Buzzard (Was- Another raptor ID please)

cfitz · 30-01-2011 3:41pm #1

Hey,

I saw a bird of prey landing on an electricity post on the M8 near Borris-in-Ossory. Didn't get a picture or anything coz I was driving but hopefully someone here can help. It was maybe about a foot tall standing on the post. It was brown and the only defining feature that I picked out was a strip of white across its breast.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

trebor28 · 30-01-2011 5:42pm

i would take a stab in the dark at a Buzzard.

how big was it in relation to other birds?

cuddlycavies · 30-01-2011 8:18pm

Yep Buzzard.

cfitz · 30-01-2011 10:05pm

trebor28 wrote: »

i would take a stab in the dark at a Buzzard.

how big was it in relation to other birds?

Perched height, I would say as tall as a good big crow. But much more sturdy build than a crow around the chest. I went past at 70mph, so not much time to assess! I didn't really get to see it in flight so not sure about wingspan.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 30-01-2011 10:11pm

Sounds like, and location right, for a Buzzard ok.

Git101 · 30-01-2011 10:12pm

cfitz wrote: »

Hey,

I saw a bird of prey landing on an electricity post on the M8 near Borris-in-Ossory. Didn't get a picture or anything coz I was driving but hopefully someone here can help. It was maybe about a foot tall standing on the post. It was brown and the only defining feature that I picked out was a strip of white across its breast.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

You'll get every bird from kestral to eagle buzzard suggested with such a vague discription....
or maybe not now that I've mentioned it

Ditch · 31-01-2011 7:42pm

Git101 wrote: »

You'll get every bird from kestral to eagle buzzard suggested with such a vague discription....
or maybe not now that I've mentioned it

I wouldn't have thought so. The given jizz suggests buzzard. The " strip of white across its breast. " about clinches it.

How many BOPs do ye know, in Eire, that exhibit anything like that?

Now, had the OP said, " It had a light coloured front with marks all over it. "? Complete waste of time even considering it.

Fact that he spotted the 'give away' light strip? Sorted!

Feargal as Luimneach · 31-01-2011 10:44pm

Ditch wrote: »

How many BOPs do ye know, in Eire, that exhibit anything like that?

None.....

Ditch · 31-01-2011 10:49pm

Word!

Git101 · 01-02-2011 10:58am

Ditch wrote: »

I wouldn't have thought so. The given jizz suggests buzzard. The " strip of white across its breast. " about clinches it.

How many BOPs do ye know, in Eire, that exhibit anything like that?

Now, had the OP said, " It had a light coloured front with marks all over it. "? Complete waste of time even considering it.

Fact that he spotted the 'give away' light strip? Sorted!

It's irrelevant what I know or don't know. The point I was making was that although there are some well informed and knowledgeable people posting here, there are plenty of posters - maybe with the best intentions - prepared to take an ill informed stab in the dark at bird ID's.

Ditch wrote: »

Word!

It certainly made our American friend happy..

ok, I'm guessing you're not american, just one of the boyz from the Leitrim hood.. word

Ditch · 01-02-2011 11:18am

Hey, Git ...... Sup, bro'?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 02-02-2011 2:08pm

Git101 wrote: »

It's irrelevant what I know or don't know. The point I was making was that although there are some well informed and knowledgeable people posting here, there are plenty of posters - maybe with the best intentions - prepared to take an ill informed stab in the dark at bird ID's.

Why not wait until a spurious identification is made and correct it rather that introduce an element of doubt where there was none. The OP asked for an ID and got a correct one. Why introduce a negativity like that? I agree that certain people here often make doubtful suggestions on IDs but it did not happen in this case.

trebor28 · 02-02-2011 3:23pm

Git101 wrote: »

It's irrelevant what I know or don't know. The point I was making was that although there are some well informed and knowledgeable people posting here, there are plenty of posters - maybe with the best intentions - prepared to take an ill informed stab in the dark at bird ID's.

It certainly made our American friend happy..

ok, I'm guessing you're not american, just one of the boyz from the Leitrim hood.. word

when i said stab in the dark, i meant that the description of the bird wasnt that strong so it would be hard to say exactly 100% certain what it was.

like others have said previously with the info given you had to presume it was a buzzard.

Git101 · 02-02-2011 4:18pm

trebor28 wrote: »

when i said stab in the dark, i meant that the description of the bird wasnt that strong so it would be hard to say exactly 100% certain what it was.

like others have said previously with the info given you had to presume it was a buzzard.

Sorry trebor28, I wasn't doubting you. It was just coincidence that I used the stab in the dark expression, I'd forgotten that you had used it in a earlier post

Kess73 · 02-02-2011 4:24pm

On a buzzard related note. How far from the usual spots have people here spotted them to date?

I ask because of a bird I spotted and then watched for over ten minutes last weekend in county Limerick, in the South East of the county to be a little more specific. It was going back and forth over an area of wide open fields that also has hills and some forest nearby. As some have pointed out on here, Buzzards are pretty difficult to mix up with other birds of prey if you have been used to seeing them and other BOP over time.

I could spot nothing on the bird to suggest that it was a falconry bird. I know they have been spotted in parts of Cork, but had not seen one in county Limerick before.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 02-02-2011 5:32pm

Oh they are in Limerick for sure.

Saw one there in 2009.

They are now regularly reported from the couty.

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=45&search_species_id=4&search_observer_id=sight

This map may help but keep in mind that it, naturally, only shows sightings reported to this particular website.

trebor28 · 02-02-2011 6:13pm

i havent seen the buzzard that was around my place since the sunday before christmas when he was around my house for most of the day.

i had seen him every couple of days before that. i hope that he just moved off somewhere else for more food.

it would be better than the disappointment of the weather getting him anyway.

Git101 · 02-02-2011 6:45pm

Elsa Young Self-interest wrote: »

Why not wait until a spurious identification is made and correct it rather that introduce an element of doubt where there was none. The OP asked for an ID and got a correct one. Why introduce a negativity like that? I agree that certain people here often make doubtful suggestions on IDs but it did not happen in this case.

Nearly missed this one...

Thanks for the advice, I'll take it on board going forward......

thyme · 02-02-2011 9:44pm

One of five that was around here last summer and autumn.
I hope they come back this year.

Ditch · 02-02-2011 11:02pm

" [IMG]https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/313533/146222.JPG"]IMG_23505.JPG[/URL] (214.7 KB, 6 views) " Vaunking Material! (To quote Marlene) My connection's to slow to be looking at MB+ stuff. Bet I'm missing out though!

[/img]

thyme · 03-02-2011 12:13am

Ditch wrote: »

" [IMG]https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/313533/146222.JPG"]IMG_23505.JPG[/URL] (214.7 KB, 6 views) " Vaunking Material! (To quote Marlene) My connection's to slow to be looking at MB+ stuff. Bet I'm missing out though! [/img]

Sorry Ditch, if I crop it any more you will lose the quality.
I will post another one of same just for you.;)

Kess73 · 03-02-2011 12:37am

Elsa Young Self-interest wrote: »

Oh they are in Limerick for sure.

Saw one there in 2009.

They are now regularly reported from the couty.

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=45&search_species_id=4&search_observer_id=sight

This map may help but keep in mind that it, naturally, only shows sightings reported to this particular website.

Cheers for that, I never thought of checking that site to be honest and where I did check had no mention of confirmed Limerick sightings.

Delighted to see the mention of sightings on the site and to hear that you saw one yourself in Limerick.

I had seen them in parts of Cork and Tipperary before, and was always disappointed not to have seen them around Limerick. Here is to many more popping up in front of me in the future.

littlebug · 03-02-2011 1:23am

Elsa Young Self-interest wrote: »

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=45&search_species_id=4&search_observer_id=sight

This map may help but keep in mind that it, naturally, only shows sightings reported to this particular website.

I see there was a sighting (last March) in Cong, Co Mayo (though it's reported as Co Galway

). What are the chances of there still being one (some?) around there? How much/ far do they move around?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 03-02-2011 10:07am

trebor28 wrote: »

i havent seen the buzzard that was around my place since the sunday before christmas when he was around my house for most of the day.

i had seen him every couple of days before that. i hope that he just moved off somewhere else for more food.

it would be better than the disappointment of the weather getting him anyway.

Panic not! They cover a large range in Winter. The pair that breed within sight of my house for example are seldom seen within 2 miles of the area through Nov to Mar.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 03-02-2011 10:12am

littlebug wrote: »

I see there was a sighting (last March) in Cong, Co Mayo (though it's reported as Co Galway ). What are the chances of there still being one (some?) around there? How much/ far do they move around?

Chances are good of them moving into the area. They cover wide ranges (hence their re-populating of so many areas).

boneless · 03-02-2011 5:42pm

Kess73 wrote: »

On a buzzard related note. How far from the usual spots have people here spotted them to date?

I ask because of a bird I spotted and then watched for over ten minutes last weekend in county Limerick, in the South East of the county to be a little more specific. It was going back and forth over an area of wide open fields that also has hills and some forest nearby. As some have pointed out on here, Buzzards are pretty difficult to mix up with other birds of prey if you have been used to seeing them and other BOP over time.

I could spot nothing on the bird to suggest that it was a falconry bird. I know they have been spotted in parts of Cork, but had not seen one in county Limerick before.

I'll probably get a stiff word from Srameen for introducing a hint of doubt

!! Any chance it was a female hen harrier you saw? The covering (or quartering) of the field sounds like harrier behaviour. Was the bird low flying?

Just to rule out a maybe

Ditch · 03-02-2011 6:31pm

boneless wrote: »

The covering (or quartering) of the field sounds like harrier behaviour. Was the bird low flying?

Bravo! Nicely spotted! (I was gonna say " Word! " and get up someone's nose there!

)

Dare I moot Marsh Harrier, off the back of ye own observance there ....?

Actually, that would get up my nose. It's a bloody bogey of mine

boneless · 03-02-2011 7:18pm

^^^ Shush.... you'll scare them away

....

Reason I thought female hen harrier is because I mixed one up with a buzzard a few years ago. Not expecting to see a harrier in the part of Kildare I was in and all that.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 03-02-2011 10:41pm

Could well be. I was only commenting on the distribution of Buzzards.;)

thyme · 05-02-2011 6:22am

Ditch,I hope these two are ok.

Ditch · 05-02-2011 12:45pm

Thyme; How the hell did ye get that second shot?! Ye keep buzzards or something?

Buzzard (Was- Another raptor ID please)

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