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Eagles or other bird of prey on east coast of north county Dublin?

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  • 12-08-2019 3:33pm
    #1
    Suckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,215 ✭✭✭✭


    Sitting in car at Malahide side of Broadmeadow estuary having lunch 5 minutes ago and what looked to be an eagle (looked far too big to be a hawk) was down hovering around although still quite high. I watched and grabbed my phone and filmed it as it went higher and higher and ridiculously higher. It was eventually just a dot skimming along just under the heavy cloud coverage that is here, and I lost sight of it (as my phone rang).

    I got back to looking up and the person with me said there are 4 of them now (dots). I couldn't see anything no matter how much was pointed out to me, until the person with me said they are zig zagging and flying into each other (they had lost sight of two of them) and then I saw one, while the other person could still see two of them.
    So I am guessing a family learning to fly??
    Would there be anything released around this area? I will try and up the very bad video, I will have to remove voice.

    Any records of eagles around the east coast? This one looked huge, but by the time it became a dot the others weren't visible to me, but I guess roughly the same size.

    Unreal sight to see and to say it was unexpected is an understatement. Beautiful bird and the height it climbed to.. :eek:
    I will be watching the sky for the rest of the day, although it is now heavy rainfall, and I am heading the opposite direction I last saw them heading. They were flying south, I am going to be heading north.


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    #2
    Mickeroo
    Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,139 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    Could have been buzzards maybe. It's worth logging the sighting on goldeneagle.ie anyway: https://www.goldeneagle.ie/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=809&Itemid=199

    If it was an eagle they might be able to confirm through the gps trackers.

    I spotted one in mayo once and it was a amazing site.


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    #3
    Suckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,215 ✭✭✭✭Suckit


    But 4 of them?
    Must have been buzzards. :o

    I will try and get the video on to the laptop and look at it on that screen. I know it is fairly bad anyway.


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    #4
    Bogwoppit
    Registered Users Posts: 2,554 ✭✭✭Bogwoppit


    Quite possibly they were red kites.


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    #5
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,321 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    did you get a look at the tail shape? if forked, they'd have been red kites.
    reasonably similar in wingspan to a heron.


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    #6
    Ger Roe
    Registered Users Posts: 2,105 ✭✭✭Ger Roe


    There are Buzzards regularly seen in North East Wicklow. You can usually see groups circling around in Newtown/Kilpedder/Kilcoole and around Greystones, as well as on the N11 route through Kilmacanogue/Glen of the downs. Their cry is very distinctive and a good hint to look up to the sky.

    There is an established group of Red Kites in Avoca, but I haven't seen any in the more northern areas I have mentioned.


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    #7
    Suckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,215 ✭✭✭✭Suckit


    I reported the sighting on that website. Are red kites that big though? The one that was lower down looked huge. And the height it climbed to was unreal.
    It could have been any of those, I am not very good at telling. I didn't see/notice it's tail unfortunately, it was over the estuary, nevery really close enough to see.


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    #8
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,419 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Most likely buzzards I'd say. Regarding them climbing, buzzards can climb very high indeed if they find a suitable thermal, usually in a circular motion.


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    #9
    Suckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,215 ✭✭✭✭Suckit


    This is the first (Very bad) video, and it's even worse because it is compressed on that site even more. It is pixelated and looks like maybe it is flapping, but it isn't, it was just circling.
    By the time I grabbed my phone and back I had lost site and the person with me pointed it out easily enough. But It had already got very high.
    Then the phone rang cutting me off. I am not sure if the 2nd video has any footage, but I am hoping all 4 can be seen when I upload it.
    https://streamja.com/eKbX

    Edited.

    The 2nd video is worse, it is just cloud. I can't see a thing in it, even though I thought I could when I filmed it. No point in uploading it.


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    #10
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    That's Buzzard to me.


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    #11
    Suckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,215 ✭✭✭✭Suckit


    I am now out past Ashbourne, no more sightings.. :D:(
    Would have been great to have caught a better video of it. Or all of them.


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  • Options
    #12
    gzoladz
    Registered Users Posts: 2,196 ✭✭✭gzoladz


    Flighting pattern suggests buzzard.


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    #13
    bobbysands81
    Registered Users Posts: 7,198 ✭✭✭bobbysands81


    Ger Roe wrote: »
    There are Buzzards regularly seen in North East Wicklow. You can usually see groups circling around in Newtown/Kilpedder/Kilcoole and around Greystones, as well as on the N11 route through Kilmacanogue/Glen of the downs. Their cry is very distinctive and a good hint to look up to the sky.

    There is an established group of Red Kites in Avoca, but I haven't seen any in the more northern areas I have mentioned.

    See Red Kites every single day from the motorway at around the Wicklow exit. Will also have multiple viewings of Buzzards all the way down to Wexford town.


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    #14
    Pretzill
    Registered Users Posts: 4,683 ✭✭✭Pretzill


    The first time I saw a buzzard (perched) I thought she was an eagle. Incidently I saw what looked like a Northern Harrier the other day - they wouldn't normally be in Ireland would they? It may have been a juvenile Marsh harrier but it's colouring looked more like a Northern. I was driving so didn't get a photo.

    South Sligo


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    #15
    Scotty #
    Registered Users Posts: 3,767 ✭✭✭Scotty #


    Suckit wrote: »
    I am now out past Ashbourne.
    Keep an eye out for the resident Red Kite. Regularly seen over the M1 between Ashbourne and Finglas.

    Buzzards are extremely common in the area. I see several in the skies every day. On sunnier days you will often hear them calling to each other but usually they are pretty quiet and quite high up so people don't notice them so much.


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    #16
    dodderangler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭dodderangler


    From salt hill in gakway to Tallaght I counted 89 buzzards.
    They’re really abundant.


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    #17
    GolfNut33
    Registered Users Posts: 352 ✭✭GolfNut33


    dodderangler wrote: »
    From salt hill in gakway to Tallaght I counted 89 buzzards.
    They’re really abundant.

    They're everywhere along the N11 and here in Kilternan.


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    #18
    nannerby
    Registered Users Posts: 362 ✭✭nannerby


    Saw a Buzzard in Tymon park Templeogue side just the other day.


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