Need two birds ID-ing please?

[PeteIsntAPuffin]

Just finished a holiday in the Scottish highlands - absolutely stunning as ever.

But while there, took pictures of these two birds, neither of which I'm 100% about.

The first one, I'm about 95% sure is a juvenile Blackbird, but given the whiteish throat, I'm living in [only slight] hope that it could be a juvenile Ring Ouzel..



The second, well, I'm stumped aside from knowing for a fact it's a bird of prey Looks way too pale to be a Buzzard, but doesn't look like much else to me either.




Also, just one other point while I'm here..
While up there, I was watching a Buzzard overhead, when it started getting 'divebombed' by another bird of prey. Now, this second bird of prey was probably between a third, and a half, the size of the buzzard and all I remember of it was that it was very pale, with a white tail that had a black end-tip - any ideas on what it could have been? This was on the Isle of Mull if that helps (this all happened 10 minutes after I'd been watching a White Tailed Eagle fishing on the loch too Incredible bird! Even saw one of the Eagles on it's nest, with two chicks, but was way too far away to get a decent picture )

[King Edward]

Looks like an adult female Blackbird and a Buzzard to me.

Could the bird on Mull have been a Kestrel, with the black tail tip?

[PeteIsntAPuffin]

Originally Posted by King Edward

Looks like an adult female Blackbird and a Buzzard to me.

Could the bird on Mull have been a Kestrel, with the black tail tip?

Hmm, never seen the whiteness on a female Blackbird before, but you could be right.. Though it wasn't calling like a blackbird, which is what made me think it could have been a juvenile..

&As for the Buzzard, cn they be that white? I've never seen one that pale before, ever

&Ah, good point, it could well have been! Hadn't thought of a kestrel.. Weird though, because I saw NO 'definate' kestrels at all while I was up there

[Dorts]

The female Blackbird is at least three years old, they don't get their orange bill until that age, which is good for a Blackbird.
Dorts.

[david156]

Originally Posted by King Edward

Looks like an adult female Blackbird and a Buzzard to me.

Agree

[PeteIsntAPuffin]

Thanks all

Seems my suspicions have been confirmed

Weird how pale the buzzard is though

[david156]

Originally Posted by PeteIsntAPuffin

Weird how pale the buzzard is though

One of my books describes buzzards, saying they come in a light, medium or dark form. It then goes on to say you can get an extreme light or dark form. And finally it says they can come in any of these forms or anywhere in between.

There was an extremely light backed form in Norfolk this winter which was causing a stir and being misidentified as a Rough Legged Buzzard which were also present at the same site

[Jackaroo]

Originally Posted by PeteIsntAPuffin

Thanks all

Seems my suspicions have been confirmed

Weird how pale the buzzard is though

The Buzzards in Scotland tend to be a bit faded from all the sun we get.

[werdnal]

We have a pair of buzzards that breed here every year, and they throw very light coloured offspring. One a few years ago looked more like a huge barn owl, it was so pale!