# General > Birdwatching >  Any Ideas What This Is?

## WeeBurd

We thought this might be a young Hen Harrier, but not sure,  so any advice would be helpful. We spotted it out of the kitchen window, and spent about 20 mins debating if it was actually a bird we could see or just a stone/fencepost! Eventually curiosity got the better of me and I stuck the wellies on, and armed with the camera I headed off out for a closer look. Sure enough, it was a birdie,  and it was completely unphased by e'Burd taking pics (apologies for the quality though,  as it was zoomed to the max). It must have been sitting on the fencepost for at least 30mins, and I suspected it was a youngster as it looked sort of "fluffy".  As I said,  any advice gratefully received...

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## WeeBurd



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## northener

Maybe a young buzzard?

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## Rheghead

I think you are right weeburd, well caught on camera

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## hilary

we think you are right looks like a hen harrier.seen an adult bird around oldhall.

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## karia

Hi Weeburd,

Got to agree with you it looks very like a juvenile Hen Harrier.

Glad it's not just me and OH who have the 'is it a bird..or just a twig' conversations....He had me spend 25 mins on holiday watching a Kingfisher.........or rock formation, in shadow, as they are sometimes known! :: 

Good shots for such a difficult subject!

karia

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## nirofo

> We thought this might be a young Hen Harrier, but not sure, so any advice would be helpful. We spotted it out of the kitchen window, and spent about 20 mins debating if it was actually a bird we could see or just a stone/fencepost! Eventually curiosity got the better of me and I stuck the wellies on, and armed with the camera I headed off out for a closer look. Sure enough, it was a birdie, and it was completely unphased by e'Burd taking pics (apologies for the quality though, as it was zoomed to the max). It must have been sitting on the fencepost for at least 30mins, and I suspected it was a youngster as it looked sort of "fluffy". As I said, any advice gratefully received...


 

It's a Buzzard!

nirofo.

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## WeeBurd

Thanks for all the replies. We checked it out at the time against an older illustrated book of British Birds, as there's no juvenile pics/illustrations in my bird book. Can't remember why we thought it was a Hen Harrier rather than a young Buzzard, could it have been the cheek/eye markings and the very pale belly? We have seen adult Hen Harriers in the area this year,  but they're obviously quite distinct in themselves.

I've got to admit, even through the binoculars I was unsure if it was a bird or not, it was really only the camera image that was good enough to confirm. It's pure luck it caught our eye - I think it was the sun hitting it's white belly that made it stand out as something unusual. ::

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## Jeemag_USA

> Thanks for all the replies. We checked it out at the time against an older illustrated book of British Birds, as there's no juvenile pics/illustrations in my bird book. Can't remember why we thought it was a Hen Harrier rather than a young Buzzard, could it have been the cheek/eye markings and the very pale belly? We have seen adult Hen Harriers in the area this year, but they're obviously quite distinct in themselves.
> 
> I've got to admit, even through the binoculars I was unsure if it was a bird or not, it was really only the camera image that was good enough to confirm. It's pure luck it caught our eye - I think it was the sun hitting it's white belly that made it stand out as something unusual.


I also agree, having handled several of these birds up close and personal, to me it looks like a young female Hen Harrier. Its not a Buzzard, can tell by the shape of the face and beak.

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## WeeBurd

Thanks Jeemag!

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## kas

Looks like a Buzzard to me, and now that I have seen Nirofro's confirmation then I am sure. He has worked with Raptors a long time. A young hen Harrier would have white around the eye and would have a more redish brown streaked chest.

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## Rheghead

It was the hint of dark moustacial plumage that threw me into thinking it might not be a buzzard.  The two tone orangey/white plumage around the neck made me think it was more hen harrier.

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## nirofo

Here's a couple of photo's of a Buzzard and an Hen Harrier, I know they are not young birds but you can tell from the general shape and jizz of the birds that it can only have been a buzzard!

*Buzzrd with nest decoration*


*Hen Harrier female with nest material.*


*nirofo.*

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## kas

They are fantastic photographs Nirofro, really stunning images. :Wink:

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## trix

fantastic pictures, prity amazin!! 

i wis comin doon e ackergill road one friday day in e bus wi ma work an i saw iss birdie in e field wi beeg beeg leigs an beig beeg wings. i pointed and said til ma auld manies an wifies, "look look, look at at bird over ayre, wi e great beeg wings an e great beeg airms"  :: 

they were nearly oot their chairs lookin oot e window shoutin "where where?," eyes dartin everywhere. it wisna til e bus driver started roarin an laughin oot loud that i realised what id said. i couldna explain til e auld fowlkies wi laughin an they are still searchin oot e window for iss strange lookin bird  :: 

when i finaly got til tell them what i ment til say e whole bus wis in stitches. i da ken who wis stupidier, me for sayin it or them for lookin!!
dont ye just love at friday feelin??

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## don743

Hi I think that this is a young cuckoo.  He hasnt changed to his adult colour yet and he has not got a hooked beak, they look quite big when they are young, but it definitley does not look like a bird of prey.

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## nirofo

> Hi I think that this is a young cuckoo. He hasnt changed to his adult colour yet and he has not got a hooked beak, they look quite big when they are young, but it definitley does not look like a bird of prey.


 
I hope you're not being serious and are just taking the "P"

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## grumpyhippo

> Hi I think that this is a young cuckoo. He hasnt changed to his adult colour yet and he has not got a hooked beak, they look quite big when they are young, but it definitley does not look like a bird of prey.


Here's a young cuckoo don743.

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## WeeBurd

My goodness, a fight in the Bird section??  ::  Lol, only teasing, I do enjoy a bit of drama!

The not so little birdie was,  as Nirofo kindly pointed out already, a young buzzard - would you believe it appeared in my neighbour's garden that very same week?  How incredibly lucky!

Now,  I might not know much about birds, but I am confident I know enough to spot a bird of prey at such close range, however it was kind of you to respond with your suggestion, Don. :Wink:

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## smithp

We live in hen harrier land up near Thrumster, I've seen them perched on the oil tank - at this time of year, and after the partride have wised up, hen harriers are generally coastal  - this looks like a buzzard.

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