Bird of prey ID please

Wildwill94 · #1 (**permalink**) 16-06-2010, 07:12 PM

hi there,
whilst out walking through stodmarsh nature reserve i spotted a pair of birds flying together. looking as if they were defending an area. my initial thoughts were 'buzzard', but looking at my photo's i have second thoughts, due to the very dark black wing tips and bright white on the underneath of the wings. the bird was prety large, simialr size to a common buzzard.

Through a bit of research i think this may have been a two marsh harriers, the underside of the wings look like that of the marsh harrier.

Thankyou,

Will

Jason Claxton · #2 (**permalink**) 16-06-2010, 07:24 PM

Hi Will

They look good for Marsh harrier to me

Cheers Jason

aeshna5 · #3 (**permalink**) 16-06-2010, 07:27 PM

Agree, Marsh Harrier.

Wildwill94 · #4 (**permalink**) 21-06-2010, 04:28 PM

cheers people for the reasuring.

captaincarot · #5 (**permalink**) 21-06-2010, 07:49 PM

you have a pair of marsh harriers and from the second pic it looks like they were probably performing a food pass,

the male (lighter wings) flies over with the food in it's talons and calls the female up she flies up to join him and he drops it, she then flips over and picksit out of the air before returning to ground to deal with it.