Daniel, Don't doubt yourself. Whilst no-one could really confirm it without a photo or fuller description a non breeding wandering Osprey is quite possible (unusual but quite possible). Our last osprey passing through this area was on 2nd May and a few years ago (well quite a few really) one stayed at Shearwater lake in Wiltshire all summer.
I have checked the Oxford Sightings website and can't see anyone else reporting this.
The Cotswold Water park sightings website
My Flicker page
are you sure it was a fish
or was it a water fowl the bird took
Believe Peregrine will take birds off the surface
Ray
a good laugh is better than a tonic
Did it look like this?
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Thanks all for the reply, and I believe there wasn't as much white plumage as shown in your photo Clare. I did not see the fish clearly, however a long boat was passing at the time, and someone exclaimed loudly, "look it's got a fish"! I was only a few metres away from the bird before it dived, however my memory for specific details is poor. It was a magnificent bird non the less and I am glad I chose to go walking that day!
This particular bird is very white for a male osprey (he's the Loch Garten male) - they've usually got a bit more brown in the upper chest. Females are a bit bigger, with a brown band across the chest (known as a necklace).
Thanks Clare, I guess I can never be sure. Pity I didn't think to note more detail, however at the time I assumed it was common for other birds of prey to take fish if the opportunity arose. At the time I thought more along the lines of a Red Kite or Buzzard. It is entirely possible that both myself and the long boat crew were mistaken in seeing a fish at all.
know the feeling
things happen so fast and a description is the last thing you think of.Done it many times.
Red Kites would happily grab a floating dead fish from water (or anything else that was edible and floating) if the water was reasonably calm.
My blog: http://mazzaswildside.blogspot.co.uk/
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Unknown said:At the time I thought more along the lines of a Red Kite or Buzzard.
In that case it is quite likely that it was a Red Kite, it is not unprecedented for them to take fish (or to snatch young birds from the surface).
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To be honest I can't think of any other bird it could have been. Peregrines and even marsh harriers can take birds from the water but a peregrine has a pointy wing, and you've said it was a buzzard-sized bird. Whatever it was also had white on its front. If it had quite long wings that were less bulky than a buzzard's then it looks like you did see an osprey. I really hope that's the case as they're fantastic birds!