A BUZZARD is being nursed back to health by staff at the Dover veterinary surgery after it was shot.

The bird, believed to be a young adult, was discovered on Ministry of Defence land at Hawkinge by a dog walker who carefully picked it up and took it to the Burnham House surgery in Castle Street, Dover.

“It had a broken wing and four pieces of lead in its body,” said vet Jeremy Stattersfield. “It had obviously been fired at by someone using a shotgun.

“We have put its wing in a splint and it is now on the road to recovery. It is eating very well, and has settled in here.

“We will keep it for about four weeks and then we will release it back into the wild.”

Mr Stattersfield said he was horrified that people were prepared to shoot buzzards.

“They have only been back in Kent for about 10 to 15 years,” he said.

“People have certain feelings about them as birds of prey, but they mainly eat rabbits and do very little harm.”