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Raptors and Gull, South Sinai/Red Sea, Egypt (1 Viewer)

P

punkskaphil

Well-known member
I have a selection of shots taken this week whilst on a diving holiday in the Red Sea. Some of the photos are of the same bird. The first photo was taken from my hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh - a group of four or five circling overhead. The others are all from the dive boat as it went around the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula between the Thistlegorm wreck and Ras Muhammad National Park. I was staggered by the numbers of birds I was seeing, especially these raptors which mainly seemed to be crossing from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, often in flocks of c.40. My thoughts on the gull are White-eyed, and Osprey for the perching bird in the last photo. I have no idea on the others.
 

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Second set...
 

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My guesses would be as follows:
1 - Buzzard sp probably Long Legged
2 - Pallas's Gull
3-10 - Honey Buzzards
11 - Osprey
 
I think long legged buzzard on the 1st shot, white eyed gull and osprey as you suspected and the rest honey buzzards.
 
1 - From left: a) blob; b) maybe honey buzzard; c) maybe common/steppe buzzard.
2 - White-eyed gull.
3-10 - Honey buzzards.
11 - Osprey.
 
BuckeyeAZ said:
1 - From left: a) blob; b) maybe honey buzzard; c) maybe common/steppe buzzard.
2 - White-eyed gull.
3-10 - Honey buzzards.
11 - Osprey.
Click to expand...

Agree. But I'd say:

1-b) most definetely Honey buzzard ; c) Common buzzard, most probably vulpinus
 
Agree 3-10 lovely Honey-buzzards!
Also agree 11 Osprey and 2 White-eyed Gull (black bib) but I thought right-hand two birds in 1 look OK for Long-legged Buzzard (but not certain).
 
Tib78 said:
Agree. But I'd say:

1-b) most definetely Honey buzzard ; c) Common buzzard, most probably vulpinus
Click to expand...
I won't go in on Steppe vs Long-legged from these pictures (though I might lean towards Long-legged if forced ;-) but why Honey? Doesn't fit at all for me.

For picture 1 that is. 3-10 are Honey for sure.
 
Hi Ola,

Well, regarding the Buteo in pic 1 my comment was probably too self-confident and I can easily concede it might be a LLB (though I still favour Steppe on shape, rather brown colour, black carpal not that obvious).

On the other hand, I don't see what the other bird can be except a HB. The view of a whitish raptor on migration with solid black carpal, rather long wings with narrow hand looks rather typical of HB.
See what I mean (?): http://www.arkive.org/european-honey-buzzard/pernis-apivorus/image-G49638.html

Of course the shot is distant, and it's very difficult to make out some plumage detail so one has to have faith in his impression...nothing really scientific I am afraid...

See also this thread with comparable images: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=156298&highlight=honey+buzzard
See Andrea's comment at the end...

Edit: some more images showing the birds of pic 1 under different angle Phil?
 
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Thanks everyone for the info and comments.

@Tib78: I'm just going out shopping, but when I return I'll see if I have some better shots of the same birds.
 
Tib78 said:
Hi Ola,

Well, regarding the Buteo in pic 1 my comment was probably too self-confident and I can easily concede it might be a LLB (though I still favour Steppe on shape, rather brown colour, black carpal not that obvious).

On the other hand, I don't see what the other bird can be except a HB. The view of a whitish raptor on migration with solid black carpal, rather long wings with narrow hand looks rather typical of HB.
See what I mean (?): http://www.arkive.org/european-honey-buzzard/pernis-apivorus/image-G49638.html

Of course the shot is distant, and it's very difficult to make out some plumage detail so one has to have faith in his impression...nothing really scientific I am afraid...

See also this thread with comparable images: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=156298&highlight=honey+buzzard
See Andrea's comment at the end...

Edit: some more images showing the birds of pic 1 under different angle Phil?
Click to expand...
Mm! Looking again I do see what you mean. Would be nice indeed to see more pictures of this one. B :)
 
 
Hmm, new images, especially bottom right bird in second image down, begin to look better for Honey now. This particular bird has Honey wing shape, with narrower hand, and couple of other seem to show female Honey shaded secondaries.
(pause) OK, if you enlarge that particular bird you can see the tail bars!
 
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