Can anyone ID this raptor?
This is an area of Central Tablelands NSW that I've previously only seen Wedgetails, Little Eagles, Black-shouldered Kites and Nankeen Kestrels.
The behaviour was lots of low flying over long grass which made me think harrier of some sort. The grass is riddled with quails but I didn't see him catch any.
.
.
PS: BIBY was busted yesterday when I wanted to post this and despite poor pictures in my field guide I've since worked out the ID but thought I'd see who was up for a challenge.
As I said in another thread , I'm a beginner.
I can't help with ID but I sure like your Pics.
Looking forward to my first raptor BIF.
Cheers kell
Hi Booshkie, not a bird I'm familiar with but I'd say you have some very good shots of a Spotted Harrier.
Ed Townsville NQ
Darn it!
I'm not familiar with the bird either but it took me WAY LONGER than that.
None of the pics in my Simpson and Day had quite the boofiness around the neck. And what's more, it looked disctinctly orange and grey in the book!
It was this head-on shot that helped me:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/booshkie/ScribblyGum/farm%20birds/harrier_004.jpg
---booshkie---
Ahem!
*adds appropriate tags*
---booshkie---
Hi Bookshie,
well done! Great pics of an uncommon raptor, I still haven't seen one.
Max.
Sydney...
Thanks Birdfreak
I was very lucky with this sighting.
A. I left everyone else who was walking to the creek to stalk this raptor alone
and
B. It flew straight towards me and then back on the other side so one lot of pics had to have the sun in the right place!
It's my first ever Harrier sighting :-)
---booshkie---
Hi Bookshie, Great photos :) I love seeing Raptors there are so many In Oz as compared to NZ we only have 2 the Swamp Harrier and the NZ Falcon. I spotted a Gray Goshawk the other day but the photos I took were barely good enough for an ID :(
Cheers
Nick
Hi Bookshie/all,
your bird is actually an imm Spotted Harrier and the coincedince is that I saw an adult male Spotted Harrier near Richmond Sydney, the other day! Quite a rare raptor in the area. It was a lifer for me!
Max.
Sydney...
What are the diffs between adult and juvenile?
---booshkie---
The juv are a lot more striped. The adults are also very orange on the underwings, and have white spots, if you can see well enough.
Max.
Sydney...