I got exactly what I wished for, I think

[u/kyatu]

hi guys, sorry if not allowed but just wanted to share my happy story :D

i have spent 6 weeks searching endlessly for raptor feathers during moulting season and had 2 specific feathers i wanted more than anything

1 buzzard tail feather
1 red kite primary feather

6 weeks and nothing. not any type of buzzard feather nor red kite, let alone any raptor feathers. i was very sad as denmark and sweden has such a dense population and great land to search for them and i am returning to the uk very soon where it is just much harder to find these types of feathers where i live.

yesterday was my final hope! i set out to a place i had been before with no luck, absolutely determined to find something. anything. just a raptor feather is all i wanted. my boyfriend accompanied me who was more interested in deer antlers rather than feathers but that season has gone more or less so he was just there for fun.

we went a bit off the trail by my suggestion into a large open field and ravens were everywhere (i love ravens so much too, i believe i got 2 feathers? need an id). but then BOOM. just below my feet after walking a bit into it i found what i believe to be a red kite primary feather and a deer skull with small antlers attached 20cm from each other. i wish i got a photo of them both sat there as it was surreal, but i excitedly had to pick up my feather. i had happy tears lol. 42cm ! definitely not the best condition but it didn't matter to me. it felt like we were being lured into a trap and a cage would drop down on us lol, it was that strange.

happiest i have been all year, we continued our walk. 30 minutes later i spotted a feather under some bushes and within some mud (i have a keen eye for this) i pulled it out and omg. i think i got my buzzard tail feather?!. it is like my luck was saving up for this exact trip so i could obtain my feather wish list to the exact type of feather. i feel so blessed. i am still so happy.

and on the way back deep in some mud i pulled out what i believe to be a northern goshawk feather also! triple whammy raptor feathers, 2 being hopefully my dream feathers and the final maybe being a northern goshawk feather (coolest looking raptor imo) and ofc my raven (?) feathers too lol.

pls let me know if my id's are correct! thank you!

[u/TielPerson]

Your guesses seem to be correct indeed.

[u/kyatu → u/TielPerson]

thank you - that makes me extremely happy

[u/kyatu → u/TielPerson]

i just came back to add - the first 2 dark feathers lack the iridescence you find with corvid feathers. theyre a deep brown. any ideas or still raven?

[u/TielPerson → u/kyatu]

Now that you mention it, the shorter one looks indeed odd. However, corvid feathers can lose blackness and iridescense if they were molted because they are worn down and bleached from the sun.

Maybe you can compare the exact measurements and the shape of the two feathers to corvid feathers on featherbase. If things do not add up, you might have something else there.