# Birds of prey photos...



## Testudo Man

*Birds of prey photos, post yours here too...*

...Since getting into "Birding" recently(sort of:whistling2 Im always on the look out for birds of prey on my local travels...Im lucky enough to have a pair of Peregrine Falcons relatively close to me, and Ive found a pretty good location for Kestrels and Buzzards too...Ive mananged to shoot quite a few pics over these last 6 months, so Im hoping you guys will also share your Birds of prey pics on this thread too...Whilst I dont have anything special in the camera/lens department, I can still get a half sensible photo(with a bit of luck: victory...

So post up all your pics here please...cheers.



Male Kestrel...










A Buzzard...


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## Testudo Man

Probably the same male Kestrel here?










And I like this shot, it was taken a few seconds after the 1st one, when he took flight...


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## hotspur2

great pictures mate av got a pair of buzzards by me an i love watching them saw in the sky avnt got a good lens so got no photos . keep ya pics coming love raptors me:2thumb:


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## chady_555

nice pics why not tryin falconry i had a harris hawk but it sadly died on me but had grate time hunting all kinds


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## Testudo Man

hotspur2 said:


> great pictures mate av got a pair of buzzards by me an i love watching them saw in the sky avnt got a good lens so got no photos . keep ya pics coming love raptors me:2thumb:


Mines just a "bridge" camera, with 10x optical zoom...And thanks, I think there are some serious numbers of Buzzards out there...Once you know they are out there, you see them all the time.



chady_555 said:


> nice pics why not tryin falconry i had a harris hawk but it sadly died on me but had grate time hunting all kinds


Cheers...And having that Harris hawk must have been cool...

Maybe some time in the future i just might look into falconry? but right now, i dont have that much spare time in my life.


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## becky89

Very nice pics! Saw about 3 buzzards soaring together today, coulda taken a picture but it probably would have been a bit dangerous while I was driving lol


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## Silas

I don't know if it's because i've been reading this thread or what, but I seem to be noticing a lot more buzzards lately. I saw 3 today separately, including 1 perched atop a streetlight. It'd have made a great photograph if I hadn't been driving.


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## Big Red One

Silas said:


> I don't know if it's because i've been reading this thread or what, but I seem to be noticing a lot more buzzards lately. I saw 3 today separately, including 1 perched atop a streetlight. It'd have made a great photograph if I hadn't been driving.


They are getting VERY common up here now, never used to see them 15 years ago, then the odd one, now I see em most days off the M62/M6 and over my house/work....

Nice to see the raptors being appreciated !


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## fergie

Buzzard.


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## xvickyx

Great pics


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## Testudo Man

Silas said:


> I don't know if it's because i've been reading this thread or what, but I seem to be noticing a lot more buzzards lately. I saw 3 today separately, including 1 perched atop a streetlight. It'd have made a great photograph if I hadn't been driving.


Ive seen the best Buzzards whilst driving too, along the same stretch of road, they were just above my car, and would have made for really good shots(but isnt that always the way)...



Big Red One said:


> They are getting VERY common up here now, never used to see them 15 years ago, then the odd one, now I see em most days off the M62/M6 and over my house/work....
> 
> Nice to see the raptors being appreciated !


I think if you go out for the day, and your looking skyward, the chances of seeing buzzards are more than likely...



fergie said:


> Buzzard.
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image


Glad youve joined me in posting some pics up mate, and as usual your shots are pretty bloody good: victory:



xvickyx said:


> Great pics


Cheers...i will find some more soon enough:whistling2:


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## Testudo Man

Several more pics then...

These Buzzards were some distance away from me(its a shame they didnt make their way towards me) but they were going in the opposite direction:whip:...

1st there were 3...










Then 4...










Then 5 of them:gasp:


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## spiny tails

fantastic pics, love raptors and i'm lucky to have a pair of red kites nesting not too far from the house. going to try and photograph them in the spring.


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## kettykev

Red Kites


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## tomwilson

we get quite a few kestral around here i think there are atleast 2 pairs or 1 pair and some of there young still hanging around.


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## Corsetts

Some great pictures here : victory: Raptors are absolute buggers to get decent pictures of!

Here's a March Harrier from my local reserve. I do actually have some better pics somewhere but I think they're on the other PC. I've spent Hours trying to get a really good picture but just can't crack it.










Are the Kite pictures above at Nany Y Arian?

@ Testudo man, fantastic multiple Buzzard shot! where did you see them? I've seen a few over the downs whilst cycling between Lenham and Sittingbourne, but never that many :gasp:


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## kettykev

Kites from Gigrin Farm at Rhayader


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## tuckerboy

buzzard on dead rabbit










Not a bird of prey i know, but i think one of the most sexy british birds..a Raven


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## Testudo Man

spiny tails said:


> fantastic pics, love raptors and i'm lucky to have a pair of red kites nesting not too far from the house. going to try and photograph them in the spring.


Its always worth a try, to get some shots in if you can



kettykev said:


> Red Kites
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image


These pics are pretty bloody good here: victory:...

Ive yet to see a Kite



Corsetts said:


> Some great pictures here : victory: Raptors are absolute buggers to get decent pictures of!
> 
> Here's a March Harrier from my local reserve. I do actually have some better pics somewhere but I think they're on the other PC. I've spent Hours trying to get a really good picture but just can't crack it.
> 
> image
> 
> Are the Kite pictures above at Nany Y Arian?
> 
> @ Testudo man, fantastic multiple Buzzard shot! where did you see them? I've seen a few over the downs whilst cycling between Lenham and Sittingbourne, but never that many :gasp:


Nice shot...And a fellow Kent man...

I saw these buzzards close to a small village called Mereworth, right next to Seven Mile lane, they are always about that area, so chances are Im gonna see them...I spoke to a local and he said he had seen 7 buzzards in the sky at once(I did doubt him at 1st) but then i saw 5 of them, so he was obviously telling the truth.



tuckerboy said:


> buzzard on dead rabbit
> 
> image
> 
> Not a bird of prey i know, but i think one of the most sexy british birds..a Raven
> 
> image


Nice shots...and you must have been pretty close to the subject here.


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## Corsetts

kettykev said:


> Kites from Gigrin Farm at Rhayader


Cool, I've been there too : victory:



Testudo Man said:


> Nice shot...And a fellow Kent man...
> 
> I saw these buzzards close to a small village called Mereworth, right next to Seven Mile lane, they are always about that area, so chances are Im gonna see them...I spoke to a local and he said he had seen 7 buzzards in the sky at once(I did doubt him at 1st) but then i saw 5 of them, so he was obviously telling the truth.


I know it well, lovely part of Kent. I shall keep my eyes on the sky then, next time I'm out that way.

^^ Nice shots above, Ravens are fantastic birds.


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## tuckerboy

i have a motion triggered camera  just attach to a tree and leave for a few days


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## Wilko

I love seeing birds of prey in the wild. Getting good pictures of them is bloody difficult though :lol2:

Kestrel :



























My best Red Kite photo :


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## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> I know it well, lovely part of Kent. I shall keep my eyes on the sky then, next time I'm out that way.


I travel that stretch of road quite often, im seriously thinking about parking up next to the roundabout for an hour or 2, because they fly low over there, so it could be a great place for a clearer shot???



tuckerboy said:


> i have a motion triggered camera  just attach to a tree and leave for a few days


Nice: victory: that could account for the angle and close distance of those shots then.




Wilko said:


> I love seeing birds of prey in the wild. Getting good pictures of them is bloody difficult though :lol2:
> 
> Kestrel :
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> My best Red Kite photo :
> image


Very nice pics here mate: victory:


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## Testudo Man

A couple more pics...

Kestrel giving me the run around, as soon as he saw me he flew...










Buzzard...


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## Corsetts

Great pictures all :notworthy:

Wilko, you've got the exposures spot on with those shots, they're lovely. I think that's one of the hardest things with birds of prey pictures, they're almost always framed against the sky.


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## Lizard-girl

Oh wow, stunning pics, my boyfriend is mad on birds, must show him these pics.


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## thetomahawkkid58




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## thetomahawkkid58

oops..........female sea eagle -


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## thetomahawkkid58

short eared owl -


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## thetomahawkkid58

juvenile golden eagle -


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## thetomahawkkid58

male sea eagle -


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## thetomahawkkid58

juvenile sea eagle -


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## Lizard-girl

Wilko said:


> I love seeing birds of prey in the wild. Getting good pictures of them is bloody difficult though :lol2:
> 
> Kestrel :
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> My best Red Kite photo :
> image


I've seen red kites out in the wild before, we have loads around here. Beautiful birds.


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## vawn

i saw an awesome shot... while in the car of course lol
a honey buzzard at the pub havin his lunch!!!
he was just sat in the driveway of the balrock inn wings kinda spread out coverin his dead rabbit checkin everyone out


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## becky89

thetomahawkkid58 said:


> male sea eagle -
> 
> image


Great pics  I held a male sea eagle at a falconry centre and he was HEAVY!


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## thetomahawkkid58

i'll bet their heavy :lol2:...the male, female and juvenile picture's were taken from a boat while out fishing on a lovely scottish loch, seen a fledgeling on the nest as well................awesome :2thumb:


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## thetomahawkkid58

golden eagle -


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## thetomahawkkid58

short eared owl -


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## thetomahawkkid58

sea eagle fledgeling on nest -


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## Wilko

Corsetts said:


> Great pictures all :notworthy:
> 
> Wilko, you've got the exposures spot on with those shots, they're lovely. I think that's one of the hardest things with birds of prey pictures, they're almost always framed against the sky.


Thanks :blush: Exposure does do my head in at times - especially with fast moving birds as you just don't get enough time to adjust the settings! Luckily with that Red Kite it spent a good while circling overhead (and quite low down/close to the ground) so I ran around after it until I got a good shot :lol2:


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## Testudo Man

Some great shots here guys, keep em coming...

These are the only pics that i have managed to get(so far) of a buzzard perched...And yes, there are also Pheasants in the tree:gasp:

Because of vast distance, the pics were never gonna be that clear!


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## Testudo Man

More buzzard shots from me...


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## 34531

Pheasants in the tree :-o


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## Testudo Man

forever_20one said:


> Pheasants in the tree :-o


Yes, in that 1st pic, there is 2 male pheasants in the tree(along with the Buzzard): victory:...

Here is the same tree, but shot from a different angle, and check it out, heaps of pheasants(2 males an 2 females :2thumb


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## Testudo Man

A couple more from me...

Ist pic is 2 buzzards(and a crow? trying to get in on the act)










Then a kestrel hovering, it dove straight down just after i took this shot.


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## ginna

i know it isnt a wild one but still . here is me with a BIG owl 










bad picture quality cos it is a picture of a piture


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## Woodsman

Testudo Man said:


> A couple more from me...
> 
> Ist pic is 2 buzzards(and a crow? trying to get in on the act)
> 
> image
> 
> Then a kestrel hovering, it dove straight down just after i took this shot.
> 
> image


Great pics again:no1:but that crow is a Raven.


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## Testudo Man

Woodsman said:


> Great pics again:no1:but that crow is a Raven.


Cheers...

But how can you tell that that pic/outline is a Raven???...Please educate me...I thought Ravens were very thin on the ground/scarce?


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## kato

I know Ravens are rare, but that does look like a Raven in the Photo.


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## Testudo Man

kato said:


> I know Ravens are rare, but that does look like a Raven in the Photo.


There are a lot of crows in the area, and within a few miles, there is also a huge rookery too...I will have to check out some of my other pics(which could feature crows/rooks??) because with my limited bird knowledge, i wouldnt know if i was looking at a possible Raven or not(from such a distance).


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## Woodsman

Testudo Man said:


> Cheers...
> 
> But how can you tell that that pic/outline is a Raven???...Please educate me...I thought Ravens were very thin on the ground/scarce?


Just the general-I think the twitchers call it "jizz" of the bird.Ravens have a longer rounded tail against crows blunt cut-off one,otherwise that's a classic Raven outline.They're pretty common in wales,always a joy to watch their aerial acrobatics.
Sorry I can't be more specific.


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## laurencea

Test - are you near Dover? there are ravens breeding there again.


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## Testudo Man

Woodsman said:


> Just the general-I think the twitchers call it "jizz" of the bird.Ravens have a longer rounded tail against crows blunt cut-off one,otherwise that's a classic Raven outline.They're pretty common in wales,always a joy to watch their aerial acrobatics.
> Sorry I can't be more specific.


Cheers for that info...I do have a couple of more photos of them perched in a tree, but they were taken at some distance away...Im sure the pics were shot on the same day, in the same area too...it would be nice to think that they were Ravens in the area.



laurencea said:


> Test - are you near Dover? there are ravens breeding there again.


Ive heard about the Dover breeding Ravens too...

But Im inland, those pics were taken at least 40 to 50 miles West of Dover:whistling2:


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## laurencea

Testudo Man said:


> Ive heard about the Dover breeding Ravens too...
> 
> But Im inland, those pics were taken at least 40 to 50 miles West of Dover:whistling2:


excellent, they're heading my way!


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## Corsetts

Fabulous pics Testudo Man.

Very poor picture, but this was a Griffin vulture I snapped circling high above a 4000 foot mountain peak in Crete on Thursday










Re the Ravens, I've never seen them in this neck of the woods so I'd be very surprised if it was one.

This is a Raven attempting to chase off the Griffin, unsucessfully :lol2:









Just shows how massive these vultures are, the Raven, with it's 4' wingspan, looks like a mosquito in comparison!


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## kato

I saw some nice Birds of Prey on Thursday in the Mendips....


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## Testudo Man

ginna said:


> i know it isnt a wild one but still . here is me with a BIG owl
> 
> image
> 
> bad picture quality cos it is a picture of a piture


I missed this pic:blush:...Thats a big Owl there: victory:



Corsetts said:


> Fabulous pics Testudo Man.
> 
> Very poor picture, but this was a Griffin vulture I snapped circling high above a 4000 foot mountain peak in Crete on Thursday
> 
> image
> 
> Re the Ravens, I've never seen them in this neck of the woods so I'd be very surprised if it was one.
> 
> This is a Raven attempting to chase off the Griffin, unsucessfully :lol2:
> image
> 
> Just shows how massive these vultures are, the Raven, with it's 4' wingspan, looks like a mosquito in comparison!


Cheers...

That Griffin looks awesome too...

Apart from the Dover Ravens, I dont think anywhere in Kent has had Ravens for a number of years now...but Im sure they will make a comeback soon though.



kato said:


> I saw some nice Birds of Prey on Thursday in the Mendips....
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image


Nice photos these: victory:


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## Testudo Man

3 more Buzzard shots from me...

Im using a different camera(which has an 18X optical lense) so i can get a bit closer to the subject now.

I wish I had a blue sky, sunlight, better light conditions etc. when i took these last week!!!...


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## Whosthedaddy

A few cheesy ones before I find the more wild ones (yeah I know their owls and not BOP).

BooBook









Can't remember this little fellow:









Indian Eagle Owl:









American Barn Owl.


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## tomwilson

Whosthedaddy said:


> A few cheesy ones before I find the more wild ones (yeah I know their owls and not BOP).
> 
> BooBook
> image
> 
> Can't remember this little fellow:
> image
> 
> Indian Eagle Owl:
> image
> 
> American Barn Owl.
> image


owls are birds of prey dude : victory:


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## Corsetts

Testudo Man said:


> 3 more Buzzard shots from me...
> 
> Im using a different camera(which has an 18X optical lense) so i can get a bit closer to the subject now.
> 
> I wish I had a blue sky, sunlight, better light conditions etc. when i took these last week!!!...
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image


They're fantastic, really god shots :notworthy:

As you say, with better conditions they'd be picture perfect but as we all know, the odds of getting a decent shot, with the right light, and the bird in the right place (less than several miles away :lol2 is remote.
That's why they're such an enjoyable challenge : victory:


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## Whosthedaddy

Corsetts said:


> As you say, with better conditions they'd be picture perfect but as we all know, the odds of getting a decent shot, with the right light, and the bird in the right place (less than several miles away :lol2 is remote.
> That's why they're such an enjoyable challenge : victory:


A couple of miles away eh? Managed to get within a couple of feet from this bad boy. This day really was a 1 in a million chance!










I have plenty more just waiting for the camera battery to charge to down load them.


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## Corsetts

Whosthedaddy said:


> A couple of miles away eh? Managed to get within a couple of feet from this bad boy. This day really was a 1 in a million chance!
> 
> image
> 
> I have plenty more just waiting for the camera battery to charge to down load them.


Christ on a bike!!!!

I hope you rushed out and bought a lottery ticket after seeing that 

Stunning picture, really magnificent. Where was it taken?


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## Whosthedaddy

Corsetts said:


> Christ on a bike!!!!
> 
> I hope you rushed out and bought a lottery ticket after seeing that
> 
> Stunning picture, really magnificent. Where was it taken?


Ecuador.

I'll post some more later.


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## Whosthedaddy

Ecuador.

I'll post some more later.

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/wildlife/603680-condor-ecuador.html#post7264617


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## Corsetts

Good stuff, I'm at work at the moment so I'll have a good look at those when I get home this evening :2thumb:


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## tigger.1

*Sparrow Hawk*

A few times a day we have a female sparrowhawk fly low along the hedge bordering the field at front of the house when it gets level with the entry (gully) whatever you call it in between the houses its straight over and across the road about 2 ft above the road (suprised it hasnt been hit by car)then if it wasnt going fast enough already it picks up speed up the entry and along the neighbours fences until it gets to the bird feeders/tables the wild birds start calling and yelling and its just mayhem if there is no birds there she just keeps her pace and carrys on over the fences and off she goes 
what does amaze me is how low and agile they clear the walls and fences no mater what height they are ive even seen her head towards a house fly verticaly up the wall and over the roof wow!:notworthy:


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## Corsetts

tigger.1 said:


> A few times a day we have a female sparrowhawk fly low along the hedge bordering the field at front of the house when it gets level with the entry (gully) whatever you call it in between the houses its straight over and across the road about 2 ft above the road (suprised it hasnt been hit by car)then if it wasnt going fast enough already it picks up speed up the entry and along the neighbours fences until it gets to the bird feeders/tables the wild birds start calling and yelling and its just mayhem if there is no birds there she just keeps her pace and carrys on over the fences and off she goes
> what does amaze me is how low and agile they clear the walls and fences no mater what height they are ive even seen her head towards a house fly verticaly up the wall and over the roof wow!:notworthy:


They are incredible birds. One day when I was cycling to work, one popped out of the very thick coppiced woodland right next to me. Thing is, it's heavily overgrown in there so it came out completely inverted, turned on a sixpence again when it saw me and dissapeared back in to the thick of it, all at some insane speed and never once on an even keel. 
Good luck getting action shots of one of those :lol2:


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## Corsetts

Corsetts said:


> Good stuff, I'm at work at the moment so I'll have a good look at those when I get home this evening :2thumb:


Had a look, they're incredible!


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## Lucky Eddie

I hate threads like this.

Gotta spend ages uploading pics now. 

I hate dial up.


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## Lucky Eddie

I bought a camera to get this shot.

Fish Eagle










Secretary Bird.










Tawny Eagle


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## Lucky Eddie

Fish eagle.........cleaner shot.










Lappet faced vulture


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## 53bird

there are some great pictures up everyone, the buzzard seems to be everywhere at the moment, we have 3 pairs around my area, also have a pair of peregrines at chichester cathedral.
we also get a sparrow hawk on my budgie aviary, trying to get them, he gets bored after awhile an flys off over the fence's. sorry i havent got any pics of it i just cant stop watching how beautiful they are.
we still havent seen any red kites down here yet


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## Whosthedaddy

Used to see plenty of Kestrels round here but not for ages?


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## Woodsman

There's some marvellous photos on this thread.
Anybody managed to photograph Goshawks in the wild in uk?


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## Whosthedaddy

Lighting wasn't too ideal for some
































But better for others.


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## Ozgi

Testudo Man said:


> A couple more from me...
> 
> Ist pic is 2 buzzards(and a crow? trying to get in on the act)
> 
> image
> 
> Then a kestrel hovering, it dove straight down just after i took this shot.
> 
> image



That just looks like a crow to me, the tail doesn't look large enough/wedge shaped enough for a Raven. I'd say Carrion Crow, particularly given your location.


Here's a few of mine from Costa Rica, you've probably seen them before, lol. I am still working on getting some pics of our native species!

Black Vulture










Turkey Vulture










Black Mangrove Hawk










Yellow-headed Caracara


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## Corsetts

Some incredible pictures there guys :notworthy:


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## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> They're fantastic, really god shots :notworthy:
> 
> As you say, with better conditions they'd be picture perfect but as we all know, the odds of getting a decent shot, with the right light, and the bird in the right place (less than several miles away :lol2 is remote.
> That's why they're such an enjoyable challenge : victory:


Cheers, as you say, its all in the challenge...I'll get that shot one day...I might have to camp out over night to get it though:whistling2:


And Ive been away from this thread for a few days, and come back to see some really excellent photos guys, keep em coming:no1:


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## bobby

I thought ravens tails came to more of a point than crows? :hmm:










Some awesome pictures in here....must be nice to even see them fly never-mind get pics like that?


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## Testudo Man

Driving home from work yesterday(down a quiet country road) I spotted this kestrel, I stopped the car, stuck my camera out of the window, and just managed to get a shot of him(before he flew off)...The sun was low in the sky, hence the colour tones.


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## Corsetts

Lovely shot! Love the warm autumn lighting too.

Kestrels might be common, and you can get fairly close to them, but it's a different matter if you point a camera at one!

Very underated birds, Kestrels, IMO.


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## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> Lovely shot! Love the warm autumn lighting too.
> 
> Kestrels might be common, and you can get fairly close to them, but it's a different matter if you point a camera at one!
> 
> Very underated birds, Kestrels, IMO.


Cheers...The low sun did give the shot a warm glow...

Your certainly right there...you can drive by kestrels in your car, but as soon as you stop, they are very wary of you, and point anything at them, and they are gone...

Heres a couple more pics i took last friday(it was very windy too) you can see the kestrel leaning into the wind here...He did let me get quite close to him this time though, but I had to move very slowly.


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## Corsetts

Well done Sir, they're fantastic :notworthy:

What lens did you use for those? I've just sold my old Nikon D100 which will be replaced with a D90, but it's going to be some tme before I can afford a decent telephoto.


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## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> Well done Sir, they're fantastic :notworthy:
> 
> What lens did you use for those? I've just sold my old Nikon D100 which will be replaced with a D90, but it's going to be some tme before I can afford a decent telephoto.


Thanks a lot...Ive been visiting that area for approx. 6 months now(on an off) and that was the 1st time Ive ever seen a kestrel on that pole, so i was pleased to get a few shots of it...Poor light meant I had to edit those pics a fair bit, but they are still not bad.

Up until a month ago I was using a pretty basic camera(Fuji S5700) but ive just started using this super zoom camera here- http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/general-photography-chat/602713-i-got-sort-new-camera.html Although the pics show the camera with the tele-conversion lense connected, when i took those last kestrel shots, I was just using the camera on its own.


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## Corsetts

That's very nice, looks like an absolute bargain!

Some stunning shots you've got on that other thread too :2thumb:


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## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> That's very nice, looks like an absolute bargain!
> 
> Some stunning shots you've got on that other thread too :2thumb:


Cheers...Im sure it was a bargain too, and thanks for your comments in regards to the pics on that thread...





I took this pic about a week ago, if you look close, you can see that the kestrel has a rodent of some sort, held in its claws/talons...

I know the pic is of a poor quality, but i was such a long distance away, and ive cropped in real close here...The kestrel took the rodent up higher on the branch, then ate it.


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## Corsetts

That's awesome mate :notworthy:


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## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> That's awesome mate :notworthy:


Cheers...I got this kestrel last weekend, he then flew off to another tree, and he was joined by what looks like a male Chaffinch...


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## avanzato

Seeing as you're interested in kestrel, here's a pic of my American Kestrel, he's quite tiny - weighs about 4 oz and lives in the house with us lol...


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## HABU

avanzato said:


> Seeing as you're interested in kestrel, here's a pic of my American Kestrel, he's quite tiny - weighs about 4 oz and lives in the house with us lol...
> 
> image
> 
> image


i had one years ago... class!

wish i could get another... i see them all the time...

occasionally i see a bald eagle here where i live... not often though...

beautiful creature you have there!


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## SilverSky

Whosthedaddy said:


> A few cheesy ones before I find the more wild ones (yeah I know their owls and not BOP).
> 
> BooBook
> image
> 
> Can't remember this little fellow:
> image
> 
> Indian Eagle Owl:
> image
> 
> American Barn Owl.
> image


 
he's a burrowing owl


----------



## Testudo Man

avanzato said:


> Seeing as you're interested in kestrel, here's a pic of my American Kestrel, he's quite tiny - weighs about 4 oz and lives in the house with us lol...
> 
> image
> 
> image


Beautiful little Kestrel you have there, and nice pics too: victory:


----------



## Testudo Man

Looking at all the bad weather around right now, its hard to believe i took this pic on the 26th of November...Blue skies, and wall to wall sunshine.

A Buzzard...


----------



## Testudo Man

Its been too long:whistling2:...

So here are several more of my photos.



Female Kestrel.










Buzzard.


----------



## Corsetts

Lovely pictures :2thumb:
I nearly hit a sparrowhawk this morning on the way to work! luckily I was doing about 15mph as it was through narrow country lanes and it cannoned into the bush next to me, chasing a Blackbird, before turning sharply and nearly hitting the windscreen before dissapearing.

I do miss photographing raptors, hopefully I'll be able to get the new telephoto before too long and be back in the game!


----------



## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> Lovely pictures :2thumb:
> I nearly hit a sparrowhawk this morning on the way to work! luckily I was doing about 15mph as it was through narrow country lanes and it cannoned into the bush next to me, chasing a Blackbird, before turning sharply and nearly hitting the windscreen before dissapearing.
> 
> I do miss photographing raptors, hopefully I'll be able to get the new telephoto before too long and be back in the game!


Cheers for that mate.

Ive had a Sparrowhawk do the same to me in the car (Twice) they are amazing birds to watch in flight.

Get that lens sorted then, theres no better time for Raptor shots: victory:

Heres a couple more recent shots(taken on the 8/2/2011)

Kestrel.










Buzzard.


----------



## daftlassieEmma

loving this thread 

here's my contribution, were taken from inside the house with my digi cam so the quality isn't that great but i was fairly chuffed with them considering the distance; tried it before in the past to no avail - female sparrowhawk:



















zoomed to close in this one but it was about the best pose i thought:


----------



## Testudo Man

daftlassieEmma said:


> loving this thread
> 
> here's my contribution, were taken from inside the house with my digi cam so the quality isn't that great but i was fairly chuffed with them considering the distance; tried it before in the past to no avail - female sparrowhawk:
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> zoomed to close in this one but it was about the best pose i thought:
> 
> image


These are excellent:no1:...

Was it seriously windy when you took these shots?


----------



## daftlassieEmma

Testudo Man said:


> These are excellent:no1:...
> 
> Was it seriously windy when you took these shots?


 very! assumed that's what she was doing, trying to balance :lol2:


----------



## Testudo Man

daftlassieEmma said:


> very! assumed that's what she was doing, trying to balance :lol2:


You can see the strong wind portrayed in the pics, she is a beauty: victory:...

I took a shot of a Kestrel balancing on a single wire in the wind, and it looks like it was doing a handstand:2thumb:...

I was very very lucky to photograph a female Sparrowhawk in my garden recently, I had only seen it fly through the garden twice before, but this time it landed in my dead tree.

I got a few shots, but it was dark/windy, so i had to edit them a fair bit.


----------



## daftlassieEmma

Testudo Man said:


> You can see the strong wind portrayed in the pics, she is a beauty: victory:...
> 
> I took a shot of a Kestrel balancing on a single wire in the wind, and it looks like it was doing a handstand:2thumb:...
> 
> I was very very lucky to photograph a female Sparrowhawk in my garden recently, I had only seen it fly through the garden twice before, but this time it landed in my dead tree.
> 
> I got a few shots, but it was dark/windy, so i had to edit them a fair bit.
> 
> image
> 
> image


 braw  second one's a cracker : victory:


----------



## fergie

Brilliant pics, folks. Sadly I have no raptor shots as of yet to contribute


----------



## Corsetts

Cracking shots guys, the Sparrowhawk ones are superb.
Stunning birds, but usually travelling way too fast a few inches above the ground to even see clearly, let alone get a picture of!


(should be ordering lens on Friday :2thumb


----------



## Testudo Man

daftlassieEmma said:


> braw  second one's a cracker : victory:


Cheers, she looked right at me, and I agree, that was the best pic out of them all.



fergie said:


> Brilliant pics, folks. Sadly I have no raptor shots as of yet to contribute


Thanks mate, and I know they are not raptors, but I could sure do with seeing more *Raven* shots from your neck of the woods:whistling2:: victory:



Corsetts said:


> Cracking shots guys, the Sparrowhawk ones are superb.
> Stunning birds, but usually travelling way too fast a few inches above the ground to even see clearly, let alone get a picture of!
> 
> 
> (should be ordering lens on Friday :2thumb


Friday is just around the corner: victory:


----------



## weegie

found this looking through my old pics











thanks
george


----------



## Corsetts

Captives aren't allowed, are they?

If so, I have these old ones...



















New lens arrived today, woo hoo! Now I just need some time, some birds and some daylight :whistling2:


----------



## bobby

Corsetts said:


> Captives aren't allowed, are they?
> 
> If so, I have these old ones...
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> New lens arrived today, woo hoo! Now I just need some time, some birds and some daylight :whistling2:


They should be allowed, those are beautiful! :gasp:


----------



## Corsetts

Thank you : victory:

It is easy when they're strapped to a stick in front of you though :lol2:


----------



## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> Captives aren't allowed, are they?
> 
> If so, I have these old ones...
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> New lens arrived today, woo hoo! Now I just need some time, some birds and some daylight :whistling2:


Nice shots there(not from Eagle Heights were they?) I went there last year with my youngest son, I took quite a few pics myself(with my old camera though). Nice you got your new lens then: victory:


----------



## Corsetts

Thanks mate, they were taken at Goodnestone park, they had a Falconry display on.

I haven't been to Eagle heights for a while, might have to have a trip out there at the weekend :2thumb:


----------



## mark1981

*hi*

if ever anyone travels to or from oxford onj the m40 you can get some nice views of the red kites there, some get pretty low down but quite a few can been seen together sometimes.


----------



## Corsetts

mark1981 said:


> if ever anyone travels to or from oxford onj the m40 you can get some nice views of the red kites there, some get pretty low down but quite a few can been seen together sometimes.


That's a good point, might have to have a trip up there : victory:
I've seen more there at times than I have in a week in Wales!



Went to Eagle Heights yesterday to give the lens a try, seems pretty good but just need to try it on some "real" birds now!





























And they'll be no more captives from me, I promise :blush: :lol2:


----------



## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> That's a good point, might have to have a trip up there : victory:
> I've seen more there at times than I have in a week in Wales!
> 
> 
> 
> Went to Eagle Heights yesterday to give the lens a try, seems pretty good but just need to try it on some "real" birds now!
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> 
> And they'll be no more captives from me, I promise :blush: :lol2:


Some lovely shots, Ive only been there the once, but i took 100s an 100s of photos. Did you see the Cheetah run on the wire? I was on the front row seat for that.


----------



## Corsetts

Thanks matey, no, they didn't run the Cheetah but we saw it on Youtube before we went up there.
Looked very impressive!


----------



## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> Thanks matey, no, they didn't run the Cheetah but we saw it on Youtube before we went up there.
> Looked very impressive!


Yes the Cheetah run was good, its very fast to watch, all over in seconds. We sat less than 10 feet away from it, when it caught and ate the (dead) rabbit.
I did take a few photos of that too:whistling2: I dont think Ive ever showed them though.


Back on track here, i had the late afternoon low sun behind me for these shots, I cant see me getting much closer to a wild kestrel than this? but i will keep on trying.


----------



## Ally

Time to bump this up!

Bad photos I'm afraid, but hopefully some more practise will help that 
Red Kites while we were having a picnic today


----------



## bobby

Ally said:


> Time to bump this up!
> 
> Bad photos I'm afraid, but hopefully some more practise will help that
> Red Kites while we were having a picnic today
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image


Lucky you! :gasp:

Cracking shots :2thumb:


----------



## Ally

bobby said:


> Lucky you! :gasp:
> 
> Cracking shots :2thumb:


It's only because Lex has a half decent camera - I'd not stand a chance on anything I have! I need to practise with it really, the better photos there are probably his :blush:

We have millions of them round here, it's not a case of spotting them, it's more a case of getting your arse outside and taking pictures!
Wish I'd had a camera Wednesday though, I saw a pair of Buzzards and a pair of kites so close together and low that a photo of all four birds together would have been easy to get.


----------



## Corsetts

Nice pics :2thumb:

Here's my only contribution, a pair of (I think) Barbury falcons getting jiggy in Egypt last week.
They spent the whole time either doing that or walloping the local pigeon population!


----------



## Testudo Man

Ally said:


> Time to bump this up!
> 
> Bad photos I'm afraid, but hopefully some more practise will help that
> Red Kites while we were having a picnic today
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image


Nice Shots there Ally: victory: We are even seeing Red Kites in Kent now, so with a bit of luck, their numbers will grow/increase down here too.



Corsetts said:


> Nice pics :2thumb:
> 
> Here's my only contribution, a pair of (I think) Barbury falcons getting jiggy in Egypt last week.
> They spent the whole time either doing that or walloping the local pigeon population!
> 
> image


Great pic mate: victory:.


I was watching a pair of Kestrels the other week, and missed a mating shot of them by seconds:bash:. I was a long distance from them, but still got a few shots in anyway.

Female.










Male.










The out of focus, just finished mating shot.


----------



## Ally

Testudo Man said:


> Nice Shots there Ally: victory: We are even seeing Red Kites in Kent now, so with a bit of luck, their numbers will grow/increase down here too.
> 
> 
> 
> Great pic mate: victory:.
> 
> 
> I was watching a pair of Kestrels the other week, and missed a mating shot of them by seconds:bash:. I was a long distance from them, but still got a few shots in anyway.
> 
> Female.
> 
> image
> 
> Male.
> 
> image
> 
> The out of focus, just finished mating shot.
> 
> image


Thanks! We have so many here now, it's brilliant 
Apparently there's ravens nesting near work, and peregrines about 6 miles from there too. I might make a few trips out to see if I can spot them... Ospreys are seen every year on their way north to breed, theres a few places they stop off nearby, but I think it's getting a bit late in the year for that now 

Lovely photos of the kesterels, I have a serious soft spot for them.


----------



## Testudo Man

Ally said:


> Thanks! We have so many here now, it's brilliant
> Apparently there's ravens nesting near work, and peregrines about 6 miles from there too. I might make a few trips out to see if I can spot them... Ospreys are seen every year on their way north to breed, theres a few places they stop off nearby, but I think it's getting a bit late in the year for that now
> 
> Lovely photos of the kesterels, I have a serious soft spot for them.


Did you have any luck with the Ravens an Peregrines?

Time to bump this thread, its been months now!:whistling2:


Shot some pics of this Kestrel back in July, it flew right over me, and my camera was set on macro (with flash). I didnt think the pic would be any good, because of the distance and camera setting, but they came out ok.


----------



## Ben W

Not posted here for a while, but can contribute this


----------



## Corsetts

Had some good sightings recently, but never when I've had my camera with me...



> Shot some pics of this Kestrel back in July, it flew right over me, and my camera was set on macro (with flash). I didnt think the pic would be any good, because of the distance and camera setting, but they came out ok.


Nice image, it certainly did come out OK :2thumb:

Ben W, that's a beautiful picture, where was it taken?


----------



## Testudo Man

Ben W said:


> Not posted here for a while, but can contribute this


Nice shot there...I found a mass of pigeon feathers the other day, on a site i frequent, i must have just missed it though, because the feathers were not there a couple of hours earlier.



Corsetts said:


> Had some good sightings recently, but never when I've had my camera with me...
> 
> 
> 
> Nice image, it certainly did come out OK :2thumb:
> 
> Ben W, that's a beautiful picture, where was it taken?


Always have the camera with you, you just never know whats about.

I havent been birding for awhile myself, been too busy with finding/photographing UK reptiles.:whistling2:


----------



## Ben W

It was taken in my dads garden, was actually seen striking and taking the pigeon, took a string of a dozen or more pics as it was plucking it,.

There was a colony of black adders living where i used to live, here in Dorset, was in our garden, but i have never divulged the location.

The only repiles i have taken pics of recently are Sand Lizards, plenty of them on the heaths by me if you know where to look.


----------



## Corsetts

Testudo Man said:


> Always have the camera with you, you just never know whats about.


And there's the trouble with the DSLR, it's a bit of a handful with the 500mm on it!
Really must make an effort though, I haven't had a go at the local Marsh Harriers for ages now



Ben W said:


> It was taken in my dads garden, was actually seen striking and taking the pigeon, took a string of a dozen or more pics as it was plucking it,.
> 
> There was a colony of black adders living where i used to live, here in Dorset, was in our garden, but i have never divulged the location.
> 
> The only repiles i have taken pics of recently are Sand Lizards, plenty of them on the heaths by me if you know where to look.


Cool, that's a really lovely image, that's for sure


----------



## Ben W

I can do a kestrel, this ok??


----------



## Corsetts

Ben W said:


> I can do a kestrel, this ok??


If that's a wild bird (assume it if from the image name?) then that's incredible!


----------



## Ben W

It is indeed a wild bird, must be something to do with the large telephoto lens i have !!!!


----------



## ivantheboss

The pictures of the white head eagle is awesome: victory:


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## gaz0123

i go looking out for birds of prey with my girlfriend all the time, when u go out looking for them they arn't that hard to spot, even saw a eagle owl fly past a few weeks ago, none are reported on ibr website as missing so no idea why it was there


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## Corsetts

More Kestrel shots, this little fella took off then obligingly hovered over the car for a few seconds


----------



## jamielemon

Corsetts said:


> More Kestrel shots, this little fella took off then obligingly hovered over the car for a few seconds
> 
> image
> 
> image


 

Nice pics what cam you useing ??


----------



## Corsetts

Thanks 

The camera is a Nikon D90 with a Sigma 150-500mm lens


----------



## Lucky Eddie

A couple of Marsh Harrier shots from Minsmere this year.

Female










Male


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## Corsetts

Very nice, very nice indeed!
We have Harriers at Elmley just up the road from me, that's what I was after when I got the Kestrel above. So far, just can't get a clear shot.


----------



## Lucky Eddie

Hobby


----------



## 17624

Stunning pic of the hobby pal, amazing birds, im hopefully adding one to my feathered collection next season.


----------



## Kaouthia

Forgot about this thread. Here's a few of my recent ones shot at the ICBP in Newent.


----------



## jonodrama

a few from over the last year, have posted a few of these before in other threads.


















Osprey, taken at RSPB reserve Arne, Dorset.








Kestrel taken on cliffs at a beach in Cornwall, have seen them hunting in the sandmartin nests before 











2 Buzzards taken on my camera trap, the date was set wrong.


----------



## Testudo Man

Some great shots here guys, keep em comin.:no1:


Male Kestrel on the church roof.


Male Kestrel, 16th-October-2011 by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Then as it took off, I just missed the focus on this shot.


Male Kestrel, 16th-October-2011 by Testudo Man, on Flickr


----------



## Corsetts

Testudo Man said:


> Some great shots here guys, keep em comin.:no1:
> 
> 
> 
> Then as it took off, I just missed the focus on this shot.
> 
> [URL=http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6219/6254531919_44f1fb98ce_z.jpg]image[/URL]
> Male Kestrel, 16th-October-2011 by Testudo Man, on Flickr


Awesome shot! nearly one to put on the wall : victory:

Good shots of the Marsh harrier(?) above too, elusive things that they are...
EDIT: Sorry, Osprey, must learn to read posts properly...


----------



## jonodrama

Corsetts said:


> Awesome shot! nearly one to put on the wall : victory:
> 
> *Good shots of the Marsh harrier(?) above too, elusive things that they are...
> EDIT: Sorry, Osprey, must learn to read posts properly..*.


Cheers, i did see a marsh harrier about 2 minutes after those photos were taken because the osprey pretty much landed on it!! 
Arne is really worth a trip, lots of hobbys round there too


----------



## Corsetts

Nice!

Elmley is my local haunt, there are Hobby's there but I've never seen one. Loads of Marsh Harriers, always just out of camera range and rumors of Osprey but, again, never seen one.


----------



## Marcia

kettykev said:


> Red Kites
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image


Stunning pictures, i see a fair few kites around here.


----------



## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> Awesome shot! nearly one to put on the wall : victory:


Cheers...yeah nearly, my camera couldnt cope with the fast movement:blush:



Corsetts said:


> Nice!
> 
> *Elmley* is my local haunt, there are Hobby's there but I've never seen one. Loads of Marsh Harriers, always just out of camera range and rumors of Osprey but, again, never seen one.


 
Ive yet to visit Elmley...they say its a long walk to the 1st hide too:whistling2:


I checked out the local river the other day, the tide was high, so I took a short walk to the church in that area.
Whilst in the church yard, I found this male Sparrowhawk lurking in one of the tree tops. With the poor light and distance, it was never gonna be a great shot, but Im happy with the few shots that I got.



Male Sparrowhawk, 28th-October-2011 by Testudo Man, on Flickr


----------



## Corsetts

Wow! That Sparrowhawk is gorgeous, lovely shot


Elmley is worth a visit, it's really not far to the hides.
I spend 99.9% of my time there on the access road though! it's about a mile long and the best thing to do is drive slowly down there and keep stopping and scanning the horizon with binoculars. It looks desolate to start with but the Marsh Harriers just appear from nowhere, you're pretty much guaranteed a sighting down there.
When you get to the carpark, it's well worth a look over the wall next to the toilet block and studying the trees by the water. They'll almost certainly be a little owl in them, it's just whether or not you can spot it!

The hides are OK but IME are far more for the wading birds which have never interested me for some reason.

Not really practical with the dark evenings now but if you do ever find yourself headed over there, feel free to drop me a pm if you like and I'll have a trip up there with you, it's about 3 miles from my house : victory:


----------



## Testudo Man

Corsetts said:


> Wow! That Sparrowhawk is gorgeous, lovely shot
> 
> 
> Elmley is worth a visit, it's really not far to the hides.
> I spend 99.9% of my time there on the access road though! it's about a mile long and the best thing to do is drive slowly down there and keep stopping and scanning the horizon with binoculars. It looks desolate to start with but the Marsh Harriers just appear from nowhere, you're pretty much guaranteed a sighting down there.
> When you get to the carpark, it's well worth a look over the wall next to the toilet block and studying the trees by the water. They'll almost certainly be a little owl in them, it's just whether or not you can spot it!
> 
> The hides are OK but IME are far more for the wading birds which have never interested me for some reason.
> 
> Not really practical with the dark evenings now but if you do ever find yourself headed over there, feel free to drop me a pm if you like and I'll have a trip up there with you, it's about 3 miles from my house : victory:


Cheers about the Sparrowhawk, I dont see them that often, so it was a bonus to get close enough for taking some photos.

I was speaking to another birder the other day, and he said he always used to just go up and down the access road too, he said there is always plenty to see there, rather than visit the hides.
Also thanks for the offer for a meet up at Elmley, I'll let you know in advance(via pm) if i can make some solid plans to visit there one weekend, cheers.


----------



## Fionab

Alaska the American Bald Eagle









Tempest the Tawney Eagle









Gandalf the Rapelles Griffen Vulture









Red Kites 









Pickles the Barn owl


----------



## TalulaTarantula

Great thread, unfortunatly i dont have pics, but on one of my regular walks i have found a nesting pair of little owls, barn owls, kestrals, a trio of buzzards and a pair of red kites which are becoming more and more used to me, the now perch on branches and will continue hunting near me, 
Ive also spotted a sparrow hawk in my grans garden,
The little owls do it for me though, theyre absolutly stunning little birds

Here of some birds of prey my freind used to own 

























This bird above ^^ is Swivel, he was on the one show last year, and he was so tame and sweet and used to make the cutest little hooting noises lol


----------



## Corsetts

Sounds like a lovely walk! you're lucky to be able to see so many raptors in one place.

I like the little owls too, they seem to have much larger characters to make up for their size!


----------



## TalulaTarantula

Corsetts said:


> Sounds like a lovely walk! you're lucky to be able to see so many raptors in one place.
> 
> I like the little owls too, they seem to have much larger characters to make up for their size!


Yeh it is really nice watching them, and the little owls are funny, one will usually fly off and watch me from a distance, where as the other will be perched on a tree, really close watching me trying to find him, he'll wait for me to spot him through the binoculars then fly to the next tree to do it all again lol.


----------



## Testudo Man

Some more great shots here guys, keep posting your pics.: victory:

Its been awhile for me to contribute on this thread, so since Little Owls are getting a mention:whistling2:

Back in late November, I took my young son to a place where i knew a Little Owl had been sighted, the light was poor, we waited around for about 30 minutes, and sure enough, out popped this little beauty from the barn/farm building.


Little Owl, 27th-November-2011 by Testudo Man, on Flickr






Then i returned several days later, and found it once again.

I think this year I might try to capture possible breeding/young little owl photos too. I just have to put in the "leg work" for them.


Little Owl, 30th-November-2011 by Testudo Man, on Flickr


Little Owl, 30th-November-2011 by Testudo Man, on Flickr


----------



## feorag

Great photos - I love Little Owls too! :2thumb:


----------



## Corsetts

As above, lovely shots!


----------



## Lucky Eddie

Juvenile martial eagle I snapped on the Maasai Mara last september.


----------



## feorag

Great photo! :2thumb:


----------



## Corsetts

feorag said:


> Great photo! :2thumb:


This! 

Stunning shot


----------



## Lucky Eddie

Corsetts said:


> This!
> 
> Stunning shot


Shame it wasn't Elmley Marsh eh? If only.............


----------



## feorag

Thought I'd go through some old photos and find some of mine of birds of prey. Way back in 2003 my friend and I were spending a week in Edinburgh. She'd recently got a female Eagle Owl and was beginning her flying training, so we decided we'd search out a bird of prey centre. We rang one in Fife on the other side of the Forth, but they were no longer open to the public and only did flying displays at events. The girl said her boyfriend was away at the time up at Glamis Castle, but if we wanted to we could go up and have a look around at the birds and she would let us fly the eagle owl and could sell my friend the necessary flying line etc that she needed to progress with Merlin. They had a very impressive set up inside a huge barn, every bird labelled with full information and lots of bird.

There were quite a few birds pegged outside and quite a few in the barn, so there was still a lot of birds for us to see, so we met:

My favourite BOP - the Golden Eagle, but not in his best condition :lol:










Grey Owl 










Black Eagle



















And Eagle Owl, who was quite a small male as Eagle Owls go.





























And my friend with her 4 month old female owl - she was big!!












A couple of photos of my favourite of the small BOPs - the Merlin. This was taken at "Wings over Mull"



















And the inevitable Harris Hawk - also at Mull.












And finally, Skye, the one-footed Kestrel at our wildlife sanctuary.


----------



## Corsetts

This little fella took a Collared dove in the back garden a couple of days ago:


----------



## Matt king

I love sparrowhawks, absolutely bonkers birds!


----------



## TalulaTarantula

just a few snaps of some of my partners birds 

2yr old Goden Eagle






1yr old Goshawk







and a 1yr old Gyr


----------



## feorag

Beautiful birds! :flrt:


----------

