Mystery bird of prey?

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Jim_j
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Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 1:04 pm

Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby Jim_j » Sat Jul 27, 2019 9:26 am

Some interesting speculation based on a single blurry picture - the loch Ness monster and various other myths come to mind....lighting and camera angles can produce some weird results.
Nothing is impossible of course .... but Richmond is hardly deepest darkest Fiordland so strange no further sightings?
Seems the right size for little shag....
Cheers Jim
phil hammond
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Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:10 pm

Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby phil hammond » Sat Jul 27, 2019 2:18 pm

Jim, I don't think anyone is getting carried away here. Those of us that have mentioned the slim possibility that it is an unlikely raptor have been using words like "outrageous" "wild speculation" etc.

But some of us are not completely ignoring the comments of the guy that saw it, and are not therefore judging it just solely on what we can all agree is possibly a very misleading photo
RandF
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Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:07 pm

Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby RandF » Sun Jul 28, 2019 11:40 pm

My 2c worth - when I saw the photo my immediate reaction was Augur Buzzard, but then rational thought took over. Given the comment above re raptors in transit on ships, it may be an escapee. It certainly has the GISS of a Buteo.
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TheBirderman
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Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby TheBirderman » Tue Jul 30, 2019 7:54 pm

Looking at the photo now, and if this is even a live bird and a vagrant, and it being from the Northern Hemisphere, it would have to get wildly lost to end up let alone in NZ. My best guess is it's a prop bird, maybe by a farmer to scare off Sparrows and Starlings.

Cheers
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RussCannings
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Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby RussCannings » Wed Jul 31, 2019 6:49 am

Both observers saw it fly away so it is not a prop :)

Maybe it's a hybrid shag-hawk-ibis-petrel backcrossed with a chunk of wood? Or a new undiscovered species "Grainy Hawk"...
Jim_j
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Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby Jim_j » Wed Jul 31, 2019 9:15 am

Is there some information missing in these threads - I can't see any mention of more than 1 observer?

Cheers
Jim
Davidthomas
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Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby Davidthomas » Wed Jul 31, 2019 11:35 am

I believe it was a husband and wife who saw it.

Steve I hear there were more photos. Did you ever get to see any of them? And was this cropped by you? Or they used digital zoom on their phone which blew it out so badly?
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Steve Wood
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Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby Steve Wood » Wed Jul 31, 2019 3:19 pm

Dave,there is three images all of the same caliber.
The images were taken on his phone,through car window which was up at the time as not to flush the bird. The bird flew when he wound the window down for a better picture which never materialised.
G Martyn
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Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby G Martyn » Wed Jul 31, 2019 8:33 pm

The original post said it was photographed in Hill St. Do we know where exactly in Hill St? I drove along Hill St yesterday but couldn't figure out likely spots. For my money it is a little pied shag.
Graeme Martyn
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Steve Wood
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Re: Mystery bird of prey?

Postby Steve Wood » Thu Aug 01, 2019 7:18 am

585 Hill street

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