curlewsandpiper1980
Well-known member
Bird ID help, Coignafearn, Highlands of Scotland
Today I went for a hike near Coignafearn, up on the highlands, in the uplands of the Findhorn River valley, a renowned place for bird watching and especially birds of prey. There were several bird watchers there today.
And I might need a few feedback comments in IDing 5 birds I saw today, mostly birds of prey. (The reason why I post this in the Scotland forum instead of the ID forum is that I believe it will be easier to get better feedback from birdies based in Scotland, preferably by those who known this area)
This place was an absolute delight, with several birds of prey showing up in clear ways: I saw at least a dozen of hobby (with a few chasing birds in the air in swallow-like manner), kestrels (hovering above the cliffs for many seconds and a couple by the river which provide me a clear close-up view of their orangeish body), and a few peregrines (gliding high and with the wings pointed backwards, greyish body, and diving down fast at times).
Sometimes when far away, it was a bit tricky to distinguish a kestrel from a peregrine (but my impression is that peregrines cannot really hover for very long and instead glide and make far more fast dives, while kestrels will not glide that super high and dive for from great heights but please correct me if wrong). But overall, after today, I am feeling much more confident with falcons (except merlin, which I haven't seen yet).
Bird 1. At one point, there was a small woodland and I saw a smaller-sized bird of prey flying down fast from the cliffs and then flying low into the trees. First I thought it was a kestrel (as this was smaller than a buzzard), but it was brownish, long thin tail, and I wasn't sure what it was. I haven't seen a sparrowhawk yet but I suspected this was one. It could have been still a kestrel. Or perhaps another bird of prey species.
Now comes the two buzzard-like sightings which left me with some doubts, though I do not believe I saw any eagle (despite that golden eagles are frequently spotted at this location).
Bird 2. At one point I was observing a pair of falcons (kestrel or peregrine) at the top of the cliffs, and suddenly there was a buzzard-like raptor that flew by. It was much larger than the falcons, about 3x, and initially I suspected it was a buzzard but I noticed the tail was white. So I need some feedback about this one. I wouldn't think it was an eagle but I might be wrong. It might have been a red kite but I haven't noticed any forked tail or red color (and I do have experience seeing red kites). Or it might have been a hen or marsh harrier or even goshawk, which are known to occur on this part of Scotland. I have no experience spotting harriers or the goshawk. Any ideas?
Bird 3. This was during driving but in the same area. I saw a buzzard-like bird flying above the cliffs, closer. I quickly noticed a paler head and that make me suspicious but soon the bird disappeared out of sight. The wings were a bit kinked (like an osprey), which is unusual in a buzzard. And it did not have an impressive size, which I would expect from an eagle. So this was most likely a buzzard. Besides these, I did see at least 3 more buzzards (no doubts about those), all near the woods, further downstream the river.
The final two birds are not birds of prey.
Bird 4. I saw a grouse flying away from my path, and it looked black with some bright white on the tail. Location in the moors but near a farmhouse. I am almost certain it was a black grouse but I want to confirm it.
Bird 5. Much further downstream in the river, I spotted 3 geese-like birds, with a long neck, mostly black but with notorious white. I have no idea what they were but they disappeared in the reeds in the margins of the river. I wouldn't expect to see geese in the highlands of Scotland. Also it was not a grey heron (as I know those). It might have been grebes or divers, as I do not know those species well.
Unfortunately I have no pictures from these birds (all were seen quickly and with 10x50B) and the day was very windy so I could barely hear the sounds of the falcons on the cliffs.
Today I went for a hike near Coignafearn, up on the highlands, in the uplands of the Findhorn River valley, a renowned place for bird watching and especially birds of prey. There were several bird watchers there today.
And I might need a few feedback comments in IDing 5 birds I saw today, mostly birds of prey. (The reason why I post this in the Scotland forum instead of the ID forum is that I believe it will be easier to get better feedback from birdies based in Scotland, preferably by those who known this area)
This place was an absolute delight, with several birds of prey showing up in clear ways: I saw at least a dozen of hobby (with a few chasing birds in the air in swallow-like manner), kestrels (hovering above the cliffs for many seconds and a couple by the river which provide me a clear close-up view of their orangeish body), and a few peregrines (gliding high and with the wings pointed backwards, greyish body, and diving down fast at times).
Sometimes when far away, it was a bit tricky to distinguish a kestrel from a peregrine (but my impression is that peregrines cannot really hover for very long and instead glide and make far more fast dives, while kestrels will not glide that super high and dive for from great heights but please correct me if wrong). But overall, after today, I am feeling much more confident with falcons (except merlin, which I haven't seen yet).
Bird 1. At one point, there was a small woodland and I saw a smaller-sized bird of prey flying down fast from the cliffs and then flying low into the trees. First I thought it was a kestrel (as this was smaller than a buzzard), but it was brownish, long thin tail, and I wasn't sure what it was. I haven't seen a sparrowhawk yet but I suspected this was one. It could have been still a kestrel. Or perhaps another bird of prey species.
Now comes the two buzzard-like sightings which left me with some doubts, though I do not believe I saw any eagle (despite that golden eagles are frequently spotted at this location).
Bird 2. At one point I was observing a pair of falcons (kestrel or peregrine) at the top of the cliffs, and suddenly there was a buzzard-like raptor that flew by. It was much larger than the falcons, about 3x, and initially I suspected it was a buzzard but I noticed the tail was white. So I need some feedback about this one. I wouldn't think it was an eagle but I might be wrong. It might have been a red kite but I haven't noticed any forked tail or red color (and I do have experience seeing red kites). Or it might have been a hen or marsh harrier or even goshawk, which are known to occur on this part of Scotland. I have no experience spotting harriers or the goshawk. Any ideas?
Bird 3. This was during driving but in the same area. I saw a buzzard-like bird flying above the cliffs, closer. I quickly noticed a paler head and that make me suspicious but soon the bird disappeared out of sight. The wings were a bit kinked (like an osprey), which is unusual in a buzzard. And it did not have an impressive size, which I would expect from an eagle. So this was most likely a buzzard. Besides these, I did see at least 3 more buzzards (no doubts about those), all near the woods, further downstream the river.
The final two birds are not birds of prey.
Bird 4. I saw a grouse flying away from my path, and it looked black with some bright white on the tail. Location in the moors but near a farmhouse. I am almost certain it was a black grouse but I want to confirm it.
Bird 5. Much further downstream in the river, I spotted 3 geese-like birds, with a long neck, mostly black but with notorious white. I have no idea what they were but they disappeared in the reeds in the margins of the river. I wouldn't expect to see geese in the highlands of Scotland. Also it was not a grey heron (as I know those). It might have been grebes or divers, as I do not know those species well.
Unfortunately I have no pictures from these birds (all were seen quickly and with 10x50B) and the day was very windy so I could barely hear the sounds of the falcons on the cliffs.
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