White Hawks????

jimbo123p

Well-Known Member
Sitting in the highseat this afternoon I was visited by two white hawks, Same colouring but big difference in size. The smaller about the size of a sparrowhawk the other medium. The smaller I had in the crosshairs at 40 metres sitting on heather, The larger came within ten feet of me as it swept down the treeline past the leanto highseat. It did not hang about when it clocked me. Back on the smaller was white tinged with light brown, underside more round to very light grey No spots or stripes no black on wings, ie not hen harriers, Anybody any idea,
Jim
 
Deffinately sound like harriers to me aswell!
Especially being sat on the heather..... I know what it's like to have them on a shoot, never had them there until 1 year, just a pair but nothing can be done and they were a pleasant sight to be honest.
 
Jim If there was no black ends to the wings and they were both white to light grey about the size of a Goshawk they could be Gry Falcons!. with the sever conditions they could be visitors from Northen Europe. I have seen them occasionally in the north German Forests in winter .Usually If it is hen harriers one of the pair would be brown with a slow appearing gliding action in flight. Well thats one theory. If you have a look in a good bird book I'm sure you'll find it. If it is the Gry it is damn fast for its size.
Regards Ian C
 
I agree with Ian, I can't see them being Hen Harriers the male of which is grey in colour with very noticeable black at the end of it's wings, and the female is a different colour altogether, brown. These are Gyr Falcons anything like this?

John
 
Buzzards are also very variable in colour and I have seen predominantly white buzzards, there's also the possibility of lost falconers birds like a saker or saker cross but given the location and the fact that there were two together my money would be on harriers as well.
 
I agree sounds like Gyrs - there were a number of sightings recorded (one in the P&J) this year including in Easter Ross and several of the Outer Hebrides. One theory in the Spring/early summer was that the ash cloud had pushed them over.

Nick
 
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