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Post by NellyDee on Jul 16, 2015 13:52:32 GMT
Very blurred photo - sorry. This bird was flitting from branch to branch, about the size of a small blackbird. It has a hook beak so wonder if it is a fledgling raptor?
 . by Wabi Gallery, on Flickr |
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faz
New Member
Posts: 22 
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Post by faz on Jul 16, 2015 13:59:51 GMT
It’s a common buzzard and looks adult to me
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Post by dogghound on Jul 16, 2015 14:18:17 GMT
Agree common buzzard, so much bigger than a blackbird :-). Can't make out enough detail to tell how old it is, any other photos?
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Post by NellyDee on Jul 16, 2015 19:40:00 GMT
Only photo, and it was really no bigger than a blackbird. Certainly not adult size buzzard. I have a semi resident here - first appeared as a fledgling. Thus as this one photographed was so small, did not recognise it as buzzard and thought it might be one of the smaller raptor's fledgling.
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Post by dogghound on Jul 17, 2015 7:31:36 GMT
In comparison to the ash leaves it's definitely a lot bigger than a blackbird. It's strange but perspective of birds size can vary significantly in some situations and this must be one of them :-).
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Post by NellyDee on Jul 18, 2015 8:31:59 GMT
OK I give in  I was trying to get a photo of some of smaller birds flitting about the tree. The buzzard must have been sitting there and I thought I had photographed one of these. Silly billy! |
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Post by accipiter on Aug 17, 2015 10:30:16 GMT
Sorry Nelly it is indeed a buzzard, I cannot tell from your photo how old this bird is, if it is this year’s bird the parents and the nest will be close by, although having said that by this time they may have moved away from the nest site but be assured they will not be very far away. I have also given just a few basic details below in order for you to tell what it is if by any chance you see it again.
There are two main age classes in buzzards juvenile and adult although the first adult stage is difficult to identify unless one is very close. It is possible to identify further age changes of course but these would only be of interest to really serious birders. This further sort of subtle detail has never interested me all that much in any species as I am much more interested in their daily behaviour throughout the year.
Some juveniles may even show an overall pattern very much like an adult, but in general juveniles show a longer tail and narrower wings, coverts are paler then secondaries a lighter trailing edge to the under wing and a pale iris. There will also be streaking to the chest and spotting.
Adults show a dark brown iris and dark brown upper parts, with a dark trailing edge to the wing and the subterminal tail band is wide as opposed to all narrow in juveniles, buzzards come in 57 pattern varieties too, well almost lol, but a common plumage that one often sees is a brown upper chest with a brown and white lower patterned chest or a white wide horse shoe shaped band across the chest. The bright yellow cere nominally stands out just as the one in your photo does.
And as for size as in other birds this can often be deceiving particularly if the bird in question is flying with nothing to compare it with such as a crow for instance.
Sexing in the field just like some other birds is not possible but if for some reason it is required by an expert (oh how I hate that word) DNA samples can be taken normally from the chest feathers, which are plucked out. Males are a bit smaller than females usually with a shorter tail larger head and narrower wings but here again one has to be fortunate enough to have a good view.
Alan the wandering minstrel
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I was trying to get a photo of some of smaller birds flitting about the tree. The buzzard must have been sitting there and I thought I had photographed one of these. Silly billy!