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Honey buzzard (1 Viewer)

M

Michael123

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Hello new to this, I saw a honey buzzard Sunday in liverpool England and people I've told seem to think am very much mistaken? Is it rare?
Thx
 
I think that honey buzzards are quite rare in UK but there are some breeding birds each year,however as I only saw my first HB of the year yesterday(crossing the Straits of Gibraltar) I doubt any would have reached the UK at the moment.But with birds who knows everything is possible....Eddy
 
Ok I'll describe what I seen, at first I thought it was a grey Herron , as large as a Herron head sticking out like a Herron long legs out like a Herron... Then I realised it wasn't using it's wings (it was gliding ) it came overhead then glided in circles really high then drifted out in the distance. It's movement was just like a common buzzard but it's looks weren't ( so it was eagle like movement with grey Herron looks ) also it was much bigger than a common buzzard
 
Got to say it's hard to match your description to anything specific! Nothing in particular suggests Honey-buzzard. In theory it's anyway a couple of weeks too early for HB arrival in northern England, although impossible to rule out completely. If not a Common Buzzard, have you thought about a Marsh Harrier, perhaps a large dark female? Cormorants can sometimes look like a raptor but with a long neck. Several possibilities but the bottom line is you'll never know now...!
Brian
 
From what the original poster is describing it sounds more like a stork or crane species.

Cheers.

Steve.
 
I guess I'll never know ha, but maybe a stalk or crane if them two birds soar like an eagle? I'll have to youtube them birds in flight and see if the flight patten is similar.
Thx
 
Micheal honey buzzards are not "much bigger " than common buzzards. They have a slightly larger wing span , but not always. I had a breeding male a few years ago that was quite a bit smaller than the local common buzzards , but that was exceptional.

I am quite sceptical about honey buzzard sightings in April in the UK. I have been working with honeys for 20 years and never seen one before the second week in May . My local birds normaly turn up on the 14th - 17th of May and every year we get dozens of reports from birdwatchers seeing them from late April despite 100s of hours watching out for them every year I have yet to see one so early. So many birders seem to think any large buzzard like raptor with flat wings are honeys , flat wings are a pointer but not dignostic. Common buzzards frequently glide and soar on flat wings on windy days or when in heavy moult and when the juvs start to fly.
 
defo not a stalk or crane, but found a video which pretty much looks like the bird I seen,its a honey buzzard and common buzzard differences to look for and id say the honey buzzard is the bird I seen, but the dates they arrive here, i guess are out http://youtu.be/C5oN4Pc9Gw4
 
Why not a gray Herron ? I see gray herrons pretty much most days and have one eating my fish from my garden pond, I know a gray Herron when I see one, plus I pretty much know my birds.....
 
To add fuel to the fire so to speak,a honey buzzard was reported in my area in February this year and identified by an experienced birder.....Eddy.
 
I think both Trisha and Honey Buzzard can both be safely ruled out unfortunately.

Without being there can't say what it was, so bird sp. yes. (There's also a slim chance it could even be one of a number of escaped birds of prey from falconry display or private collection.)
 
Michael123 said:
Ok I'll describe what I seen, at first I thought it was a grey Herron , as large as a Herron head sticking out like a Herron long legs out like a Herron... Then I realised it wasn't using it's wings (it was gliding ) it came overhead then glided in circles really high then drifted out in the distance. It's movement was just like a common buzzard but it's looks weren't ( so it was eagle like movement with grey Herron looks ) also it was much bigger than a common buzzard
Click to expand...

Then it was in all likelihood a Heron! They're quite capable of soaring / gliding over fairly large distances (especially over a city where there would be decent thermals) without flapping and may appear to some people as "eagle like" when doing so.
 
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