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Is this an osprey

Jules ormston
10/08/2021 09:09

Hi 

Last night this huge bird flew over my house ,  near Richmond,  north Yorkshire.   It wasn't a buzzard it was too big ,  it had white on it and it looked to me an Osprey as I've seen one in the Lake District before .  Picture isn't brilliant sadly,   but is it an Osprey ? 

Julie

  • 0 10/08/2021 22:29
    You say it was too large to be a Buzzard but the difference between Common Buzzard and an Osprey is only 3 or 4 cm so I would have trouble spotting that difference at that height. I think the tail is a little short for Osprey in relation to the body but it is hard to tell at this angle. On the other hand we have 2 Ospreys on our local reserve which is less than 10 miles away from you, not far as Ospreys fly. Maybe others wsill have better ideas on it.

    Pete

    Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can

  • 0 10/08/2021 23:10
    Wingspan of an Osprey is much bigger than a Buzzard though, so in flight it does give the impression of a much bigger bird. Another possibility is a wandering Honey Buzzard, which can be variable as per Common Buzzard, some having very pale underparts.
  • 0 30/08/2021 14:57
    From my one-time, but absolutely unquestionable viewing of an Osprey and my confirmation/comparison with the very often viewed Buzzard, I would say that the wing shape is correct for an Osprey. It is more rounded / less straight. Slightly thinner/longer.

    (For me it was an easy confirmation ... it had a large fish in its talons)