Author Topic: Birds at Haweswater Reservoir  (Read 1897 times)

1slandmonkey

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Birds at Haweswater Reservoir
« on: 20:07:44, 20/05/18 »
Thanks for the help to those who suggested the parking spot for me at Burnbanks. Went to Haweswater Reservoir this weekend and had a great time with the kids. The place is definitely in my top 3 places in the lakes.
Anyway just wondered what birds of prey are known to live in the area. It is an RSPB reserve I believe. I know the golden eagle hasn't been seen in some years. Spotted a couple of large raptors while I was there but only being a beginner to birdwatching haven't got a good grasp of the birds of prey yet.
At first I could swear they were a pair of buzzards but referring to my Bird books now I'm not quite sure. Just wondering what else has been spotted in the area so I can look at the other possibilities.
I'm sure they were dark underneath with black wingtips. Feathers of wings were spread apart but the tail looked more rectangular then fan shaped. Also im sure it had much paler head then the rest of its body.

adalard

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Re: Birds at Haweswater Reservoir
« Reply #1 on: 21:14:00, 20/05/18 »
I'm a novice too so I can't really help based on your description but these are a couple of sites I've found useful for identifying birds I've snapped as I'm out walking:


https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/identify-a-bird#


https://www.bto.org/


Hope this helps! Let us know if you find out...  O0

Requiem

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Re: Birds at Haweswater Reservoir
« Reply #2 on: 21:59:37, 20/05/18 »
I THINK (correct me if I'm wrong) Haweswater had the last living Golden Eagle in England on Eagle Crag - it had been around for a while but its mate had died quite a while before so it had lived quite a lonely life. There have been a few reports that its still around but..
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=68193

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Skip

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Re: Birds at Haweswater Reservoir
« Reply #3 on: 17:05:31, 21/05/18 »
...Haweswater had the last living Golden Eagle in England ...There have been a few reports that its still around ...

An RSPB report in 2016 said: "The golden eagle that had been resident at Riggindale at Haweswater since 2001/02 and had been alone since the death of his mate in 2004.... RSPB staff at Haweswater operate a special eagle viewpoint at the site ...haven't seen the bird since last November...Lee Schofield, Site Manager at RSPB Haweswater, said: "We will probably never find out what happened to him but as he was around 19-20 years old, an advanced age for an eagle, it's quite possible that he died of natural causes."

The common birds of prey I've seen at Haweswater are Peregrines, Buzzards and Kestrels.

Yes, you're right about Haweswater being an RSPB Reserve:
https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/haweswater/

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Mel

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Re: Birds at Haweswater Reservoir
« Reply #4 on: 20:42:44, 21/05/18 »
Going on that description 1slandmonkey I'd say they were Buzzards.  Their under-wing markings can vary quite a bit from almost white to almost black.  Darker is possibly a sign of their youth, I'm not sure.


Other aids to identifying are the way they fly - was they circling and riding the thermals with minimal wing flaps, for example.  Also their calls.  Buzzards make a high pitched mewl.




Strider

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Re: Birds at Haweswater Reservoir
« Reply #5 on: 11:52:17, 22/05/18 »
There's a project underway to introduce more golden eagles to southern Scotland, so hopefully in a couple of years time some of those may have ventured south.
Not all those who wander are lost

Skip

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Re: Birds at Haweswater Reservoir
« Reply #6 on: 18:23:20, 23/05/18 »
Red Kites have been re-introduced in Grizedale Forest and locations Cumbria starting about eight years ago. The first successful breeding pair fledged 9 chicks in three years according to the Forestry Commission.  Since then Kites have established other nest sites in Cumbria.

I've not seen Red Kites in the Lake District myself but I see them a lot in the Chilterns and in east Northants - dozens of the beggars in fact  :)
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1slandmonkey

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Re: Birds at Haweswater Reservoir
« Reply #7 on: 20:17:12, 23/05/18 »
Thanks for all of your help guys. After all the evidence I'm pretty confident with my original classification of buzzards. I'm definitely planning on visiting again. I'd love to walk the full span of the reservoir one day. Study the wildlife more. Maybe hit High Street again as well via Riggendale. It's one of my first peaks in the lakes but I've still been back to it twice more because of its views.
As I said before its one of my favourite places in the Lakes.

karl h

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Re: Birds at Haweswater Reservoir
« Reply #8 on: 17:57:41, 26/05/18 »
They do sound like Buzzards to me which I think are quite impressive birds. I have been lucky enough to see the Riggindale eagle a couple of times the last in 2015 TR here - http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=30513.0

 

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