With a wingspan like that (160cms, keep up at the back there!), hitting it with a spade would probably only make it angry.
But at least you can get an idea of the scale.
These are, of course, the mystery remains I mentioned a day or two ago on the blog, that Duncan Rothwell found during a tideline corpse clear-up when the high winds had dropped between Ainsdale and Birkdale.
Nowt else left of the bird unfortunately, but from these pics you can see a clear contrast between the uniform brown coverts and the solid darker primaries, secondaries and tertials.
Huge secondary bulge on it as well - but that could be caused by feather displacement post mortem.
Very odd.
Some of the feathers on the coverts showed paler edging, but this could just have been the result of wear after death too.
Any advance in the id sweep from Marsh Harrier or Osprey? What do you think?
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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According to the Collins guide, the planform could be explained by a female Osprey but I would be surprised if that happens to be correct from what little remains. More worryingly, the upper wing patterning suggests an adult bird and not a juvenile as I first suggested. This would mean a Scottish or Scandinavian bird, at a pinch one of the Welsh birds but rules out a Rutland or Low Countries individual.
Of course, there is a possibility the bird could be an escaped falconers bird - one of the smaller eagles? - although I still favour Osprey. I can't wait for the results despite the potential implications - mysteries like this are so interesting.
Hi John, could the mystery dead bird be the remnants of a Cormorant???
Or even a Canada Goose,I found a dead one on Crosby beach recently.
cheers,Pete
Going on the size/shape of the wings and the faded buff edges my guess juvenile Osprey..??
I'll go 50p on an Osprey. in the mean time, Peregrines very active around Liverpool city centre recently, with up to 3 seen at once (01/09). also, huge raft of around 150 Common Scoter off Ainsdale Monday, but too far out to see if anything scarcer had joined them.
Looking at the top photo it looks more Osprey like to me now, maybe if you tied some string to them and flapped them around a bit?
Pete, Cormorant is only in play at the lower end of the wingspan range and Canada Goose on the extreme end of the upper. I cannot see any upper wing markings that tie in with either from the bird guides I have, even allowing for wear of feathers. The white feathers close to where the body would have been are also intriguing. Worringly, I am not sure why a mature Osprey should have perished off or near the Lancashire coast this early in the season even allowing for the crap weather recently. I am hoping time proves me wrong on the ID.
I'll go for Canada Goose or Cormorant,
Ron
Without wishing to sound heartless, I kinda hope Ron is right. After all, we can easily lose the odd Cormorant or Canada Goose but any Osprey (young or old) is important in terms of breeding numbers for the future. I have to say though that I am not sure the wing shape is broad enough for either albeit that it could be an illusion caused by the absence of a body. Also, what remains of the skeletal material between the wings does not look robust enough for either waterbird although I can see why Canada is a good suggestion going off the colouration of the feathers. My money is still on Osprey at the moment but i would not mind being wrong on this occasion.
I had both adult and juv Osprey fly over me while fishing from the bank of the Dornoch Firth by Bonner Bridge last week, would be sad if it is an Osprey's remains.
Hi,
It's definitely not a Shoveler then :-) on a serious note how about a imm Gannet
GrahamMc