They look big and mean enough Joe, but they mostly feed on insects,small rodents,dead carcasses, they dont have the strength in the talons of say a Goshawk, more of an oppotunist/scavenger, thats why they do so well,tons of em about like you said. Mate reckons he's seen one giving a lambing ewe a hell of a time tho..peckin at the arse end.
Do they not call em 'tourist eagles' up your way!
buzzards can and do take hares last season we disturbed a buzzard off an adult hare while on a walk the hare was still alive but had the eyes pecked out 4 lads witnessed this .