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Help ID bird of prey in spain


whitehackle
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I have seen a bird of prey in Valencia today. I couldn't get a picture of it as it was not close enough. 

Anyway, I first noticed it calling a bit like a sparrowhawk. It was circling high and hovering a little ( for a couple of seconds at a time). Above alot of pigeons.  The bird was big, and falcon shaped. And looked solid white? I first though it could be a gyr falcon? 

 

Has anyone got any ideas, who has more knowledge of BOP and spain

 

Thanks

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Gyrfalcon is very possible, I've been watching a pair here in Sitges, Spain this week, whilst on a MotoGP holiday.

Say no more about that !

Like big angry Peregrine Falcons but speckled white.

Super fast and very beautiful birds.

Can't think of anything else European that is almost  all White.

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7 minutes ago, Cranfield said:

Our friend lives in the mountains in Cantabria, between Santander and Bilbao, we have seen a bird of prey with a white underside there and was told it was a Booted Eagle.

But an Eagle, like a Hawk, would have wing tips like an outstretched hand. Falcons have pointed wing tips.

I wondered about Sparrow Hawk/Falcon description. Very interesting spotting anyway.

I love any Birds of Prey. The word  Majestic springs to mind.

Shame about no photo, as they do say a photo saves a Thousand words !

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10 hours ago, mickyh said:

Gyrfalcon is very possible, I've been watching a pair here in Sitges, Spain this week, whilst on a MotoGP holiday.

Say no more about that !

Like big angry Peregrine Falcons but speckled white.

Super fast and very beautiful birds.

Can't think of anything else European that is almost  all White.

Your description appears accurate, but all the info I know, says that they a species of the Sub - Arctic.

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10 hours ago, mickyh said:

Gyrfalcon is very possible, I've been watching a pair here in Sitges, Spain this week, whilst on a MotoGP holiday.

Say no more about that !

Like big angry Peregrine Falcons but speckled white.

Super fast and very beautiful birds.

Can't think of anything else European that is almost  all White.

Hope you dressed appropriately for the Pride celebration parade. :whistling:

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1 hour ago, Penelope said:

Your description appears accurate, but all the info I know, says that they a species of the Sub - Arctic.

correct. it's way too far south for gyrs. They're a tundra species and have, so far as I can tell, only been recorded in spain as vagrants - accidents on the part of the bird.

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on the premise of the simplest solution being the most likely...the peregrine would fit. they don't all present with the clearest of bars and if it's high in bright clear sky, they can look fairly white. the range, size, shape and behaviour would fit too?

17 minutes ago, washerboy said:

I saw my first wild vulture while sat in traffic in Turkey 

nice! any idea what sort?

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8 hours ago, old'un said:

Hope you dressed appropriately for the Pride celebration parade.

It certainly is a very  'Gay Friendly place' 

But its nice here. Great Restaurants and Cafe's. Good Beaches. 

Easy access to Barcelona on Public transport. 

No threat at all to us straight people. 

There are 3 beaches you would not want to end up on though!

Live and let live as I say.

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1 hour ago, mickyh said:

It certainly is a very  'Gay Friendly place' 

But its nice here. Great Restaurants and Cafe's. Good Beaches. 

Easy access to Barcelona on Public transport. 

No threat at all to us straight people. 

There are 3 beaches you would not want to end up on though!

Live and let live as I say.

Yes I know, went there last year, stopped in the Hotel Port Sitges, as you say nice place and a nudist beach if you feel inclined to join in? not my scene but the wife loved looking down onto the beach, perv.

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We walked onto a beach Cafe yesterday on the way back from the Port.

We were as they say....

The only Clothed Straights in the Village!

No one seemed to care.

We weren't bothered and the Coffee was good.

 

8 hours ago, chrisjpainter said:

correct. it's way too far south for gyrs. They're a tundra species and have, so far as I can tell, only been recorded in spain as vagrants - accidents on the part of the bird.

Then what have we been watching?

I'm stumped now !

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1 hour ago, mickyh said:

We walked onto a beach Cafe yesterday on the way back from the Port.

We were as they say....

The only Clothed Straights in the Village!

No one seemed to care.

We weren't bothered and the Coffee was good.

 

Then what have we been watching?

I'm stumped now !

My guess is a pale peregrine. I had an idle 15 mins and, as far as I can tell, there's been one record of a Gyr in Spain - ever. That was in 2010 and was a juvenile bird right up on the North coast.

Sometimes the bars on the peregrine don't develop, or at least aren't as clear, so if you only see it from underneath high up, that could be the culprit

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Edited by chrisjpainter
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I'm now thinking Lanner Falcon. 

We were close, but not close enough to be certain .

These  two seem very territorial, but both out at once suggests no eggs or very young chicks ? But never leave the cliff face much.

Its hard enough in the UK to identify birds. Abroad is very difficult!

Edited by mickyh
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On 19/06/2019 at 21:27, mickyh said:

I'm now thinking Lanner Falcon. 

We were close, but not close enough to be certain .

These  two seem very territorial, but both out at once suggests no eggs or very young chicks ? But never leave the cliff face much.

Its hard enough in the UK to identify birds. Abroad is very difficult!

It's possible, I guess, but Lanners are still very rare in Spain and strike from low to high in hunting...here's a Lanner hunting pheasant, which is pretty amazing, although you don't see the final hit!

 

A bird hanging above pigeons is classic peregrine, looking to maximise its dive speed. Lanners are faster than peregrines in straight line speed, but don't have the stoop speed of a peregrine

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