Eagles over my house

skywalker_208

Well i presume they are eagles. There are 4 in total which can be seen from time to time, VERY high up in the sky, kind of gliding around in a circle.. looking at them through the binoculors I can see that they have black underwings with a white jagged strip of feathers on each wing near the tip.

They sure do spook the crows when they are out!

anyone know what they might be (breed etc) ? Meath Area.....

kyle 327

I think they are eagles but check out this wedsight:o




www.hickerphoto.com/eagle-pictures-cat.htm

Alun

Have look here and see if you can see what resembles them most.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/families/hawks.asp

From your description of their flight patterns, the circling and soaring I'd hazard a guess at red kites, but I've honestly no idea if we have them here in Ireland, although they're getting quite common in some parts of the UK. If so, the shape of the tail is a dead giveaway. Maybe someone with more local knowledge could say if they're present here, maybe summer visitors from the UK?

Could also be buzzards, although your description of the wings doesn't really match.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Definately Buzzards. I see them in several areas of Louth and Meath. Yor discription of the wings is a little confusing. You did say they were VERY high!
I record birds in this area and I can assure you they were not Red kites or Eagles. Ospreypass through the area but it's doesn't match with their flight pattern.

Lou.m

WOW you are so lucky maybe you could take pics and post them:) or maybe it is too difficult.

Enjoy them.

Aimee_gleeson

We have a hawk or two that is always hovering over the field next to us. We have to watch our lil dogs when they are round cause they are small enough to probably pick them up. But its nice to see them around all the same

skywalker_208

no sign of them today, one of the days i saw one enter the airspace of a field up the road a bit and got chased away by 2 smaller birds (hawks possibly? )

just to clarify though:

they are either black or brown all over
At least one has a jagged white band/strip on each wing (underneath - i have only seen them miles up with binoculors, can barely see them with the naked eye)
when theres 2 about they soar in a circle- just like u see buzzards do in the movies before something dies in the desert
Yesterday i was watching 2 of them and they seemed to take turns at flying into each other - ie mock attacking/playing/etc..

I would love to get some photos but ill need to wait and see can i get them nearer the ground.. as soon as i do ill post em

kyle 327

at my grandma's house we had these hawks nesting someware in the tall grass , and then i went down there and found out there were marsh hawks.
and we found the nest to!:D

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

They are probably hawks, they are pretty common in ireland. as far as i know there are literaly only a handfull of eagles in ireland....in donegal i think, not fully sure about donegal!

JB1

The only eagle it could be is the golden eagle, they ahve been re-introduced to Ireland in the past years.
Check out this website:

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/

skywalker_208

i havent seen them since that bad weather came back but im still on the lookout. As soon as i can get a decent photo ill post it

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Estelle Echoing Beehive wrote:

They are probably hawks, they are pretty common in ireland. as far as i know there are literaly only a handfull of eagles in ireland....in donegal i think, not fully sure about donegal!

Just curious, but what do you mean by "hawks"? Sorry if it's slightly OT only many refer to Hawks when in Ireland it covers only a few smaller birds of prey and is not a classifiacation used by birders. DO you mean Buzzards, Harriers, Peregrines?

Donegal (Glenveigh) is the location of the Golden Eagle re-introduction programme.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

im not sure, i only know them as sparrow hawks. ive seen a few of them before, up really high in the air, and then drop to the ground to kill something

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Frank,

I too would could only call Sparrowhawks "hawks" but many people seem to apply the term to other birds of prey. The Sparrowhawk by nature does not fly high. It patrols the hedgerows and woodland verges looking for prey. I think what you see up high and pouncing is a Kestrel. If it hovers it's a Kestral. Both are MUCH smaller than the Buzzards referred to above.