# birds of prey,where i work.



## chrisgreen

the quarry where i work has a lot of birds of pray visit it daily,i thought i would share some pics with you.
the birds that visit us are.
kestral's(live on site)
buzzards
redkites
kingfisher's
sparrowhawks
hobby's
raven,s(live on the site, first mating pair in this area for 140 years)
peregrine's (live on site)
i will start with just a couple of pics and update as i get more.
the pics will get better as i get better with my new camara??
pics taken useing a cannon eos 450d,with a 300mm lens at over half a mile away,no tripod?


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## shingi

I live in North Herts countryside and we are so blessed with Buzzards, Red Kites, Sparrowhawks and more recently Ravens. We had 5 buzzards together the other day very high up riding the thermals and they make the most fantastic mewing noises. Both they and the Red Kites quite often fly pretty low and the Kites are huge (up to a 6ft wing span.) The Ravens make a noise almost like a dog barking. I could watch them all day.


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## andyangyh

Birds of pray? Nuns???


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## richardjames

andyangyh
How do you think them up :lol: :lol:


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## geraldandannie

*Re: birds of pray,where i work.*



chrisgreen said:


> i will start with just a couple of pics and update as i get more.


Looking forward to seeing them, Chris.

Gerald


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## chrisgreen

pic up now,needed resizeing.


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## locovan

They are great Chris I think we ought to have a Rally in this quarry to do a Spring Nature Watch.


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## Spacerunner

30 years ago the only place we used to see buzzards was Wales ar at least far to the west of England. Now we are seeing them right through to Sussex and Kent, a big success story.

We did see a pair of Kites in Wales way back in the early '70's, most probably two out of less than a dozen then. Again a successful breading programme.
I really like Mavis's idea of a birding rally, not really a bird watcher, but I do get a thrill out of watching birds of prey.

Best ever was some sort of eagle that flew alongside of us in France for about two hundred yards.


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## DTPCHEMICALS

Here are some tasty birds
Dave p


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## trevorf

If you want to see Marsh Harriers there is a great CL site right next door to the RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss in Lancashire. We go at least once a year.
Also good for Avocets, loads of other waders & ducks. Heard Bitterns several times but never seen them 


Trevor


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## Rainbow-Chasers

I remember seeing a buzzard in somerset - which seem bigger than down here - picking up a road kill fox. Stunning sight! Full wingspan was nearly the width of the road, he could hardly get the fox off the ground, but wasn't giving up! I watched and waited and felt very priviledged!

Did see a peregrine down here recently, which is really rare! Grabbed a pic, but only with the phone and it isn't very clear - hardly see him in the tree unfortunately. Beautiful birds!


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## Spacerunner

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Here are some tasty birds
> Dave p


I *do* love watching this species, just can't remember why!


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## Biglol

Not totally convinced the first photo is of Buzzards, the wings are wrong shape and the tails are very narrow, might be Goshawks

Biglol


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## 96299

Hi

We have a pair of hobby's over our fields which nested this year and I have just seen the pair tonight whilst on one of my walks. I could stand and watch them for hours. I only spotted them because of the commotion caused by a pair of crows attacking them.  

steve


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## Frantone

*May not be buzzards...*

I agree with BigLol, the profile isn't quite right and it may be because the wings are a bit too swept back for buzzards.
Like to see some more pics of the others though.
TP


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## 96299

Biglol said:


> Not totally convinced the first photo is of Buzzards, the wings are wrong shape and the tails are very narrow, might be Goshawks
> 
> Biglol


I thought that as well when I first see them last night. I thought that they looked like Red Kites ?

steve


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## Alfa_Scud

Chigman said:


> Hi
> 
> We have a pair of hobby's over our fields
> 
> steve


Careful there, you'll have people at your door asking to tarmac your drive then your van will mysteriously disappear  .


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## 96299

Alfa_Scud said:


> Chigman said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi
> 
> We have a pair of hobby's over our fields
> 
> steve
> 
> 
> 
> Careful there, you'll have people at your door asking to tarmac your drive then your van will mysteriously disappear  .
Click to expand...

Like it :lol:

steve


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## chrisgreen

deffo buzzards.
same 2 birds different pic taken moments before.


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## Biglol

I still don't think they are Buzzards, they are not Kites either, the tail is wrong for both birds. The birds have swept back wings, but the Buzzards are straighter and the end feathers are rounded. I still go with Goshawks, but who knows.

Biglol


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## chrisgreen

the professional bird watcher and registered ringer that we employ,says they are buzzards so i think i will stick with buzzards.

cheers chris


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## 96299

Biglol said:


> I still don't think they are Buzzards, they are not Kites either, the tail is wrong for both birds. The birds have swept back wings, but the Buzzards are straighter and the end feathers are rounded. I still go with Goshawks, but who knows.
> 
> Biglol


I dont know about Goshawks either, are they soaring birds ? I thought they hunted in woodlands and not open land. Anyhow, I would be very happy to see one Gos let alone two.

I suppose we could guess forever on this so I am going to stop now 

steve


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## pneumatician

*Birds of Prey*

Many years ago I worked in the drawing office of a well known Battery Manufacturer. 
Two hundred males and fifteen hundred female, made one empathise with the Raptor,s prey.
Stepping out of the office was a challenge.
Christmas we were actually locked inside the offices for our own protection. Scary.

Steve


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## SpeedyDux

I live near a park on the edge of Bristol. Out walking I often see up to 4 kestrels hunting. The "nature reserve" that is the verge of the M32 is a popular hunting ground. I have also seen buzzards sitting on fence posts by the M32, and in the recent sunny weather 3 buzzards soaring so high above my house they were barely visible to the naked eye. Meanwhile all the local birdlife, even the magpies, disappeared and went very quiet.

My garden has 2 new regular visitors - a pair of carrion crows with a row of white wing and tail feathers. Most unusual, and pretty to watch when they take off or land. I will try to get some photos of them.


SD


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## Patrick_Phillips

SpeedyDux said:


> My garden has 2 new regular visitors - a pair of carrion crows with a row of white wing and tail feathers. Most unusual, and pretty to watch when they take off or land. I will try to get some photos of them.


Please do! When I was about 11 I found a chick thrown out of the nest because it was weak. So, of course, I picked it up and fed it and nursed it to full size and strength.
I was at boarding school in Kent and became quite unpopular as "Joey" used to spend half the nights tapping on the dorm window. He followed me everywher. Even at the end of term, I caught a train from Dover to London and Joey found me at Charing Cross then followed the taxi across London to Liverpool Street and followed the train to North Norfolk and home. He went everywhere I went no matter how or where for two years. Sadly, I left him 4 days food while we went to see the Coronation and he ate it all in one day and died from bloat  
A favourite boyhood memory.
Patrick


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## SpeedyDux

Patrick - here's one of them:


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## chrisgreen

today i managed to get some pics of the peregrine's.
sitting on top of our soon to be gone old chimney.


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## chrisgreen

another kestral pic.


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## chrisgreen

and another.


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## chrisgreen

a very long shot of a redkite.


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## aphra

*pics*

hi chris

wld luv to se yr pics - where r they?

anna


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## 96299

SpeedyDux said:


> My garden has 2 new regular visitors - a pair of carrion crows with a row of white wing and tail feathers. Most unusual, and pretty to watch when they take off or land. I will try to get some photos of them.
> SD


Interestingly, we have a few crows exactly how you described them and as seen in the picture (around three or four) that I have seen over at our local fields. I first noticed them last year and they are still in the same area now. 

steve


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## motormouth

Am I missing something here?? I haven't seen any photo's of anything.


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## trevd01

No photos to see??


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## Nora+Neil

1st Post was a year ago when Chris Green was a member.
No photos now.


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## 96299

Cant anyone else see the picture of the crow in post 700628 ???? :? 

steve


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## mandyandandy

I didn't see anything either, wondered if you could see this, I can see the crow. this as in our garden 2 weeks ago.


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## spykal

Chigman said:


> Cant anyone else see the picture of the crow in post 700628 ???? :?
> 
> steve


Hi Steve

Don't worry I can see your picture of the crow with partial albinism it is just the pictures from chrisgreen that are missing...

We sometimes see a Blackbird in the garden that has some white feathers... seems it is quite common in blackbirds.

Mike


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