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Posted By: biscansplums Birds - 4th Feb 2010 8:10pm
I was out and about on the Wirral today had a spare 5 mins, so I pulled over for my lunch, I don't want to say where, anyway I spotted this bird (feathered variety) sitting on top of a hedgerow. It was about a foot and a half tall had a medium sized yellow beak and it had browny black mixed feathers but around its legs the feathers where white.

I tried to get a picture of it on my mobile but it was a bit too far away, so I got out of the van to get a bit nearer but it flew off, it's wingspan must of been about 4-5 feet. does anybody know what it was?
Posted By: Capt_America Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 8:21pm
Was it a Mistle Thrush? They are supprisingly big.


Attached picture mistle_thrush_bald03004s.jpg
Posted By: biscansplums Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 8:56pm
No, I don't think so, it was a bit darker and the beak was bigger and yellow. The nearest thing I can find is on the RSPB website and that's a white tailed eagle. But I can't see it being one of them as they are extremely rare.
Posted By: abcdefgh Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 9:22pm
Wirrals quite a haven for unusual creatures isnt it? pity you couldnt get a pic.
Posted By: Wheels Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 9:24pm
Get yourself a spotting scope. I got a good one today from aldi smile
Posted By: biscansplums Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 9:25pm
I'm going to take my camera with me tomorrow, so here's hoping.
Posted By: abcdefgh Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 9:49pm
You never know what you might see, my hubby was waiting for my daughter after swimming at the back of the Guinea Gap baths, by the conservatory, and he saw a cock pheasant! This was a few years ago, he knows what these look like as he sees lots of them in Scotland, so there was no doubt.
Posted By: Wench Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 10:41pm
Have a look on here Bird Identifier

If we were over the other side of the country I'd say it sounds like a juvenile Buzzard. It might be a Goshawk think
Posted By: davew3 Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 11:20pm
There is supposed to be 2 Buzzards in the field by Brimstage Road and Manor Road.
Posted By: kimpri Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 11:31pm
Look anything like this?
Hen pheasant.

Attached picture Ring-necked-hen-pheasant-13969.jpg
Posted By: diggingdeeper Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 11:38pm
One of the Buzzards was quite happily sitting on the verge of the busy Barnston Road (A551) last year for about two days - big bird!
Posted By: hoseman Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 11:38pm
If it was around Brimstage area, it WAS a buzzard. There are a pair, seen them on loads of occasions, sometimes both just sitting on the hedgerow next to the road, drive past only 10 foot away, beautiful birds, large too! thumbsup
Posted By: abcdefgh Re: Birds - 4th Feb 2010 11:43pm
will do, thanks for that
Posted By: biscansplums Re: Birds - 5th Feb 2010 12:18am
Hi all thanks for all the tips, been looking at some pics of buzzards and they do look very similar to what I saw.

I don't really want to give the location away as there are some idiots out there who would think it's funny to harm these beautiful creatures.

Posted By: Wench Re: Birds - 5th Feb 2010 12:20am
I couldn't have confessed to being a Twitcher for a nicer bird raftl
Posted By: Vanquished Re: Birds - 5th Feb 2010 9:43am
Yes! Sounds like a Buzzard-Buteo Buteo A member of the hawk family. These are by far my favourite bird. Because of the way farming has changed in recent years the Common Buzzard is thriving. They were persecuted many years ago as farmers thought they killed their livestock.
You may spot a Buzzard sitting on it's favourite perch. Often low to the ground. This is because they are a lazy hunter. You will probably never see it dive for prey as they are more of the carrion type (prey is already dead) The idea of sitting on a low perch is that it can also simply drop onto it's prey i.e. rabbits.
Often you may see a Buzzard being flocked and attacked by crows and it looks cruel. Watch and see! The Buzzard will just carry on flying minding it's own business while being terrorised.
They are very shy and I doubt you'll get close enough to take a picture. You'll need a telescopic lens and a lot of patience. Tip: Know where it's perch is, dig in at a distance and wait. 2 years ago, I had befriended a buzzard down here in Northamptonshire, I won it's trust over, I even had my Cocker Spaniel with me and she still learnt that I wasn't a threat. This had taken 2 months with me sitting close by to where she perched. Once I won this particular birds trust,I have never been back because I didn't want it to think all humans can be trusted.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/buzzard/index.aspx
Posted By: BandyCoot Re: Birds - 5th Feb 2010 2:41pm
You're right to protect their location, some cruel gits about. When I lived in Cyprus there used to be Griffon Vultures around the cliffs at Episkopi, they'd breed and the young would go up the mountains once they fledged but the people up there used to shoot them, Hunters you see. Therefore they were only ever confined to the Military Base area, good for us but it meant nobody else ever got to see them.
Posted By: RUDEBOX Re: Birds - 11th Feb 2010 7:51pm
Wasnt by the end of the a41/ m53 roundabout was it. Me+ other half spotted wot we thought was a pereguine falcoln!? Mite be like the one in pic tho-al show him pic when he comes down, he knows more than me.
Posted By: TonyP2020 Re: Birds - 19th Apr 2011 6:54pm
I wonder if that was the large bird we saw Sunday morning about 10am circling over Bebington at about 500ft/700ft-ish??
By the time i got my camera it had gone.
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