Male Hen Harrier? Near Wiveliscombe
Strange plumages always throw things
I apologise if I’ve made a rookie error, I feel quite embarrassed!
Wow, thanks Mike. That is indeed quite ghostly.
I appreciate the help folks…
If you zoom in on pics it’s definitely a buzzard, has streaking on breast
I understand what you mean, it was just that there are photos/descriptions of juvenile male hen harriers with markings on the breast, with reference to those markings gradually being lost over the first few years, that’s what made me wonder.
I think it could well be a Hen Harrier. Any flight shots, Gareth, no matter how ‘poor’...?
Unfortunately not Andy, it did fly but I was too slow to get a photo. What my memory is telling me though is that the underside of the wings were very pale with dark edges/ends, very unlike the buzzards (including juveniles) that I’ve seen, which made me wonder what it was. But now I am worried my mind is playing tricks on me!
Thanks all for taking the time to look and share your knowledge (I did add a few more photos from the set but all very much the same).
Ah yes, you’re right Mike
If you zoom in on pics it’s definitely a buzzard, has streaking on breast
I think it could well be a Hen Harrier. Any flight shots, Gareth, no matter how ‘poor’...?
It looks like it’s sitting very upright, which would make it a very pale buzzard. Hen harrier tend to be more horizontal.
Showing my inexperience here I’m afraid, was well as poor photography skills.
Might anyone be able to tell me if this is a male hen harrier, or perhaps just a pale juvenile buzzard? I was walking towards Wiveliscombe on the B3227 and spotted this bird of prey on a small fencepost.There were two corvids on nearby fenceposts, visible in some photos and this bird was slightly bigger than them.