The Lincolnshire Bird Club

A juvenile Honey Buzzard drifted south over Welton le Marsh this morning. What I would call a 'normal' plumaged bird - neither pale nor dark.

Juvenile Honey Buzzards hatch in the first or second week of July and take 5 weeks to fledge generally only branching in late August with the first dispersals around mid September.

Similarly, New Forest Honey's usually fledge in late August. Where is this bird from?
Phil

It's not a juvenile on July 31st.

I thought that I posted a reply this morning first thing when I read the very interesting and relevant comments from Graham and Phil - wonder where it went!
I will try again.
I saw the bird pretty well, for ten seconds or so, as it passed to the west of my garden with the sun on it. At least four bars on wings and tail, more likely five, with the trailing edge line of both narrow. No barring observed on body. Yellow of cere flashed in the sun. Definite juvenile jiz to shape of wings and tail - seemingly not yet full length. Rectrices with apparent juv type very narrow pale tips.
I have been spending a lot of time in Tarifa over the last few years and after the first few thousand Honeys it becomes almost second nature to age and sex them.
Where this bird originates from and what it was doing heading south so early over Welton is anybody's guess.
Luckily I was using my Binoculars at the time to ID White Butterflies!