Eagle/Large bird of prey sighting on North Beach

Whatgoinon

Was walking the dogs on the north beach today and a very large bird of prey swooped past being chased by a crow. I then observed the crows taking turns swooping at the bird. Very interesting to see the local birds ganging up on the bigger bird. They dont like outsiders!!

loyatemu

peregrine falcon possibly - I've seen a pair of them soaring over Kindlestown Woods.

cuddlycavies

Not a Peregrine Loya. Peregrine scarsly bigger than a rook. Eagle size. Try common Buzzard. A few around here. Red Kite also quite common in Wicklow following reintro. Would be differentiated from buzzard by forked tail.
And most exciting prospect of all, is that you saw a white tailed sea eagle. It has been spotted in Wicklow twice last month inc last week at Avoca. It's one of the Kerry intro programme birds and is tracked by GPS satellite. It's probably taken up residence at the Murrough or similar wetland area. If it was huge, thats your bird

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=234&r=2.551

cuddlycavies

Yep, just checked the site. White Tail Reported at Redford today but awaiting confirmation.
And the mobbing thing is just instinct on the part of other birds. Happens all day to them.

FirstIn

Loya, these wildlife slip ups are becoming common! Cuddlycavies must be getting tired correcting your misdiagnosis. He he

cuddlycavies

Heres the report of todays WTSEagle at Redford.

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=234

Unbelievable that these creatures are in our skies again after 100 years of extinction. What a boom it would be for the local economy if they would stay on the head. His name is STAR. Her is his GPS data.

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=222

NarkyBoots

There was a massive bird with talons pointing downwards etc. beside the northbound road at Kilmac this morning ~7:45/7:50. Did anyone see it/know what it was?

I think it swooped over the carriage way.

Very impressive

cuddlycavies

I regularily see Buzzards around there. In fact sometimes you will see them over Charlesland. Or it could be that you were lucky enough to see STAR.

Fiachra2

cuddlycavies wrote: »

Heres the report of todays WTSEagle at Redford.

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=234

Unbelievable that these creatures are in our skies again after 100 years of extinction. What a boom it would be for the local economy if they would stay on the head. His name is STAR. Her is his GPS data.

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=222

Thats amazing! We spent a week looking for the feckin things in the Hebredies in May and never saw a sign of one.

loobylou

Just this minute saw a large bird of prey landed in a field beside Ballyronan Rd.
It was quite a bit larger than a nearby pheasant,with a strip of white at the end of its tail feathers.

danjo

loobylou wrote: »

Just this minute saw a large bird of prey landed in a field beside Ballyronan Rd.
It was quite a bit larger than a nearby pheasant,with a strip of white at the end of its tail feathers.

Bye, bye pheasant.

cuddlycavies

loobylou wrote: »

Just this minute saw a large bird of prey landed in a field beside Ballyronan Rd.
It was quite a bit larger than a nearby pheasant,with a strip of white at the end of its tail feathers.

Almost certainly Common Buzzard. Not quite as exciting as the other one but still fantastic raptors. Again extinct for 100yrs until relatively recently. They are around here a lot of the time. Kites also but not so much.

Birdnuts

danjo wrote: »

Bye, bye pheasant.

Far from it - buzzards much prefer rats, rabbits, carrion etc. then birds like pheasants, so there very much the farmers friend:)


PS: As a hunter, the pheasant would have been more in danger from myself given the season we're in;)

cuddlycavies

Here he is in Kilcoole today. Maybe he's got a taste for Sea Bass.

http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/27947/Whitetailed_Eagle.html

In the third photo, you can see the GPS tag.

cuddlycavies

This was a recent RTE programme about the project, the birds, the passion of the people behind it and the terrible challenges faced to date.

http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1083475

cuddlycavies

Beautiful. Imagine if you'd managed to photo our newest resident against that background :-)

http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/27947/Whitetailed_Eagle.html

loobylou

cuddlycavies wrote: »

Beautiful. Imagine if you'd managed to photo our newest resident against that background :-)

http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/27947/Whitetailed_Eagle.html

I have that picture as my desktop. Would love to see him for real.

cuddlycavies

loobylou wrote: »

I have that picture as my desktop. Would love to see him for real.

Well get down there to Kilcoole. Once he finds a place like the Breaches where geese and ducks are wintering; he'll keep coming back and picking them off as they try to take off. As in the photo; his presence is often given away by the ''mobbing'' by other birds like rooks and grey/hooded crows. Great to hear that he was on the North beach last week.

cuddlycavies

Another rare and beautiful visitor to the locality this week.
http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/28129/Hen_Harrier.html