Film | Common buzzards: From chicks to first flights | Full story | Discover wildlife

Follow the story as I hide cameras in a common buzzard nest and watch the chicks grow into ferocious hunters.

Common buzzards are one of Britain's biggest birds of prey, easily identifiable by their broad wings and their iconic call, which sounds as though they are mewing. It's long been a dream of mine to follow the secret lives of common buzzards and so when I spot a pair soaring over nearby woodland, I seize the opportunity to find their nest. Buzzards normally nest in loose open structures made from twigs and set at dizzying heights. But this one is not too high and I'm able to reach it with a ladder. After positioning my cameras, I retreat to watch the story. I notice the nest is particularly small which suggests it was made relatively recently. It's possible their original nest was blown away.

There are three chicks inside, aged about three weeks. The chicks are exposed to wind and rain, but this early exposure to the elements seems to have made them resilient. Buzzard parents The adult birds are diligent parents. They stay close to the nest, bringing in a varied diet of small mammals, birds, and even lizards. The female is responsible for feeding the chicks and tears up larger meals for the chicks. But by four weeks the chicks can handle small prey items on their own. Life in this open nest is tough though, and when one chick drops its meal there's no getting it back!

As they grow the nest quickly becomes crowded and the eldest chick takes to practising its wing flaps on a nearby branch whilst its siblings look on. Buzzard chicks hatch at three-day intervals, so there’s nearly a week between the eldest the youngest. At 50 days old, the oldest chick has left the nest. Its amazing to watch as its siblings also take flight! As they grow the chicks, once so close, become increasingly competitive, fighting over food and chasing one another away.

Common buzzards typically mate for life, staying together all year round even after the chicks have fledged. They also demonstrate remarkable patience with their chicks. As they mature, the plumage on each buzzard chick starts to change with darker colours giving way to lighter hues. As the young buzzards grow, their parents begin to withdraw until finally, in November the female is ignoring their begging calls, and even pushing them off the feeding post. It's time they found territories of their own.