Raptor, NE England, Upland Moors. (1 Viewer)

[degsy_safc]

Hi There,

Could anyone please ID this bird for me..

Seen on the moors, NE England. Seemingly just hanging / hovering on the wind for long periods & at some points appearing to be completely static in mid air. When flying it had slow 'flappy' wingbeats and was mobbed a few times by Lapwings and Jackdaws / Crows...

Also posted in County Durham Patch thread..

Apologies for the poor shot but it is a hefty crop as the bird must have been approx 1/2 mile away..

Thanks in advance :t::t:

 

[MichavdB]

Kestrel

 

[Ronayne88]

Common buzzard. They often hover like this especially in a strong wind.

 

[tconzemi]

Common buzzard. They often hover like this especially in a strong wind.

Agreed

 

[Biancone]

Agreed

And again...

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Expected a picture of a kestrel, but the photo is definately a buzzard, which does indeed hover as described

 

[skatebirder]

In last week's strong winds I watched a Buzzard hovering and then "flying backwards" - one of our local Buzzards spends a lot of time hovering, and a wind-swept moorland would be an ideal location for such behaviour.
David

 

[degsy_safc]

Thanks Guys - have seen buzzards before, but never seen one come to a complete standstill, just sitting on the wind without flapping its wings. Because i couldn't see the undersides of its wings i didn't have a clue to its ID..

Although i knew it wasn't a Kestrel :-O

Thanks again :t: