Any birds of prey experts? Identification needed.

[Wheat]

And I'm asking a lot because I don't have any pictures!

Our family farm has recently gained a new occupant. Normally I'm fairly clued up on common birds of prey, everyday I see sparrowhawks, kestrels and most commonly buzzards. I've seen a pair peregrines before on the farm also.

But our new visitor has got me in several mind of what he could be. He's the size of a buzzard, his wing span is as bit as a buzzard too. Brown in colour and white patterns under the wing. He flys a lot quicker than a buzzard and his wing tips aren't very 'feathered' like a buzzard.

So far I've seen him nail and eat a pigeon. Found the aftermath of a crow he'd had a fight with (head pulled off) and yesterday he was disturbed from his supper of very large cock pheasant that had been well and truly alive a few minutes previous...

Area wise we are right on the coast in the north east of England. Right by the coast.

I initially thought goshawk but the lack of wood land is leaning me towards hen harrier?

Sorry no pictures as I only ever have my phone camera on me.

[Mobile Chicane]

Google 'hobby hawk'. I bet that's it.

They migrate from Africa to the UK to breed. There's a breeding pair in one of the trees in my garden that are now back for their fourth year (or at least I hope it's the same pair).

Amazing birds.

[Himself]

Red Kite, only a little bigger than a buzzard and has white flashes under the wing.

Edit, sorry read this "his wing tips aren't very 'feathered' like a buzzard." As 'are very feathered'. Not a kite then.

Edited by Himself on Thursday 10th April 19:31

[Ilovetwiglets]

Hobbys don't eat larger animals I think and Red Kites certainly don't, they only eat carrion.

[Mobile Chicane]

The red kite has a distinct 'notch' in the tail - OP, did it have that?

[Himself]

Ilovetwiglets said:

Hobbys don't eat larger animals I think and Red Kites certainly don't, they only eat carrion.

Common mistake, they're lazy buggers so rarely eat live stuff.

[tr7ster]

Sounds like a female Hen Harrier might be most likely, although their primaries (the 'finger' feathers at the end of the wings) are still quite distinct, like the buzzards and hawk families. If it has really pointy wings then there's always a very outside chance that it could be a visiting (or more likely escaped) dark-phase Gyrfalcon, but this is very, very unlikely! It certainly sounds like an effective hunter if it's taking large pheasant.

[Ilovetwiglets]

What about one of these...
http://www.uksafari.com/marshharrier.htm

[Wheat]

Hi, thanks for all the replys. My money is on a hen or marsh harrier. I could be mistaken with the feathered wings, but I distinctly remember thinking it's not a buzzard because it's wings are different. And the fact it's taking adult pheasants confirms this. It's had two pigeons today although I didn't see the bird. I'll report back with a better description if wings and tail as soon as I next see it. Hard to tell the exact patten under its wings also. I'm bloody useless! I'll not be far from my binos next time!

Thanks guys.

[Ilovetwiglets]

I can only tell one from another if I manage to get a photo although I can tell a Kestrel, Buzzard, Hobby (quite a few round here) and Red Kites as we have a massive amount round our area, 12 over the garden the other day. The others I wouldn't have a clue about although we did have this in the garden a couple of years ago, tiny town centre garden and it slammed into a mumuration (?) of Starlings in the back garden, my wife had to stop watching when it ate the heart of a living Starling!

[tr7ster]

Lovely shot of a Sparrowhawk there.

[roystinho]

I'd say more likely to be a marsh harrier, hen harriers will be heading to their breeding grounds in the moors now if they're not already there.

Any chance of narrowing down location? North East covers a large area. With it you can have a better guess

[mybrainhurts]

Might be wrong, but could be a Lesser Spotted Low Flying Shytehawk...

[Wheat]

Edited by Wheat on Friday 18th April 16:12

[roystinho]

90% sure that'll be a Marsh Harrier, if you're really lucky it could still be a hen harrier though

[jackwibble]

The wing tips ID would be the biggest help if they are pointed its unlikely to be a Hen or Marsh Harrier as they will usually look very feathered and buzzard like a Red Kite would be right for size but they have a very distinctive V shaped tail an elegant bird but lazy and would take carrion rather than nailing stuff on the wing.
A Goshawk is possible if you have any woodland nearby but anything smaller than that is unlikely to take a full size cock pheasant.

[Wheat]

Hi everyone,

Just a follow up really. Mentioned the sightings to the local bird of prey expert who lives a couple of miles away and he has seen the bird too! It's definitely a Hen Harrier and he even told me where it was living. A marshy pond area, under a mile away from the farm. He said he hasn't seen it for a week or two and so it may be off to the moors, which are about 15miles away as the Harrier flys, to nest etc. But he did say to keep my eyes open as it may well stay and nest in the marshy pond bit. There's also a very large bog area about 5 miles away and he said he's seen harriers nest there in the past, so it could of gone there. Very excited to of seen it.

Thanks for all the replies on this. And congrats to those of you who guessed it right!

Eta, it's a female by the way. Would love to see the male.

Edited by Wheat on Thursday 17th April 19:55

[lamboman100]

There are only a few hundred left in the UK. Very lucky to see one.

[roystinho]

So it turns out you are very lucky then

[Wheat]

Very very lucky indeed. I'm going to try and see it again now that I know what it is. I feel very privileged.