Unknown Raptor

Maudi

off greystones beach this morning..i spotted a very high flying raptor.whipped out the monocular from glove box and spotted the "finger spread shaped"wing spread..browny colour looked to be big..maybe a metre...wing spread..this bird actually was so high it disappeared into some clouds..any idea of id?

Mickeroo

Maudi wrote: »

off greystones beach this morning..i spotted a very high flying raptor.whipped out the monocular from glove box and spotted the "finger spread shaped"wing spread..browny colour looked to be big..maybe a metre...wing spread..this bird actually was so high it disappeared into some clouds..any idea of id?

white tailed sea eagle maybe?

More likely is a buzzard though probably.

Birdnuts

Another possiblility is a rough-legged buzzard. Noticeably bigger than our resident buzzards, a few Scandi birds turn up near the East coast most winters.

cuddlycavies

White Tailed Sea Eagle

http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/27947/Whitetailed_Eagle.html

This on who is named STAR movess between Kilcoole/ Murrough area tpo Fermanagh lakes most years. If he's mentioned on any of the other forums I'lll keep you posted

Mickeroo

It might be worth reporting it as an eagle sighting on www.goldeneagle.ie. if it was one it might be one of the tagged ones so they would confirm the sighting pretty easily.

cuddlycavies

Yep, they do

Maudi

cuddlycavies wrote: »

White Tailed Sea Eagle

http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/27947/Whitetailed_Eagle.html

This on who is named STAR movess between Kilcoole/ Murrough area tpo Fermanagh lakes most years. If he's mentioned on any of the other forums I'lll keep you posted

from those pics im leaning towards sea eagle..id be certainly familiar with sparrow hawks kestrels.perigenes.kites etc..twas too big to be any of the smaller raptors.

Kess73

Sounds like a buzzard to me. A white tailed sea eagle will have a wing span of between 6 and 8 feet whereas a buzzard will usually be a little over a metre. A buzzard is a big bird of prey when compared to a sparrowhawk, Peregrine etc., but it is dwarfed by the eagle in every department.


Even at height a WTSE will look a very big bird ( as any bird with a wing span of two metres or more will) and it's trademark tail would stand out a mile if you were clearly able to see the colour on the body of the bird.


Would love for the OP to have seen a WTSE, but given the location, estimated size, and colouring, I think a buzzard is the most likely suspect.

Mickeroo

Kess73 wrote: »

Sounds like a buzzard to me. A white tailed sea eagle will have a wing span of between 6 and 8 feet whereas a buzzard will usually be a little over a metre. A buzzard is a big bird of prey when compared to a sparrowhawk, Peregrine etc., but it is dwarfed by the eagle in every department.


Even at height a WTSE will look a very big bird ( as any bird with a wing span of two metres or more will) and it's trademark tail would stand out a mile if you were clearly able to see the colour on the body of the bird.


Would love for the OP to have seen a WTSE, but given the location, estimated size, and colouring, I think a buzzard is the most likely suspect.

party pooper

I smell bad!!!

The easiest way of distinguishing a sea eagle from a common buzzard when viewing at height and bad light is by the tail. Sea eagle a short wedge tail (compared to width of wing) in all age groups ie juvenile, 2nd winter, subadult, adult. Only subadult and adult birds will have a white tail, juvenile birds will have brownish tail.

Common Buzzard will have a tail which is proportionally much longer than a sea eagle. Tail is a shorter than width of wing but in flight not noticeably so.

Rough legged buzzards are extremely rare in Ireland so it is doubtful that it was one.

jmkennedyie

Occasional hen harrier and lots of red kite in that part of the world too...

Birdnuts

I smell bad!!! wrote: »

.

Rough legged buzzards are extremely rare in Ireland so it is doubtful that it was one.

I know but 2 were knockin about in that area this time last year.

V_Moth

Birdnuts wrote: »

I know but 2 were knockin about in that area this time last year.

There was only individual that covered a lot of ground last winter in Kilcoole, with another found at Strangford Lough in February. There are currently only 45 accepted records in Ireland.

recedite

Think I saw the beast today, close to where the pics were taken last year. It seemed a bit larger than the usual buzzards, but smaller than a WTE. It was flying low and away from me, so I could only make out it was dark brown, with black wing tips. If I see it again I'll look to see if it has the white patches under the wings.

Maudi

jmkennedyie wrote: »

Occasional hen harrier and lots of red kite in that part of the world too...

yes.i have sat and watched kites hovering over the lower slopes of brayhead lots of times..too big for a kite tho..dont think it was six feet im going for 3 or 4 tops..was just thinking personally ive seen dolphins cormorants eagles kites and a jay and all the common garden birds..badgers foxes rabbits pine martin?bats hedgehogs and muntjac all in and around greystones..go wildlife.

cuddlycavies

Where did you see Pine Marten?

Maudi

cuddlycavies wrote: »

Where did you see Pine Marten?

you know the abandoned farm sheds on the right heading up the farankelly?just an early morning glimpse of it running thru there..not totally sure about id.but im leaning towards pine martin..and i forgot to mention squirrels in my last post..

dodderangler

I'd lean towards a buzzard on this one
Never heard of a wtse on this side
I've seen buzzards go a serious height before

cuddlycavies

dodderangler wrote: »

I'd lean towards a buzzard on this one
Never heard of a wtse on this side
I've seen buzzards go a serious height before

WTSE ''Star'' is a regular visitor to wicklow

dodderangler

cuddlycavies wrote: »

WTSE ''Star'' is a regular visitor to wicklow

Didn't know that must go have a look one day see if she's about
Wonder if she'd have a male around be great to have them breeding

whyulittle

You won't get much from a meeting of Star and a male.

cuddlycavies

whyulittle wrote: »

You won't get much from a meeting of Star and a male.

YMCA!

recedite

Maudi wrote: »

you know the abandoned farm sheds on the right heading up the farankelly?just an early morning glimpse of it running thru there.

That place is crawling with rabbits, and usually a few pheasants knocking around too. Its where the rough legged buzzard pictures were taken, the twitchers were all parked just across the road. Unfortunately its been rezoned for residential development in the newly released draft development plan.
Where did you see the eagle, and the muntjac? I'm pretty sure I saw a muntjac disappearing into the undergrowth about a year ago, further south, along the Avonmore River.

dodderangler

whyulittle wrote: »

You won't get much from a meeting of Star and a male.

Are you saying star is a male?

V Bull

dodderangler wrote: »

Are you saying star is a male?

I'm sure there is only one WTSE called Star, it is a male... he was named after the Kerry footballer Kieran Donaghy (nickname Star) - he was rescued by a pensioner sometime ago, I think he was poisoned and survived after treatment..

Maudi

recedite wrote: »

That place is crawling with rabbits, and usually a few pheasants knocking around too. Its where the rough legged buzzard pictures were taken, the twitchers were all parked just across the road. Unfortunately its been rezoned for residential development in the newly released draft development plan.
Where did you see the eagle, and t muntjac? I'm pretty sure I saw a muntjac disappearing into the undergrowth about a year ago, further south, along the Avonmore River.

not that far up recedite the barn just up from and sort of behind superquinn..and il pm you about the muntjac..