Author Topic: The eagles have landed (Read 4853 times)

pharnorth · « **Reply #15 on:** April 16, 2016, 03:23:38 pm »

Not a wild eagle but a stunning bird flying day in the Lake District

pointer · « **Reply #16 on:** April 26, 2016, 12:14:33 pm »

Hi Caroline
Great photos, but these are buzzards you've got, not golden eagles. Even without the pics, the fact that you said you saw it perched on a telegraph pole was a good clue - golden eagles very seldom do this, but it's a favourite habit of buzzards.
Still nice to have around, with the bonus that they pose no threat to your lambs! - just the local rabbit population.

Steph Hen · « **Reply #17 on:** April 26, 2016, 01:23:46 pm »

Quote from: pointer on April 26, 2016, 12:14:33 pm

Hi Caroline
Great photos, but these are buzzards you've got, not golden eagles. Even without the pics, the fact that you said you saw it perched on a telegraph pole was a good clue - golden eagles very seldom do this, but it's a favourite habit of buzzards.
Still nice to have around, with the bonus that they pose no threat to your lambs! - just the local rabbit population.

I'm not sure it isn't an eagle, it doesn't look as pale underneath as buzzards do round here. But can't zoom in enough to see if it's wearing trousers or what it's bill looks like. I wouldn't know from the flying pictures, need to see them flying to tell them apart. I'm sure more knowledgable people will know. As for what you could do: scare crows in the fields?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #18 on:** April 26, 2016, 02:23:54 pm »

Does look more like a buzzard and we have far too many of them around here. They've wiped out the adders on the local common land. They often perch on telegraph poles (and sometimes on the bridge across our pond, only 10 metres from the farmhouse). We could be seen doing a wild, capering dance complete with bloodcurdling yells on occasions this Spring as we tried to discourage them from hunting around the farmyard and pond, which is home to many quite rare wild birds as well as our poultry. The plumage of young birds differs somewhat from that of mature ones.

CarolineJ · « **Reply #19 on:** April 26, 2016, 03:18:53 pm »

We've got buzzards here as well and they were dwarfed by this pair! I've also never seen a buzzard hover in the same spot for quarter of an hour. Positively IDd as juvenile golden eagles by three birdwatchers in the area. Thankfully they've moved on now, haven't seen them for 8 or 9 days.

pointer · « **Reply #20 on:** April 26, 2016, 10:46:28 pm »

The problem with birds in the air is that there's nothing to scale them against. But hovering / hanging in the air is a behaviour of buzzards (edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iea0gmRPgPA), much more than eagles. You can also compare the shape of the tame eagle in pharnorth's picture with the flight pics - the eagle has a proportionately (as well as absolutely) longer wings and tail - buzzard is altogether "stockier" looking in flight. Finally, and conclusively, the buzzard perched on the pole, although a bit distant, distinctly shows the slightly U-shaped pale breast band characteristic of buzzard, and never seen in eagles.

Not trying to be contentious - but here in NW Scotland when there's lambs about, it's useful to know the difference!