Beware of booby trapped mince

Or Greeks bearing gifts, so says this wise old buzzard I filmed today. It is amazing how this totally wild bird knows that sometimes when something seems too good to be true it often is, what a pity many of us advanced apes at times do not realise that too!

If you watch the video you will see how it is wary of the camera lens, but far more wary of the tempting 800g of mince that has mysteriously appeared in the woodland. How does this bird know it could be a trap? Has it previously been caught in a trap when on the lookout for an easy meal? Extremely unlikely as it would not have survived to tell the tale. Maybe it was taught to be cautious of such things by its parents when it was a chick? Possible but how would they communicate such a message without language? Maybe it is inherited instinct passed down through the buzzard bloodline because they have been persecuted for centuries. Is it nature or nurture which makes it so cautious? I do not know the answer but it would be fascinating to find out.