Steve Blacksmith, Halifax Scientific Society (Natural History Section.)
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Raptor - possible Honey Buzzard
I'd just been watching a Common Buzzard being mobbed by crows, then this appeared from high over some trees in a Calderdale side-valley. It reminded me of the Honey Buzzards I see occasionally in Hampshire. (Last time 2 years ago.) So I'm going for that before I refer to the books. Didn't have time to clean the lens !
11 comments:
Looks good to me Steve
I agree, great bird.
Chris
just from looking at the photos i cannot see honey buzzard or buzzard i get a more harrier look about it, not seen many raptors recently
always nice to birds up for Id on the blog
if you enlarge the photo on Photoshop you can see a dark carpal patch and pale wing window and traces of a dark tail band, these along with the wing shape almost Cuckoo like head and long tail say Honey Buzzard to me a dark phase bird
After much head scratching Im beginging to think its a Common Buzzard. Emailed the pics to a Bradford raptor guru and he thinks its a juvenile Common Buzzard. Juvs show narrower wing and longer tail than adults. Also I would have thought honey would show an obvious secondarie bulge, can not see it on the photos, also doesnt seem to be any barring on the under tail (might be wrong though} any one else with thoughts on this bird.
Its had me scratching my head for a while,but I agree with nick.Its one of those funny angles which makes it look longer than it is. There is no barring in the tail or secondry buldge and the wings look short to me.I will be happy to be proved wrong.
It didn't have much of the jizz of the common buzzard I had been watching at the moment before it came in to view.
Also when it glided, its wings were horizontal, sometimes dipping below the horizontal. I admit I have reminded myself of this feature in the literature since my first tentative ID, but I also wrote it in my field notes.
My scanner is broken, but I'll photo and post my field notes.
Perhaps Dick Forsman can help us out on this one. Have you any more photos Steve ?
think my initial harrier suggestion was pants! just on shape alone im in the common buzzard camp
My initial thought on seeing it on my phone was Common Buzzard but held back from commenting as can't enlarge on my phone, first chance I've had this morning but I've got to say I'm still in the Common Buzzard camp.
I think we should all be more cautious with this one, with such a poor photo we are never going to reach a positive id - it's clearly a Buzzard spp and we can suggest anything else but it will probably never be proven
Post a Comment