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A kettle of raptors in Estepona

Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:42am
14 replies201 views5 members subscribed
LesleyDee

Posts: 20

4 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 25 Feb 2020

Today, Tuesday 28th April, at least 30 big raptors flew around the skies of Estepona! It was an amazing site! We were lucky enough to have binoculars to hand and could see these massive birds up close but sadly we are not yet knowledgeable enough to identify them! Did anyone else see them and do you know what they are? I’d love to know more about them! It’s not a good photo as it was dark & cloudy and I only had my iPad and I only caught a few of them!

den1960

Posted: Sun May 3, 2020 4:31pm

Posts: 2

2 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 15 Mar 2020

Posted: Sun May 3, 2020 4:31pm

Most commonly they'd be kestrels. We had a brood nesting on our windowsill a couple of years ago. If they are so big you can see their wingtips moving, they might be eagles of one sort or another but that is not too likely over Estepona I would not have thought. 

LesleyDee

Posted: Mon May 4, 2020 11:05am

LesleyDee

Original Poster

Posts: 20

4 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 25 Feb 2020

Posted: Mon May 4, 2020 11:05am

den1960 wrote on Sun May 3, 2020 4:31pm:

Most commonly they'd be kestrels. We had a brood nesting on our windowsill a couple of years ago. If they are so big you can see their wingtips moving, they might be eagles of one sort or another but that is not too likely over Estepona I would not have thought. 

We thought they might be kestrels, then I got a photo of one, I’ll post it below, see if you can recognise it - it looks more like an eagle to me?

LesleyDee

Posted: Mon May 4, 2020 11:10am

LesleyDee

Original Poster

Posts: 20

4 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 25 Feb 2020

Posted: Mon May 4, 2020 11:10am

LesleyDee wrote on Mon May 4, 2020 11:05am:

We thought they might be kestrels, then I got a photo of one, I’ll post it below, see if you can recognise it - it looks more like an eagle to me?

By the way, there are now only three often flying together, so no way of knowing if this three were part of the first sighting, but we see them every day, sometimes one alone, other times the three together. 

Avellana

Posted: Mon May 4, 2020 11:35am

Posts: 9

3 helpful points

Location: Antequera

Joined: 16 Apr 2020

Posted: Mon May 4, 2020 11:35am

LesleyDee wrote on Mon May 4, 2020 11:05am:

We thought they might be kestrels, then I got a photo of one, I’ll post it below, see if you can recognise it - it looks more like an eagle to me?

They could be griffon vultures.
They are gregarious and it is reported that Spain has 90% of the European population.
They are common flying over El Torcal, near Antequera

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LesleyDee

Posted: Mon May 4, 2020 2:01pm

LesleyDee

Original Poster

Posts: 20

4 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 25 Feb 2020

Posted: Mon May 4, 2020 2:01pm

Avellana wrote on Mon May 4, 2020 11:35am:

They could be griffon vultures.
They are gregarious and it is reported that Spain has 90% of the European population.
They are common flying over El Torcal, near Antequera

I sent the photo of the single bird to a bird specialist in the UK, he seems to think it is an Osprey but I was under the impression that they are fish eaters and these three hunt mostly over the land around us, although we are only a few kilometres from the sea, but there are no rivers or lakes nearby.  

Jenga

Posted: Mon May 11, 2020 4:42pm

Posts: 28

12 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 22 Sep 2018

Posted: Mon May 11, 2020 4:42pm

Wehave Kestrel’s and also Booted Eagles that fly overhead almost daily in Seaghers.

They’ve been more common during lock down.

Avellana

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 8:47am

Posts: 9

3 helpful points

Location: Antequera

Joined: 16 Apr 2020

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 8:47am

I was going to send the photo of the individual bird to a friend who lives in Spain and leads bird-watching trips.
Unfortunately, he has recently lost his wife so I won't bother him. 

 

Colin1953

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 9:58am

Posts: 2

3 helpful points

Location: Duquesa

Joined: 6 May 2020

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 9:58am

Hi at this time of year honey buzzards migrate from Africa passin overhead in our area on there way to east Siberia 

den1960

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 10:58am

Posts: 2

2 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 15 Mar 2020

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 10:58am

Yes, seen the picture and I am pretty sure that is a kestrel. 

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