Find your own

Common Buzzard is now widespread across Britain, having retreated to the north and west of the country a few decades ago after severe persecution. The species now even breeds within the London recording area.

This recent range expansion means that you are quite likely to see the species on territory in summer and winter, and on passage in spring and autumn, as it is a shortdistance migrant, particularly when juveniles are dispersing after fledging. Common Buzzards can be seen overhead returning to Britain from the near-Continent or moving through to Scandinavia in spring, as well as on their return journeys later in the year.

Osprey is far scarcer, and favours Scottish lochs for breeding, as well as a few English sites. Some have watchpoints, including Loch Garten RSPB, Highland, Rutland Water, Leicestershire, and the Lake District; there are also at least two pairs in Wales. During autumn or spring passage the species can be seen almost anywhere with a great deal of luck, as birds follow major river valleys and the coast to their more northerly British nesting territories or onwards to Scandinavia.

The chances of seeing Short-toed Eagle in Britain or Ireland are very slim indeed, but there have been three records since the first on Scilly in October 1999; the others were in Devon in 2011 and a long-staying bird seen in Dorset, Hampshire, East Sussex, Surrey and Norfolk – sometimes holding temporary territories – in 2014. The species is remotely possible in almost any southern coastal county between spring and autumn.

Booted Eagle has never officially been recorded in Britain as a wild bird, but there have been many claims. One well-known pale-morph was seen at various sites around Britain and Ireland between March 1999 and June 2000, and was accepted into Category D by the British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee. When an indisputably wild bird does turn up, it is most likely to be in the same areas as Short-toed Eagle.