Rough-legged Buzzard

Stephen Routledge · **Posted:** Sun Nov 09, 2008 1:38 pm

Went to look for the Rough-leg reported yesterday near Scamblesby in the southern wolds,and saw the bird after about an hours wait.It showed well down to about 100 metres,as it hunted the valley there,at one point in the air with 2 Common Buzzards for comparison,a cracking bird,and my first one for a few years.
The bird favours a small valley to the east of Scamblesby village,go into Scamblesby off the Louth to Horncastle road(A153),then drive through the village until you come to a fork in the road,straight on is a single track road and eventually a dead end,take the left turn signposted to Burwell,drive up here,up a hill until you come to a cross roads,i parked here then looked down the valley roughly to the south east of the crossroads,this is presumably the start of the Oxcombe valley area, this is where the bird was hunting.

Regards

Steve.

blgp_birder · **Posted:** Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:16 pm

News services now reporting the bird as a pale Common Buzzard...?

Stephen Routledge · **Posted:** Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:11 pm

And?I think if i could'nt identify a species i have seen well before,and spent hundreds of hours watching Buzzards on my local patch,i think it would be time to hang up my bins.
The bird was a classic Rough-leg,plain upperparts apart from the pale rump,with solid,dark tail band,solid dark carpals on the underwing,dark remiges(possibly indicating that the bird is an adult female),not diffuse as in a juv,large black belly patch,pale head etc.How many Buzzards have you seen with this combination of features.People like you are too quick to jump on the band wagon of doubters,maybe you should get out there and see the bird for yourself instead of staying at home in front of your computer criticising birds you havn't even seen.

Steve.

Chris Atkin · **Posted:** Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:31 pm

Pager saying Rough-legged still present at 15.10

Chris

Katherine Birkett · **Posted:** Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:36 pm

Chris Atkin wrote:

Pager saying Rough-legged still present at 15.10

Chris

I'd have probably mis-ID'd it as a pigeon or gull :roll:

Stephen Routledge · **Posted:** Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:39 pm

Hi Kat,sounds like the person who put it on the pager as a Common Buzzard needs a few lessons in bird i.d. too. :roll:

Regards

Steve

blgp_birder · **Posted:** Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:28 pm

Stephen Routledge wrote:

How many Buzzards have you seen with this combination of features.People like you are too quick to jump on the band wagon of doubters,maybe you should get out there and see the bird for yourself instead of staying at home in front of your computer criticising birds you havn't even seen..

No need to get shirty with me Stephen, when did I criticise your birding ability? When did I ever say I doubted the bird? I think I'm entitled to post and ask whats going on, whether theres two birds, someone reported the wrong bird as a Common etc etc.

As for getting out and seeing it, I am not going to go and see it if its coming on as a Common Buzzard when I've seen plenty of Rough-legged Buzzards before. Not everyone has the opportunity to just walk out and go and see birds on spec, as it turned out I had family commitments on Sunday so your arsey tone is pointless.

Maybe you should learn to use grammar properly and stop over reacting to a perfectly feasible question.

Stephen Routledge · **Posted:** Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:19 pm

It's took you a whole 3 days to think that up,iam impressed. :lol:

blgp_birder · **Posted:** Thu Nov 13, 2008 12:26 pm

Stephen Routledge wrote:

It's took you a whole 3 days to think that up,iam impressed. :lol:

Actually lack of accessibility to the site was the reason for a delayed response, and thats "taken" and "I am".

Speaking to fellow birders it seems several people were misidentifying the Rough-legged Buzzard, with many claiming a pale Common Buzzard in the area. So it seems my comments were hardly without justification.

Stephen Routledge · **Posted:** Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:03 pm

Thank you for the tips on grammar,but iam afraid it so long since i was at school i have forgotten how to write correctly.

Edmund Mackrill · **Posted:** Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:12 pm

A Rough-legged Buzzard flew west over the garden this morning - first spotted by Monica. Not having seen one since the Worlaby bird and generally having Common Buzzards over the garden most days I am always drawn to the longer winged appearance of Rough-legged - todays bird was no exception - I knew what it was before I started absorbing the plumage details. No attempt to age or sex though.
That's all 3 Buzzard species over the garden this year now - 5 Honeys this year.

Chris Atkin · **Posted:** Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:18 pm

Speaking of grammar BLGP_birder, "thats" should be that's.

Chris

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

It's your turn Josh :wink:

Max

Terence Whalin · **Posted:** Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:36 am

Due to the messages people receive on pagers from sometimes less capable birders any time you look for a reported species and see something in the same area that could remotely be confused with the reported species then assumptions are made that someone has made an error. You can see the comments all the time, no sign of species x but species y is present etc. Particular note should be made as to who is reporting what and remember you can never say never with birds. Fieldguides are exactly what they say they are, guides only and birds cannot read, that is why records of stone curlew on derbyshire moorland and honey buzzards well into october are records that should not be so easily rubbished.

Terry Whalin :wink:

Oh dear !! have not checked grammer or spelling, should get a see me for this. :lol:

Paul Smith · **Posted:** Sat Nov 15, 2008 8:16 pm

No sign in 2 hours this afternoon. Two Common Buzzard seen, but neither noticeably pale. Mixed flock of Tree Sparrow (c12 ) and finches at the crossroads.

The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Rough-legged Buzzard

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