Jogger injured in buzzard attack

16 July 2011 Last updated at 10:23 GMT The keen runner said he was shocked when the bird attacked him A runner has been injured by a swooping buzzard as he jogged through a forest near his home

Alan Rosier, 37, said he was in shock after being hit on the back of the head by the bird of prey at Pontywaun, Caerphilly county.

The geologist suffered a gash on his neck caused by the bird's talons.

A spokesman for the Forestry Commission said it was very unusual for a buzzard to attack a human.

"I've never seen anything like it. It was a real shock to see a bird attack like that," said Mr Rosier.

He said the bird just missed him as he passed the first time, but caught up with him as he was running back.

"It hit me in the back of the head and caused a gash. I kept on running just to get away," he said.

Mr Rosier said his fiance, an ecologist, told him the buzzard was probably protecting its young in a nearby nest.

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I won't be running along that track again for a few weeks when I know the buzzard's young fledglings should have flown the nest”

End Quote Alan Rosier Jogger "It was very surprising and I won't be running along that track again for a few weeks when I know the buzzard's young fledglings should have flown the nest," he said.

A father-of-two, he is a former triathlon competitor, and trains for local 5km races.

He said he regularly sees the birds when he runs, but they are usually high in the sky.

"I didn't think I was in any danger from them," he said.

"I was lucky to escape more serious injury and don't want to be dive-bombed again."

Clive Davies, from the Forestry Commission, said: "They are very territorial but we have never heard of an incident like this before in Wales - usually they only attack other birds.

The birds are described as extremely territorial

"Buzzards nest from April until July and normally they would have flown the nest by now.

"It may have been a young bird which was startled," he added.

In June last year a 71-year-old man was injured after being attacked by a buzzard in a field in Worcestershire.

Nick George suffered deep claw injuries to his head when the bird dive-bombed him on a path in a wheat field near Severn Stoke.

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Man blinded after seabird attack

12 July 2011 Last updated at 12:13 GMT Michael Buckland, from Cardiff, spent three days being treated by specialists at Singleton Hospital.

A man has been blinded in one eye after an injured gannet he was carrying across a beach on Gower, south Wales pecked his eyeball out of its socket.

Michael Buckland, 38, from Cardiff, spent three days being treated by eye specialists at Swansea's Singleton Hospital.

The seabird pierced his eyeball and cut his eyelid in two with its beak

Mr Buckland, a welder, has been told the chances of him regaining sight in his right eye are very slim.

He recalled how he was walking on the beach with his girlfriend when the attack happened last month.

Mr Buckland told BBC Wales: "We were just walking along the beach and seen a seagull or gannet in the seaweed so I went over and picked it up - I was going to take it to the sand dunes.

"A family walked up with their dog. The dog was jumping up trying to get its tail and as I looked down at the dog all I saw was a beak coming straight towards my eyes.

"The surgeon said it pecked me about three times. Its beak went through the centre of my eyeball."

Mr Buckland was carrying the injured bird to safety when it attacked him

He was rushed to hospital where he had 11 stitches across his eyeball which doctors managed to replace and his right eyelid was sewn up.

Mr Buckland said he has been told he will never be able to work as a welder again.

"They said I've got to have an operation in four months time - they are going to take the stitches out and see about another operation to try and get my sight back but they said [the chances are] very slim."

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