Raptor ID

baaba maal

Hi

I was looking out my window on Monday night at 1.30 am- a beautiful, clear, moonlight night. Then I saw a raptor flying by the house ( I'm in north Kildare in an area surrounded by bog, commercial forestry and farmland)- the moon was behind it so I saw a very clear silhouette.
To my eye it looked bigger than a buzzard, with a slow and shallow wingbeat. I am used to seeing buzzards almost daily and this definitely looked bigger. I have also seen barn owls and long-eared owls and it really didn't look like either. The flight was about 30 metres high in a direct but unhurried line.
So, my first question is- do any diurnal raptors sometimes fly at night? If so, could anybody suggest what it may have been (i.e. would certain larger raptors be more likely to be seen on a moonlit night)?

Any info or speculation welcome!

cuddlycavies

Short eared owls which are diurnal will be making their way back to Scandanavia and presumably using the stars as a navigational aid.

baaba maal

It was heading in a northeasterly direction alright!:)

It didn't seem to have the owl profile of a "stumpy" head (sorry- can't think of a more technical term)- but obviously I have to allow for the fact that it was at night and I was taken by surprise. I'll never know exacty what it was but it was lovely to witness it nonetheless.

Thanks for the reply.

V_Moth

I can't find any references to movements of large raptors at night (BWP) - it seems rather unlikely as they require thermals for hunting or migrating. The only possibility is of a bid disturbed from a roost site, but even then I wouldn't imagine it would fly very far.

Geese and Swans migrate at night and they are beginning their journey back to Iceland/Greenland about now.

baaba maal

Definitely not a goose- buzzards occasionally roost close to me- that was probably it so. Wonder does a bright moon have an effect on their sleep pattern (presuming that any "sleep" is likely to be in short bursts and they would be easily disturbed anyway). Ta.