I think I am sure what these are but ?

Hi jackruss

Welcome to the forum.

They look like white-tailed eagles to me. If you enlarge the photos you can clearly see the white on the end of the tail fan on the left hand bird. Did they look as big as the proverbial barn door which is how they are often described?

What a wonderful experience to watch them for so long.

I hope you enjoy it here.

Regards TJ

Hello Jackruss,

Welcome to the forum.

I'll leave the ID to experts, but just wanted to welcome you.

Hi Jackruss and welcome :o)

I'm not much use at ID-ing, but I'd say White-Tailed Eagle too.  I saw the one they have at Warwick castle - they are huge!

What a fantastic  experience for you :o)

Hi Jackruss and welcome to the RSPB Forum

Yes, i agree about waht has been said that your picture is of a white Tailed Eagle.

The tail just gives it away

Super photos, and a great observation to behold.

Regards

Kathy and Dave

jackruss said:

yes deff one of them is white tailed but the other one isn't i think?  Here is another picture.

Hi again.

I don't pretend to be an expert on these birds so what I say should be treated with caution. However, don't forget that juvenile birds don't develop the characteristic white tails for several years until they are fully mature. The short very fanned tail still looks OK for a white-tailed for the second bird in your first photo. Can't really make out much detail in your second photo.

Other questions to ask is were they flying together or was one mobbing the other? What time of year was it? Could it have been a juvenile following its parent?

What else could it have been? A golden eagle is about the only other possibility and I can't detect any markings that would indicate that it is.

Don't know whether this helps.

Regards TJ

They were not flying together the smaller one was round for ages and when the white tailed flew across it got buzzed by the other one. it was taken last month on Skye. I have found another picture maybe with some more detail ? sorry for the quality of the pictures but they are very tight crops :)

jackruss said:

They were not flying together the smaller one was round for ages and when the white tailed flew across it got buzzed by the other one. it was taken last month on Skye. I have found another picture maybe with some more detail ?

I see what you mean, jackruss. I've blown it up very large on the browser and I think I can see some evidence of a golden mantle. Also, the wing pattern now shows up a bit better and the tail markings are clearer.

I think it could be a golden eagle although I wouldn't put my mortgage on it. LOL

The scenario all kind of fits. White-tailed eagle strays into territory of golden eagle which may be nesting in the area and gets buzzed.

It needs someone like jimbob on this forum to see them. He lives on the Mull of Kyntyre, knows these birds well and would I'm sure be able to give a more positive ID.

TJ