Help with birds of prey (1 Viewer)

[Dave K]

I often work in Dorset and travelling to and fro I often see large birds of prey either sat on fence posts or sat on the ground in a field, I mainly see a bird which is brown with cream coloured patches on their chest and when in flight on the underside of their wings which I'm guessing is a Buzzard..?
Today I saw a similar sized bird which had a white chest and brown coloured wings, I just wondered if anybody knew what this would be, unfortunately because I'm driving I can't take a picture so you'd have to rely on my descriptions which I appreciate aren't the best!

 

[DavidG58]

you are almost certainly right with the Buzzard, classic sat on posts beside roads

my money for the other could still be a buzzard, they have a huge variety of brown mottled colours

but if not a hen harrier or marsh harrier, the hen harrier has a distinctive white rump and the males in spring can be nearly light grey all over

 

[Dave K]

you are almost certainly right with the Buzzard, classic sat on posts beside roads

my money for the other could still be a buzzard, they have a huge variety of brown mottled colours

but if not a hen harrier or marsh harrier, the hen harrier has a distinctive white rump and the males in spring can be nearly light grey all over

Must admit I only caught sight of it last minute but it's body was very white, but considering it was a very similar size then as you say perhaps it was just another Buzzard with different colouring

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[JeanLuc]

Almost certainly buzzards. They have widely varying plumage from plain dark brown to cream and caramel blotches. Also spend a lot of time sitting on fence posts or trees etc.

 

[Wildbill]

Perfect description of the grater feathered funster wating for ther next victim
Bill

 

[CWH]

Agree with @DavidG58 and @JeanLuc - first one most definitely blizzard, second one quite probably the same, especially if displaying the same behavior.

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[funflair]

The other fairly common one in the air nowadays is a Kite, the forked tail gives it away.

Martin

 

[Deleted member 43219]

There are plenty of pictures on the web of birds of prey including buzzards eg see RSPB or just google it, they should give you a lot of help.

Tony

 

[cranky]

there are some great free apps as well. search for bird identifier.

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[Bill_OR]

I love to see the buzzards hunting around my garden - keeps the bloody rabbits away!

 

[WSandME]

We've only recently seen buzzards around here, but I did film a kestrel (I think) catching a pigeon in our garden.
It landed and proceeded to try to drag the corpse to the hedge, where I suppose it thought it would have an uninterrupted feast.
Just as it reached the hedge, a local cat ran up to it and stole it's prey. As my daughter commented: "It's like the bloody Serengeti here!"

 

[Speve]

Most likely to be a juvenile Buzzard they are much lighter in colour

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[JeanLuc]

We've only recently seen buzzards around here, but I did film a kestrel (I think) catching a pigeon in our garden.
It landed and proceeded to try to drag the corpse to the hedge, where I suppose it thought it would have an uninterrupted feast.
Just as it reached the hedge, a local cat ran up to it and stole it's prey. As my daughter commented: "It's like the bloody Serengeti here!"

More likely to be a female Sparrowhawk as a Kestrel is too small to handle a pigeon. Also, not general a bird catcher whereas the Sparrowhawk is.

 

[cranky]

collar doves are the favourite prey for the sparrowhawk in my garden although I watched a male sitting on the fence above a shrub where there were sparrows and he kept flying down and round trying to scare them out, not behaviour I had seen before. just gotta love those eyes!

 

[JeanLuc]

I have seen a male Sparrowhawk catch a Collared Dove but it is right at the limit of their ability. The larger female can handle them easily.

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[denisejoe]

Had a sparrow hawk chasing sparrows in our garden last year,chased them into a hedge and kept sticking his foot in to try and reach them

 

[John.]

Bit off topic but today near Cadiz a huge bird was soaring in circles above us it's wing span was about 6' the under side was white with black flight feathers spread out like fingers & a yellow beak about 6" long.
Sorry no photo as it had gone after we got the dog in the van.

Any ideas?

 

[Speve]

Bit off topic but today near Cadiz a huge bird was soaring in circles above us it's wing span was about 6' the under side was white with black flight feathers spread out like fingers & a yellow beak about 6" long.
Sorry no photo as it had gone after we got the dog in the van.

Any ideas?

Most likely to be a Griffon Vulture or Egyptian Vulture (smaller)

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[John.]

Thanks Speve thought it was after our Charlie:-(

 

[MattR]

Bit off topic but today near Cadiz a huge bird was soaring in circles above us it's wing span was about 6' the under side was white with black flight feathers spread out like fingers & a yellow beak about 6" long.
Sorry no photo as it had gone after we got the dog in the van.

Any ideas?

Like this Egyptian vulture?

 

[angusboy]

We have been staying down at bagwell farm during winter and there have been loads of buzzards there

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[DavidG58]

this was our female sparrow hawk despatching then processing a wood pigeon in our garden earlier this year

just left us with the feathers

 

[John.]

Like this Egyptian vulture?

That's the one
Thank you.

 

[rangi]

You really got to watch them there "birds of prey" matey.
You get heaps of them from the old "Eastern Bloc" nowadays, Blonde, big frontages, the sort that if they fell face down they wouldn't bruise their nose, more silicone than B&Q. Their habitat is generally on the Dating sites frequented by lonely millionaires and sad old gits with more "urges" and money than sense

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[WSandME]

The Serengeti...