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One for the twitchers....................

T

Tom Herbert

Guest
Here is one for the collective.........................

Driving to work this morning i saw a smallish (Kestrel sized) bird of prey swooping over a ploughed field. It appeared to be black all over with white undersides of the wings.

It was definitely a bird of prey.

Any ideas?
 
I'm no twitcher but dont think there are any straight black and white birds of prey in the UK. Although depending on light I'd imagine most could appear this way.

The male Hen Harrier is very light underneath and has black wingtips, but it also light on top. It's also much bigger than a kestrel. The same goes for the goshawk.

Grey Shrike's have a hooked beak and are of similar colours to those you describe.

My best guess, if it was definately a bird of prey, would be a Merlin. Although not the black and white you describe, they have a distinct contrast between their back and underwing colours. They are also kestrel sized and often swoop low to try and flush small birds off the ground to catch.

Lapwings have the same colouration you describe but dont really have any bird of prey characteristics!

Cheers
Adam
 
Driving to work this morning i saw a smallish (Kestrel sized) bird of prey swooping over a ploughed field. It appeared to be black all over with white undersides of the wings.
Click to expand...

Tom, a few years back while mountain biking in Yorkshire I spotted a bird that sounds remarkably similar to the one you have described. Despite looking through a few twitcher books I have still yet to find out what species it was.
 
I used to do alot of twitching in fact I was pretty keen at one point and travelled all over the uk, the thing with bird of preys is the juveniles don't form for a few years so they can be mistaked easily for anything more than like it will be a Merlin depending on where you are or should I say where you saw it however the hobby is a summer migrant and they could be on there way through the country so that's a possibility a sparrowhalk normally gives a flap flap glide type when flying!!!
 
Red footed falcon. wing span 58-70cm, smaller than a hobby, Graceful and agile flight, fast wing beats, often hovers over fields like a kesterl but not as persistently.
 
Thanks for the replies guy's.

I spotted it over a ploughed field approx half a mile from the river Thames, it appeared to be chasing insect but i cannot be sure, it was extremely agile in its pursuit. I am sure i have seen one before in Windsor Great Park, again near water and chasing what appeared to be insects over a ploughed field.

I have spoken to a few people who are convinced it is a hobby.
 
I'd say hobby Going on your description of the way it was acting as stated in previous post they are summer migrants and with the warm weather we've had it could have brought them in a little earlier they also have red on there legs but Merlins are often found perching on fenceposts and flying low but look very blue in colour, hobbys can be seen very high circling but are very agile mate and also will be found low and near water so that's your best bet especially on your location aswel I don't get too see too many up north :(. If your looking at getting a bird book the best one is Collins Bird guide.
 
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