Large dark raptor hovering over water?

While waiting for a train at Cardross station 20th August 2019 with a good view of the nearby Clyde estuary we observed a large dark raptor repeatedly hovering over the shallow water just beyond the sand. Unfortunately we had no binoculars but the bird had a larger wingspan than the gulls (herring?) that were mobbing it. It had rounded wingtips and was clearly not a falcon, too big and wrong shape. Coloring was difficult to determine but it appeared quite dark. Could it have been a kite?

  • Hi Redrider, I'm not an expert so can only add my own ideas about the bird you saw. My first thought from your description of large (dark coloured) raptor, larger than a gull, is that it could have been a Common Buzzard (which vary in colour from a pale variant to darker varieties) and they do hover occasionally but wouldn't associate them with hunting over water,  whereas I'm not sure a Red Kite ever does hover. If you saw the tail, the Red Kite has a very distinctive fan/forked tail which acts almost like a rudder. A Buzzard has a fan shape but not forked. Wait for other forum members opinions but I would rule out a Kite due to the fact you said it was hovering. Kestrels also hover but they are smaller than the size you thought it was.