Mystery Birds

Cliff Hatton 2 · #1 (**permalink**) 18-05-2012, 15:46

Nothing to do with fishing really, but part of the great fishing adventure.
I feel sure I'm not the only angler-twitcher regularly frustrated by his inability to distinguish one predatory bird from another, especially as we have only a few to choose from in this country. Twice - once at Symonds Yat a few years ago, and once a few days ago on the M.48 going into Wales, I've seen a large bird with 'splayed' wing-tips hovering as surely as a kestrel. Now then: discount the harriers, the kestrel, the sparrow and goshawks, the hobby, the merlin, the kites and the buzzard. This leaves the owls, and Europe's only hovering eagle, the short-toed or snake eagle - pretty unlikely, I think. It won't be the tawny owl, the little owl, the barn or the long-eared owl, but it might be the short eared owl which DOES feed in daylight and can hover...but it DOES have very long wings, and 'my' birds don't appear to have long wings. Any thoughts, anyone?

beerweasel · #2 (**permalink**) 18-05-2012, 16:02

On what grounds did you discount the usual suspects ?
What colour was it ?
What shape tail ?
I think Kite is most likely for Wales.

murv · #3 (**permalink**) 18-05-2012, 16:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by beerweasel

On what grounds did you discount the usual suspects ?
What colour was it ?
What shape tail ?
I think Kite is most likely for Wales.

^ This

Or even the other, much underrated aerial beauty the Buzzard can certainly do a fair impression of being able to hover

Hugh Bailey 2 · #4 (**permalink**) 18-05-2012, 19:05

You say large bird , so I'd guess we can discount Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Merlin & Hobby. Symonds Yat is well know for Peregines (also Gos & Buzzard), so , in daylight I'd guess one of these. If it was a few days ago, probably too late for Gos displaying? maybe Peregrine or Buzzard

Bluenose · #5 (**permalink**) 18-05-2012, 19:29

I pulled up at some lights yesterday, onside window down, some mad little thing chirping in the bushes... a goldcrest, right there on the A49/A556 junction.

3 metres away. Ace.

Sorry to hijack Cliff, I told them in work, showed them a pic, but they don't get it!

mark brailsford 2 · #6 (**permalink**) 18-05-2012, 20:27

It's a honey buzzard mate, much longer wings than our common buzzard and they are becoming more common over the last couple of years.
for folk that are not much up on birds here is a little tip on raptors, falcons, ie, kestrel, merlin, have pointed wings, the hawks, ie buzzard, goshawk, sparrow hawk have spayed wing tips...simples!!!

Cliff Hatton 2 · #7 (**permalink**) 19-05-2012, 16:37

Thanks, everyone so far. I discounted that list because I'm pretty good on birds and none of those could have been my hovering M.48 bird; I must emphasize this bird's hovering ability - it held station as surely as a kestrel, but this was bigger and had those splayed wings. All birds can hover to some extent (with the obvious exceptions!) but can a honey buzzard do a rapid-winged hover, like a kestrel? It wasn't a kite of any kind, and it wasn't a perry or a 'standard' buzzard. I'm still keen on the short-eared owl theory, but I'll eagerly look into the honey buzzard thing. Keep your suggestions and sightings coming!

PS: Mark: 'my' bird didn't appear to have very long wings...it's the short-eared owl I attribute long wings to.

mark brailsford 2 · #8 (**permalink**) 19-05-2012, 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff Hatton 2

Thanks, everyone so far. I discounted that list because I'm pretty good on birds and none of those could have been my hovering M.48 bird; I must emphasize this bird's hovering ability - it held station as surely as a kestrel, but this was bigger and had those splayed wings. All birds can hover to some extent (with the obvious exceptions!) but can a honey buzzard do a rapid-winged hover, like a kestrel? It wasn't a kite of any kind, and it wasn't a perry or a 'standard' buzzard. I'm still keen on the short-eared owl theory, but I'll eagerly look into the honey buzzard thing. Keep your suggestions and sightings coming!

PS: Mark: 'my' bird didn't appear to have very long wings...it's the short-eared owl I attribute long wings to.

I have sat on a hillside near loch awe and watched common buzzards hovering over some gorse bushes, it was quite a sight to see!

Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC) · #9 (**permalink**) 19-05-2012, 18:54

Can't think of anything other than has been suggested Cliff but it did remind me of two unusual sightings I have had.

Watching an Eagle Owl surveying all below from its perch on Canterbury Cathedral, and having my fielding distinctly disturbed as a pair of mccaws flew over Kirby Stephen cricket ground!! Assume escapees in both cases!!

Cliff Hatton 2 · #10 (**permalink**) 20-05-2012, 01:45

An eagle owl in Canterbury, Posh Paul...fantastic! In '94 I was staying overnight in a small hotel at the very top of Rocamadour, Central France - a medieval village built more or less vertically in the side of a ravine. Around midnight, I sat by my open window looking at the flood-lit cliff-top where pigeons roosted for the night. From out of the jet blackness came an eagle owl, talons extended to grab a bird off it's perch. You should have seen the shower of feathers...