Red kite or a Buzzard?

deadlybuzzman

Yesterday when I was out with my dog a bird of prey flew quite low past me. It was a red to light brown colour.
I presumed it was a red kite but now that I've seen how rare it is and because I'm in the North West I'm wondering how similar in colouration can a Buzzard be?
I've seen a Buzzard up very close before but the I seen yesterday bird looked much redder

blackbox

A red kite has a forked tail.

deadlybuzzman

blackbox wrote: »

A red kite has a forked tail.

Crap, I was looking that hard at the wings and chest I've no idea what the tail was like. Hopefully I'll see it again as it was very close to home

DBB

I saw a red kite in the start of hilly country just outside Oughterard, Co. Galway a number of years ago. So, possible to see them in the west anyway!

dympnab

How big was the bird? could have been a female Sparrowhawk or even a Kestrel ..

deadlybuzzman

dympnab wrote: »

How big was the bird? could have been a female Sparrowhawk or even a Kestrel ..

I used to have a sparrowhawk regularly fly a few feet off the ground down the little back road I lived on jacking the little birds it'd flush out of the hedge.
I also had a Buzzard fly straight at my car (I was only one 2nd gear) only to very off at the last second and land on a branch about 10 ft away. The bird I seen on sat was a similar size to the Buzzard