white tailed eagle?

[Isis]

I think I saw a white tailed eagle today in the Reay area.

It was quite far away from me but the way it moved it looked like a bird of prey. It was black with white markings. It was the size of the bird that really struck me - it was huge.

It flew quite low in the sky and landed a few hundred yards away from me and some gulls started to swoop on it but I didn't see it move on.

Do you think I saw one or do you think it was something else?

[Rheghead]

Quite possible, anything is possible.

But there was a very pale buzzard(no black markings though) being swooped on by gulls and crows outside Charlie's garage yesterday, I wished I had my camera.

[NickInTheNorth]

Did you notice a distinct white tail - even from a few hundred yards it is usually very clear in the adult birds. The juveniles unfortunately are quite difficult to positively identify. Head profile in flight is a good way of differentiating between eagles and buzzards. The eagle has a much more distinct and elongated head, the buzzard shorter and more triangular.

If it is an eagle then the golden eagle soars on raised wings, the white tail on flat wings.

I am lucky enough to see white tailed and golden almost daily, and they are both a truly magnificent sight.

[Rheghead]

Rather oddly, the juvenile golden eagle has a white tail but the juvenile white tailed eagle doesn't. Anyway, if we are able to spot anything similar then we're doing well in Caithness.

[North Rhins]

I saw two over Loch Seaforth on Lewis. The thing that struck me was the wings; they were like a scaffolding plank! That and the very short stubby white tail. I suppose it’s easy when you’ve seen one, but they really are unmistakable.

[Isis]

I'm going to be a bit vague about this as the sighting just lasted a few seconds. Its body was mostly covered by it's wings as it was so low, I saw white markings when the wings moved a bit but I couldn't say for sure it was its tail.

It was bigger than any buzzard I've ever seen - far bigger in fact. Its wings were huge. I'm beginning to doubt myself but I'm not sure what else it could have been.