buzzards!

They are indeed magnificent birds. I see them quite regularly over my back garden/field. One day last summer there were 7 of them just wheeling about, riding the thermals & calling to each other.

Here's a Wikipedia article for a start.

I've seen several in the east Carlow area, some near Rathvilly and also near Clonegal.

There is some information here http://countynaturetrust.tripod.com/id4.html

:D:D just checking the smilies thing - my last post with a smilie was removed :eek:

I saw my first Irish Buzzards last December down at my family home in north west Wexford. A pair with an adolescent fledgling, soaring, quartering and callin to each other. I found where they were roosting not long after ... the trail of kill sites in the fields led me to them pretty easily Rabbits, Starlings, Pigeons, etc.

The disappeared by the Spring. I'd gotten worried. Their roost is on a farm whose landowner loves wildlife so I had no concerns there. But he'd told me he'd seen them off over other neighbouring farms. I'd no idea what those landowners were like.

A few weekends ago, in heavy rain, I was drivin up the lane when I saw on 20 yards from my car, sitting on a kill in the long grass. I didn't stop - no point in disturbing it during nesting season, as much as I would have loved a photo.

There's an abundance of rabbits in the area now. That landowner has adopted wildlife friendly farming techniques.

I used to regularly see on on the motorway between Carlow and Castledermot. It even flew in front of my car one afternoon, apparently chasing a pigeon. I haven't seen it in 5 months now.

Prey & Prey2 certainly look like buzzards. Particularly the lighter band on the underside of the wing. Prey1 is too dark & at a difficult angle to tell. Are they all pics of the same bird?

Well done on getting those three for a start!