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UK/Raptor ID please (1 Viewer)

I think you can get a good idea of size. The bird is pretty much embedded in the foliage, and the hawthorn berries clearly behind it (on the left of pic) are not much smaller than those in front. It's not a big bird! About male sparrowhawk size.....
 
split photo

THANKS for the input to date – I'm glad it wasn't just me who didn't know what it was then!

Not sure this will help, but attempted to enlarge the image without distortion as large as possible... but file size too big, so in three bits (hopefully you can put them in the right order... that's a JOKE!). That head looks 'broad/wide' from the beak to the back of the head, or is that just me? I can't make out what is happening with that beak, hook, than pale bit and can't see around the cere... any thoughts? Those chest marking are 'distinctive'. Not sure if those are yellow feet.

Do raptors take other birds eggs, return to a perch (tree) and feed off them?
g
PS
Only photo available. No other info. Sorry.
 

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I don't really have the experience to comment on the ID that grey thing around the legs does look out of place. It doesn't look part of the leg so I think it could well be part of some oddly coloured Jesses. I've found pictures of blue and pale leather ones that might fit.

If I had to attempt to ID it I think I would say a very odd Sparrowhawk or maybe even an odd hybrid like Sparrowhawk/Shikra. If it is a falconer's bird we may never know!
 
Jane Turner said:
One thing that strikes me is that the eye seems large and the face is rather Owl-like.
Click to expand...

I've had an "owl" feeling to this bird all along and somewhere in the back of my mind I seem to be recall a similar colouration/breast pattern on an owl I've seen in a zoo somewhere but can't for the life of me remember where or what species!!!

Think it's an escape whatever it is.

Chris
 
cheshirebirder said:
Please don't take offence , but is this a hoax ?
Click to expand...

No not at all.
Rather you asked up front, it is a genuine enquiry.

I have known the source 25+ years and it is all genuine...
if it isn't there will be blood spilt!
Nah, not clever enough to hoax at this level. Source wouldn't even consider such a thing.
No reason whatsoever to believe it isn't genuine. I'd forgotten about it, but two broken egg shells found in same location recently (by same source, see other thread) made it worth taking another look (as I was reminded by same source, I confess to forgetting about this photo... over-looked/'archived' at the time... too busy! 8 emails from same source on same day, I put it down as male sprawk at the time... second thoughts!)

Gone back to the archive, October 8 2009, original email...

"I took this shot about a month ago and meant to send it to you for identification. I knew I had caught it's chest but I have just noticed that it has got it's beady eye on me! Is it a Sparrow Hawk? Today I took the same walk and although I didn't see the bird, I found the feathers and fresh, still bleeding carcass of a magpie! Feet and wings intact, body gutted neatly and the breast gone. Glad to find that they have predators too. Do you think it was the bird in the shot or it's type that got it?"

So whatever it is, big enough to take on and take a magpie and win!

I'll try and get a grid reference, I have a pretty good idea where it is and perhaps there can be a 'witchunt'. I will be going out there now after all this (mind you this was Sept 09). See you up there! I'm going try a couple of other web sites to see if there were any 'odd sightings' last year. It is around Helmshore, East Lancashire. Any help appreciated bah gum lads!
g
(family history from Loveclough!)
 
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First impression was Owl too (one of the larger birds) and note Jane and Chris have considered this also....doesnt mean I know the birds identity and if its considered male Sprawk size then it might negate my large Owl sp.....but I cant get away from one of the larger pale Eagle Owls.
Good ID thread by the way!
 
Crazy photo!

I've had a look through some guides and I'd put my money on a species of Cuckoo-hawk (Aviceda sp.).

If it didn't look so small then Short-toed Eagle or a honey-buzzard species would be contenders.

It looks to me like it's raising its head feathers, so the head profile might be misleading.

Cheers,

DL
 
Someone needs to come up with a measurement for the hawthorn berries ... ;)

The nature of the breast 'spotting' would indicate a falcon sp to me, rather than a Sparrowhawk.

But then is it;-

a) Male Merlin lacking the normal rufous tones underneath?

b) Lesser Kestrel with grey mantle? (ie no!)

c) Lanner? (as mentioned)- but with a miniscule bill and a grey head and looks too small

d) Other falconer's hybrid thing

e) Owl sp. ... (presumably an escape)

I'd go for a) or d), possibly e) , but not knowing the actual size (it looks a bit elongated as if alarmed) not progressing much further ...
 
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Like most people I've looked at this image every which way and.....?

I presume the consensus, is of a bird looking to the right and the observers seeing 'it's' left eye, only thing odd about that is that the cere should be beter defined than it is!

However if you assume that the 'it's' left eye is actually 'it's' right, then follow across and down you can see what might be the real bill! As I would have thought it more likely that it would have caught 'any' light reflection from the photographers camera lens, and would have been looking directly at the lens?

Just a consideration!
 
KenM said:
Like most people I've looked at this image every which way and.....?

I presume the consensus, is of a bird looking to the right and the observers seeing 'it's' left eye, only thing odd about that is that the cere should be beter defined than it is!

However if you assume that the 'it's' left eye is actually 'it's' right, then follow across and down you can see what might be the real bill! As I would have thought it more likely that it would have caught 'any' light reflection from the photographers camera lens, and would have been looking directly at the lens?

Just a consideration!
Click to expand...

It's right, our left??

Thought the cere to be indistinct too, and what is the crinkly look (like gold leaf tin foil?) to some of the leaves on the head area ...
 
KenM said:
Like most people I've looked at this image every which way and.....?

I presume the consensus, is of a bird looking to the right and the observers seeing 'it's' left eye, only thing odd about that is that the cere should be beter defined than it is!

However if you assume that the 'it's' left eye is actually 'it's' right, then follow across and down you can see what might be the real bill! As I would have thought it more likely that it would have caught 'any' light reflection from the photographers camera lens, and would have been looking directly at the lens?

Just a consideration!
Click to expand...

Nah the bird's looking to it's right and the bill is about the only clear thing there!!
 
I think we are looking at its left eye. However, I am not fully convinced the bill belongs to a raptor ... (90% but not 100%)

Niels
 
How many berries to a pound?

dantheman said:
Someone needs to come up with a measurement for the hawthorn berries ... ;)

Great minds think alike!

I was working on that, only at this time of the year, don't know the size of a hawthorn berry. Not very scientific, but, on photo, copied a hawthorn and repeated to APPROX size of the bird. DEPENDING on the size of a hawthorn berry anywhere between 24–32cm in height. About 10-12 inches in old money. Does that help?
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I like your thinking Gradders maybe we could introduce the Hawthorn berry as a knew unit of measurement.
How big was it ?
Well I reckon it was about 6.5 berries long.....

Joking apart I think your not far out with the size of the berries, I'd say between 15 & 20mm would cover the majority of Hawthorn berries.


Cheers, Neil.
 
I assumed we wre looking at the bird face on, at its left eye, as it looks down almost over its right shoulder? thats what gives the Owl like facial expression to me.

Or have i got the position of the bird wrong?
 
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