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Eagles at Haweswater! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter pdg330
- Start date
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Actually if you read the post I responded to you will see it was not the one about the perched bird. That is because I considered it and decided that a flash of white from feather bases due to a full crop was not out of the question. In addition, as you say, a perched scope sighting from the intake wall supported by the warden is 100%.
The sighting I questioned was the one about two new immature birds setting up shop near enough to our old friend to annoy him.
There is a great difference in likelihood between a wandering White-tailed Eagle - a species which not only travels from the Continent to winter in Britain, but is also the subject of ongoing reintroduction projects to both Eastern Scotland and Ireland both of which have provably resulted in wandering immatures all over the British Isles - and Golden Eagle, for which immigration from Scotland to Northern England ended with the annihilation of the South-west Scotland population by the scum of grouse shooters.
I have met more than sufficient birders who claim to see Buzzards every day, but still claim Golden Eagles where they feel they ought to see Golden Eagles on clearly contradictory characters.
Accordingly I sift and consider not only all directly reported evidence but also my knowledge of wider influences and human nature (including my own fallibility in the field.) And the claimed sighting of two Golden Eagles together I do not accept: it fails every sensible test.
John
Not in our case I'm afraid. We know what we saw that day.
John, it was eagles that we saw that day.
I have looked at plenty of photos, and the white tailed eagles when viewed from below (both adult and juvenile) do not match what we saw in terms of the wings / colouration. Thus I stand by my original identification, and that the birds could have been migratory.
yes, and i've seen hundreds of buzzards to know that these were nothing of the sort. i know the photos aren't great but the wingspan is enough of a giveaway - see the first photo posted in particular.
Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
I guess the last image is probably the best for showing it closest to directly from below, though could be misleading at that resolution. If you link the pics to the ID forum, they'll get seen by some of the BF regulars who are very good with Birds of Prey. Might be worth hearing what they have to say if you want to.
It could well be a Golden Eagle, in an occupied Golden Eagle territory.
It's the two birds together that is the remarkable record.
If you know what you saw then that's all that matters, but I hope you can understand that people who have dedicated so much time and effort here in the waning hope that a female might turn up have every reason to want to seek proof as if this was a pair the logistical operation to protect/increase staff etc would go into overdrive.
I have every hope that you are right as a breeding pair back in Riggindale would be absolutely amazing.
You only have to look at the Bassenthwaite Ospreys to see how much organisation is necessary to operate public watch points/protection etc
It's the two birds together that is the remarkable record.
If you know what you saw then that's all that matters, but I hope you can understand that people who have dedicated so much time and effort here in the waning hope that a female might turn up have every reason to want to seek proof as if this was a pair the logistical operation to protect/increase staff etc would go into overdrive.
I have every hope that you are right as a breeding pair back in Riggindale would be absolutely amazing.
You only have to look at the Bassenthwaite Ospreys to see how much organisation is necessary to operate public watch points/protection etc
I shall endeavour to do this, thank you for the advice.
Yes, I do understand your points here, Boom. I only wish I'd had a better camera and that I'd been able to take a photo of the pair, but it wasn't possible due to them only flying right near each other for a very brief period (during which I was viewing through the bins). Still thinking it could have been a pair of juveniles, they were certainly a lot bigger than any buzzard, that much was clear.
Boro Birder
Well-known member
No Mich neither do I, I have been sceptical on many occasions but the infow was from 3 respected birders including a RSPB warder who sees the male most days, like I said to Fjohn I wasn't being offensive in anyway, that is just not me but 3 people must have seen something Not a Buzzard, any experienced birders would look at a Buzzard from below and know immediately it was a Buzzard. Lets say for example if any experienced border seen a RL buzzard most would know for example the white carpal patches it was a RLB. Nature always surprises me.
On about RLB they are still being sighted on the NY Moors at a place called Sleddale near a village called Kildale and if I'm correct it is the latest they have been recorded there, need to check on that one, sure it was mid-March.
Boro Birder
Well-known member
John I will repeat myself I was not been offensive in any way, I'm not that type of guy. I know from your poys you are a respected and very knowledgeable birder, much more than myself.
What I should of said was john you know your stuff but 3 other people including the RSPB warden had seen white on the male and knowing your stuff get up there and have a look for yourself, correct me if I am wrong but you are a well travelled birder.
Please don't take offence by my comment.
Damian
peterlevin
Well-known member
location area
hi pdg330
i was up there earlier this year and noticed that the head of the male is very pale almost white through the scope when roosting which i was suprised to see
so pale markings may be a possibility - anyway i was interested in where you were exactly because i cant seem to find high beck on os maps of that area - do you mean high street to the left of riggindale or is high beck somewhere different entirely - pics 1 defo ge, 2 poss ge, 3 cant be 100% so could be argued either way for buzzard or ge
not doubting your sighting at all just pointing out that some will still doubt you -
this is very exciting news - whats even better is if true then i hope open discussion is allowed as regards location etc
also just to be exact is it the opinion these are 2 new birds to the area or is it the existing bird with a poss mate (is it possible even existing male with another male passing thro given that talons were locking - would this happen male to female)
quite a few questions i know but this could be awesome news
hi pdg330
i was up there earlier this year and noticed that the head of the male is very pale almost white through the scope when roosting which i was suprised to see
so pale markings may be a possibility - anyway i was interested in where you were exactly because i cant seem to find high beck on os maps of that area - do you mean high street to the left of riggindale or is high beck somewhere different entirely - pics 1 defo ge, 2 poss ge, 3 cant be 100% so could be argued either way for buzzard or ge
not doubting your sighting at all just pointing out that some will still doubt you -
this is very exciting news - whats even better is if true then i hope open discussion is allowed as regards location etc
also just to be exact is it the opinion these are 2 new birds to the area or is it the existing bird with a poss mate (is it possible even existing male with another male passing thro given that talons were locking - would this happen male to female)
quite a few questions i know but this could be awesome news
Farnboro John
Well-known member
I have been looking at the pictures carefully. First of all, regardless of assertions about wingspan, it is impossible to gain any confience about size from any of them: there simply isn't any object of known size or distance in the frames. I can discern very little from the first three shots.
The fourth picture is unquestionably the most useful. It shows a bird of prey soaring, with wings that describe an arc of uniform chord, with a short tail fanned very wide and a head so short as to be invisible. Or as we say hereabouts, a Buzzard.
John
The fourth picture is unquestionably the most useful. It shows a bird of prey soaring, with wings that describe an arc of uniform chord, with a short tail fanned very wide and a head so short as to be invisible. Or as we say hereabouts, a Buzzard.
John
This is a fascinating thread - not least because the thought of one or two 'new' eagles in Cumbria is so exciting.
I agree in part with the thoughts regarding the fourth photo - though I would like to play devil's advocate as it were. I took this photo some years ago on Mull, and the angle of the bird and lack of depth due to light and distance make the subject look a lot less golden eagle like than photos taken either side.
Food for thought I guess.
I agree in part with the thoughts regarding the fourth photo - though I would like to play devil's advocate as it were. I took this photo some years ago on Mull, and the angle of the bird and lack of depth due to light and distance make the subject look a lot less golden eagle like than photos taken either side.
Food for thought I guess.
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Adam W
Well-known member
I agree that we often see how misleading photo's can be but while that might not look like a text book Golden Eagle it still shows a very obvious long tail that would rule out Buzzard unlike the bird in the 4th photo.
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