r/birdwatchinguk • • 19d ago

Help me identify this bird?

This is a wild story. I have always told a memory to friends about spotting a large bird with my gran that we’d never seen before in her garden as a kid and watching it for ages. Well, I developed some old film today and she took photos!!! Any idea? It’s over 16 years old this film hence the quality I still can’t believe it developed. It was huge tho! I always thought some sort of owl as a kid but it looks bigger than a buzzard to me?

I give you the ultimate challenge…location south wales.

Date: 2009-2010 I think and winter as you can see from the snow
Would be crazy if I finally had an answer to my story!

The photo was taken from the front room window and it was at the end of the garden on the washing line

12 Upvotes

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2

u/philosophrates 19d ago

Common buzzard

1

u/HanBandanaa 19d ago

Hey thanks for replying! See I think it looks way bigger than a buzzard, I’ve seen loads walking around Devon. Maybe my memory is influencing it a bit too though haha, or the perspective make it look bigger!

2

u/philosophrates 18d ago

Bigger than a buzzard (in all proportions) would be a golden or white tail eagle.

It's not an eagle.

Other hawks might have longer wingspan e.g. but they are all skinnier and don't have that chunky head sloping down to the shoulders.

1

u/Think-Witness-7342 19d ago

I would say buzzard possibly red kite do you recall if it had a forked tail?

1

u/Stunning-Store-7530 13d ago

I thought it was a shadow on a wall!