mel b3 Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 hi fellas,i don't know if this is really the right section but here goes, i was having a mooch around a couple of fields this afternoon and on shooting a rabbit the biggest bird of prey i,ve ever seen lifted off the field about 100yrds in front of me,it was white with black wing tips (looking from underneath) and on top it was white but slightly mottled, i watched it through the scope as it did a wide circuit of a few fields then it came back to where it started from and dissapeared over a hedge,about an hour later as i was making my way back across the fields i saw it again in the same place but i couldn,t get close enough for a positive id ,the farmers son who also saw it seems to think it was an owl but i've only ever seen barn owls that are white and this thing seemed almost three times as big, when flying it had arched wings(heron like)and it was almost half as big again as the local buzzards , has anyone got any idea what it may have been, cheers fellas ps this bird was huge and truly awesome,it made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Could well be a Red Kite if it was bigger than a Buzzard, Kites do have pale underparts. If you see it again look at the tail and see if it has a forked tail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remmy1100 Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 sounds like a buzzard i saw four today while i was out greenlaning up the cheviots the ends of there wings are like finger and they are huge when flying.i have barn owls and tawny owls and they are very small comparision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 I agree with kip,also the wings may appear longer as they are less deep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 http://www.kitecountry.co.uk/ Check out this site for Pics, but i am very sure it is a Red Kite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel b3 Posted November 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 now don't laugh but i've trawled through bird of prey sites and i'm 99% sure that it was a snowy owl, i know it's not really a native species but i'm pretty sure thats what i saw,it's not a red kite or a buzzard i'm sure of that, i've seen a red kite in the flesh and buzzards are ten a penny on this land (it's not uncommon to see 6 in the air at the same time) i'm thinking that somebody may have lost this one as it didn't seem to be too frightened of us as it came back to the same place twice, does anyone know of a bird of prey forum,it might be worth a try as it might just be someones beloved pet. isn't it strange the things you see when you're out having a wander, i saw two peach faced love birds about a month ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Mel, How about a Hen Harrier or a Marsh Harrier - look them up, it certainly wasn't a Red Kite. Double H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Mel try this http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel b3 Posted November 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 thanks for the info guys but the more i look the more convinced i am that it was a snowy owl, i know that sounds a bit barmy but i cant see anything else that looks like it,if it's any help it looked very similar to a heron in flight (droopy wings) ,if i get away from work early tomorrow i'm going back with the binoculars to have a really good look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wabbitbosher Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 thanks for the info guys but the more i look the more convinced i am that it was a snowy owl, i know that sounds a bit barmy but i cant see anything else that looks like it,if it's any help it looked very similar to a heron in flight (droopy wings) ,if i get away from work early tomorrow i'm going back with the binoculars to have a really good look. Young red kites are very pale , i have seen one almost white and they do tend to have dark wing tips , if it is a young un it wont quite have a forked tail yet , but it will be triangular You must know somebody with a didge camera with a 6x zoom or more , get some pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wabbitbosher Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 mind you reading your first post it does sound like a barn owl , They tend not to be too bothered by people and they do hunt fields , find the trees where it sits and look for pellets , you can tell a lot from owl pellets WB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel b3 Posted November 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 mind you reading your first post it does sound like a barn owl , They tend not to be too bothered by people and they do hunt fields , find the trees where it sits and look for pellets , you can tell a lot from owl pellets WB it was the first time i,d seen it and i shoot the fields regularly so i don't think it's a permanent resident,i didn't get chance to go back today but i'll certainly be looking out for it in the future,i've thought about it being a barn owl but i think it was too big and too white it was much bigger than a buzzard and the white was very white (not off white if that makes sence) it was very white all over but its back was slightly mottled and it had black wing tips on the underside,i dare say i'll never really know what it was but i've seen most of the hawk/owl species and i certainly haven't seen one of these before,thanks for all the help fellas wb ,i should have said it wasn't in the trees,both times we saw it we put it up from the ground but i couldn't see anything that it had been eating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning GTS Posted November 22, 2005 Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 From the discription is is most likly to be a male Hen Harrier. The only thing is your area the Black Country is not where you would expect to find them but with birds you never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddytat Posted November 22, 2005 Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 short eared owl? Theyre pale-ish, fly from ground (not frmo trees) and fly in the day. Plus they have the 'owl wings' which are curved or 'drooped' And they can get b-i-g. I saw one coming back from Birmingham to melton. Amazing birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddytat Posted November 22, 2005 Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 http://www.birdskorea.org/images2005/short-eared-owl8878.jpg that the one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel b3 Posted November 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 well i've trawled the web looking at pics of birds for 2 nights and i'm more convinced than ever that it was a snowy owl, i know it's not exactly a native of the west midlands and if i hadn't seen it myself i'd struggle to believe it but i can only hope it's still hanging around the next time i'm on the farm and i can spend a bit of time with the bins having a good look,thanks for all the info guys and not telling me i'm a fruit cake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted November 22, 2005 Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 OK your a PUDDING Sorry couldn't resist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddytat Posted November 22, 2005 Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 it would have been a short eared owl hun..they can get alot lighter than the pic i posted. Unless it was an escapee, but i wouldnt have thought they would last long. Or, your a pudding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Basher Posted November 25, 2005 Report Share Posted November 25, 2005 mel b3 I see from your profile you live in the West Mids, I have see other reports on some twitcher sight of sightings of short eared owl have a look at birdguides.com there is a sighted today in Black Bank Staffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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