Buzzard feathers land in my hand twice. If it isn't a sign of something i don't mind but they do seem to want to be noticed

[IsleWalker]

Tulip--

I just searched my favorite Native American interpretations and found this:

I find it interesting that you opened up your story by identifying yourself as an ally in the Gulf oil spill clean-up efforts (rock on). It made me see a clear connection between you and the vultures as kind of a cosmic cleaning crew. Maybe not the most glorious functions, but 100% noble and righteous.

Did you know in ancient alchemy, vultures were considered big big juju because of their ability to convert death. Yes! Alchemists (as well as some Native American tribes, and ancient Egyptian philosophies) observed vultures eating carrion, and associated this with eating death. They looked at this as converting death. They saw that by eating inert material, vultures were essentially re-animating life. From this consumption, life could continue (lunching on carrion insured life for the vulture).

It sounds right to me, but are there things in your life that relate to this--to clean-up of messes somehow, reclaiming for life?

The letter that accompanied this comment was about hundreds of them landing silently on a woman's roof.

I also note when predominant birds change in the trees around my house--from woodpecker to raven and back again now. Surely these turkey vultures have a meaning too.

Here is the link in case you're interested further:
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/vulture-symbolism-and-phenomenon.html

Lora

[tulip]

Thanks Lora,
i have looked at the link and while i like the vulture symbolism feel that our buzzards are related to kestrals/falcons . we are in the UK and don't have vultures, maybe buzzards are called something else in Native American lore. I have been told that it means 'God is watching me', don't know if that feels right because He/She would watch everyone anyway ?
Thanks i will read that site more as it was very good'
Tulip

they are migrating right now. i have several large groups of 50 or more over my house for the past week.

[IsleWalker]

Tulip--

According to this article:

"The terms "buzzard" and "vulture" are interchangeable for most wildlife watchers in the U.S. A turkey vulture is also commonly known as a turkey buzzard. In the Old World, however, the terms refer to entirely different bird of prey species. To clarify which birds belong to which families it is necessary to introduce two more terms: Buteos and hawks."

Read more: Buzzards Vs. Vultures | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6580365_bu...#ixzz2OQ6MVGDu

This article is kind of confusing. Maybe if you can identify the birds you saw.

But, yes, the falcon symbolism is almost always about seeing far, transformation, etc. So what you say, "God is watching me" sounds right. I think we can read many descriptions and pick what makes sense to us.

Lora

[Tobi]

Yes, what we call Buzzards in UK are different to what are called Buzzards usually in the US. Our Buzzards are hunting birds, not carrion birds like Vultures. (Due respect to Vultures because I have nothing against them!)
I like Buzzards, and have had some strange synchronicities with them especially in the past.
I have no idea of their symbolism, but to me they seem to symbolise a Spirit-Self, or Higher Self....I am unsure, but like them....and their feathers are so beautiful.

[josiah]

Hi Tulip,
I had an experience with a common buzzard in 2009. I think the relevance or meaning may be different to yours as the one I found in my garden was ill.
(I live in the UK as well) but the fact that they are such kind of majestic birds,At the time it felt like we'd got a celebrity stopping with us.
It would be far more easy to explain the situation by listing a sequence of events as otherwise, this post would be a 10 page essay, so here goes:

august 09 I came home from work on a saturday afternoon, noticed a large bird in the back garden. It looked ill but no visible damage. I kept him in the conservatory overnight then took him to a local bird rescue place the next day.
The guy instantly knew he was a fledgling and most likely was full of worms.
He kept the bird for 5 weeks and then released him back into the wild in our village on Sunday 20th September around 10am

18th September
In the early hours of the morning, my uncle died from a heart attack.

Around 11am I got a phone call from the hospital as my mother was ill with cancer and only had hours to live. Me and my wife got to the hospital around 1pm and around 10 minutes later my mother died.

A couple of hours later I returned home to find a black cat waiting by our front door.

Approximately 7pm we get a phone call to say my sister inlaw had attempted suicide but was in intensive care on life support. She had taken an overdose of betablockers which caused her heart to malfunction.
She survived until 9 ish on the sunday morning(20th sept) when all hope was lost and she passed away. Just before we left for the hospital, I phoned the bird rescue man as it had been scheduled to release the buzzard 10am on that sunday morning (this had been booked the week before) I told him to still come over and release the bird on his own as we had an emergency.

So it ended up that the buzzard was released within an hour of my sister inlaws passing. To this day, I think the birds release represented my sister inlaw being released from a troubled life. The black cat waited outside our front door for three days until we let her in and she still lives with us today.
I'm pretty sure the cat represents protection in some way.

Neither my uncle,mother or sister inlaw knew about each others passings,
It was a pure coincidence or synchronicity. My psychic awareness had been building since mid 2008.
I only wish I knew what the relevance was of the 3 passings so close.