Can anyone identify this mystery bird?

I go with the Buzzard, thankfully more widespread now. Red Kites still tend to be West Country or Wales, Buzzards and Kestrels are common, Hen Harriers up here in East Anglia. Did get to see a Golden Eagle above Coniston a few years back, and one in Scotland last year. Sea Eagle at Portree on Skye as well.

Judging by your handle, you live near Woodbridge, lucky sod, I’ve never seen Hen Harriers in East Anglia, where do they hang out then. Marsh Harriers as you probably know are always a fantastic sight at Minsmere and I’ve even seen one well inland in the Stour Valley north of Colchester.
I once saw a Red Squirel in Rendelsham Forest, but my recent attempts at seeing one have come to nought, do they still live there or did the destruction of the forest in the hurricane of 87 drive them away.
My greatest ever sighting in Minsmere was during a visit to the Eels Foot pub one evening, during one of our continously frustrating walks along the levels to spot an otter, we came apon a sluice that was literally crawling with eels, not just in the water, but all over the bank, did I have my camera with me, of course not, an incredible sight.
A bird of prey that does seem to have become fairly common in these parts is the Sparrow Hawk, on Xmas Day we were round at the in-laws when one took a blue tit off the bird table in front of us and proceeded to eat it on the branch of their Horse Chestnut tree, my youth has a great picture of this taken with his mobile phone, but how do I download it.
We are fortunate in having a wild river setting at the bottom of the garden, despite living on the edge of Braintree, the bird and wild life around here is fantastic, the other night our dogs were having a row with the local fox over the fence, it was quite something, he eventually retorted by having a dump on the front lawn, I love foxes, I’ve noticed a considerable number of them dead on the roadside recently, it upsets me a lot, how can these scumbags want to hunt them down and kill them, or am I moving into dangerous territory here, as usual.

I go with the Buzzard, thankfully more widespread now. Red Kites still tend to be West Country or Wales, Buzzards and Kestrels are common, Hen Harriers up here in East Anglia. Did get to see a Golden Eagle above Coniston a few years back, and one in Scotland last year. Sea Eagle at Portree on Skye as well.

I’m not sure exactly what type of bird and is, however it is almost certainly a raptor, a bird of prey.

I am not familiar with the birds in the area you live. Also the names of the birds very. What the Europeans call a buzzard, is not the same thing that North Americans would call a buzzard.

It would probably be impossible to positively identify the exact species of bird without a better photograph.

I think what Europeans call a buzzard is similar to what North Americans call a hawk.

I suspect it is a type of hawk, kestrel, or falcon. (That means I’m using our regional, so they may not apply to your region).

Here are a couple of photos of birds in similar families.
Osprey

Male American Kestrel

dont know much about twitching….but it looks like a Buzzard to me alright.

We have had the joy of up to 4 of them flying near the house for the last 3/4 years..fantastic sight and sound..

One of the specialists in Birdwatch Ireland told me that the Film industry frequently used the call of a Buzzard in scenes featuring Eagles in the past..

Might explain why my poor old collie went ape when 1 of them made a low pass down the garden a while back…bit of a Western fan you see !!!

Indeed a Buzzard, I am lucky enough to have a few Buzzard families living in the woods which I have a great view of out my patio window, Buzzards are flying over my garden every day, wonderful sight, must be 7-8 in total

As BlueRobin mentions above, red kites have a very distinctive forked tail.

It’s buzzard, right enough. 🙂

😎 Perhaps it is a RED KITE?

dakota2

Buzzards I think are experiencing the fastest rate of population growth. Used to see quite a few flying in and ou tof the copse at the end of the airstrip. Kites are not doing too badly and you will often see them alongside the M40, where Scottish kites were reintroduced near Wycombe some years ago. Time was when you coudn’t see a kite except on the mid-Wales mountian passes sat on top of a dead sheep. Tail shape can be an important feature to spot because against the sky and at a distance, colouring and marking can be shaded. The giveaway in the above photo is that Buzzards have fan-shaped tails.

That’s a common buzzard, mate. Buteo buteo to the likes of Bill Oddie. 🙂

An impressive creature that is, happily, becoming more widespread in the UK.

They’re a common sight near MAN these days.

By coincidence I just sent off the results of my RSPB Garden Watch, no Buzzards round here but I did have a Kestrel hovering very low over the bird table yesterday afternoon until he worked out that it was less effort to sit in a tree instead.
Buzzards are becoming more widespread, up until recently they were not found in this area at all, only the odd migrating example, however last summer I spotted one sussing out Finchingfield from a great height and later discovered a pair living in some woods between Lt Sampford and Thaxted possibly attracted by the success of the Red Kites established between Sampford and Finchingfield.
We’ve only been living here a few weeks but the wilderness surrounding the river Blackwater just over the fence suggests some interesting sightings, we’ve already had a cormorant flying around and herons are more common than sparrows.
I would suggest that your Buzzard lives in Charnwood Forest, there are plenty of woodland sites up there to support them.
As for Eagles, nahhh, the number of remote places I’ve visited in Scotland in search of these fabled beasts has always drawn a blank, otters 4, eagles 0.
Hopefully I will be up there at Easter and perhaps this time…………..

Agreed that would be cool, but it was cool seeing the buzzard tho weren’t it mate!

Cheers Grey. One can live in hope of seeing an Eagle overhead (and getting a good photo of one), can’t they? 😀 😉

You beat me to it GA

That’s a common buzzard, mate. Buteo buteo to the likes of Bill Oddie. 🙂

An impressive creature that is, happily, becoming more widespread in the UK.

They’re a common sight near MAN these days.