A majestic bird of prey, which nearly died when it fell victim to storms a month ago, has taken to the skies once more, reports Ruth Lythe.

The adult, male buzzard was rescued by birdwatcher Fred Gould when he was left hanging by his wing from a tree at Fisher Tarn, near Kendal, after the tree he was roosting in was blown down.

The buzzard survived his ordeal, although he was extremely dehydrated and had suffered some damage to the muscles in one of his wings.

He was passed into the capable hands of bird of prey expert Nick Henderson, at the Corio Raptor Care and Rehabilitation Centre, High Bentham.

Three weeks later a stronger, heavier bird was flexing its wings and anxious to leave behind his comfortable cage in the centre.

"He was not quite at the top weight I would have liked before I set him free but he had started to thrash around in the aviary and he could have damaged his wing feathers," said Mr Henderson.

"I find that these birds tend to reach a peak in recovery, but after that peak they start to go down psychologically - they become used to having food provided and start to damage their feathers by thrashing around."

Mr Henderson said that he had decided to release the bird close to the centre instead of at his old habitat because it would be possible to keep a watchful eye over him.

Sadly, the buzzard's rescuer, Mr Gould, was unable to make the momentous occasion because of other commitments.

But the chance of a few days of relatively clear weather was too much to miss and a grumpy buzzard was soon packed into a cardboard box and on his way to nearby woodland.

"The bird may take a day or two to settle in to his new environment but there are plenty of deciduous trees where he can roost and a lot of rabbits, which they like to eat," explained Mr Henderson.

And following reports of another buzzard in the woodland, there are hopes that the bird's traumatic days may be over, with a potential partner in the offing.

After being thrown up into the air, the bird took flight and was soon circling over the woods before swooping down to sit in a nearby tree.

"This is the best bit of the job, it has a real buzz to it," said Mr Henderson as he watched the bird take flight, "He has now got a 70 to 80 per cent chance of survival, which is excellent when you think of all he has been through."