Is this an osprey

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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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)