Hi all
Spotted these across the road from my house at lunchtime. The buzzard was one of 3 until the red kite came along to join the party, but it looks like an unusual colour from underneath. Is it a pale form buzzard? Sorry the second photo isn't clear but I was trying to capture them both in one picture for comparison.
Best wishes Chris
Wow! Great pics Chris! Nice to have one with both species! I would have said that yes, it is a pale buzzard. We have quite a few here in Shropshire which are pale like it!
Hi,
yups a nice pale colour form of Common buzzard - most adult Common Buzzards have a dark terminal band on the tail, whereas young birds do not. This may be a youngish bird.
:)
S
Thank you both.
The red kite flew directly overhead just as my camera battery decided to pack up. However, undeterred I will go back again tomorrow.
Brilliant photos Chris. I see Red Kites daily here but the Buzzards are a bit more scarce - usually spotted when we are travelling along a particular "motorway" nearby and they are invariably quite high in the sky so it is great to see the undercarriage in some detail for a change. Thanks for sharing those.
Fantastic pictures. Do you use a tripod or do they just oblige and stay still. I have tried so many times to get birds in flight, but I could fill the gallery with shots of an empty sky !!
Cracking shots Chris - what a bonus to have 2 birds of prey in one shot! Well done you! As to quality of the photos they look great to me!
Fantastic photos Chris, well done. They're not easy shots. I tried to photograph a buzzard at the weekend and it looks like a dot compared to yours. Just love that red kite.
Super photos, Woodpecker. The red kites must be spreading further west. Great to get 2 BOP in one shot.
That Buzzard shot is excellent. That's two good ones in a few days. You'll have to change your avatar to Buzzard Mk2
Regards
TJ
Hi Birdwatcher
No I don't use a tripod. I have my old trusty Canon EOS 20D and my new heavy 100-400mm lens. I went out at 10.45am and walked across the road and over the style onto the footpath through the farmers field.
I took a few pictures of a Long Tailed Tit in the trees, couldn't find a Treecreeper, then sat on the next style to wait for the Red Kite. I heard the Buzzards before I saw them and just zoomed my lens up and took several pics. They weren't far away, and I correctly guessed the direction that they would come from. Then I heard the Red Kite, waited and took some pics of that. Just as it flew over my head my battery packed up and by the time I had reloaded a fresh one it was a bit higher up and further away so my pics weren't as good as they should have been, but at least I got the Kite and Buzzard in the same shot. There is always tomorrow....
I can't say that I have lots of pics of empty sky, but for every decent shot there are several that go in the bin. I've decided that it's worth waiting until they are quite low, because it's easier and they are more likely to be in focus. This is the same Red Kite on it's own:
Hi Chris
Well done with your pictures
Love the Buzzard and the Red Kite in the same picture
Well done with all the patience to get the pictures that you wanted.
Kathy and Dave