[snapper]

Can anyone ID this bird of prey there has been a buzzard around for some time but this did not look the same it was soaring very very high the picture was take with a nikon 5700 at max zoom then enlarged & cropped after approx 5 mins the bird just suddenly plummeted wings folded when I lost sight of the bird over the hill I am quite new to birding & any help would be appreciated thank you

[mojoedevine]

Snapper,

I live in the US (Ca) & am not familiar w/ all the birds of prey in your part of the world. Even tho' your picture only gives an outline & no colorization, I'd like to suggest the Peregrine Falcon. The outline in the photo AND the behavior you describe fit this bird very closely. Try to find a good photo of the Peregrine & see if it looks like what you saw.

[Bubbs]

Originally Posted by snapper

Can anyone ID this bird of prey there has been a buzzard around for some time but this did not look the same it was soaring very very high the picture was take with a nikon 5700 at max zoom then enlarged & cropped after approx 5 mins the bird just suddenly plummeted wings folded when I lost sight of the bird over the hill I am quite new to birding & any help would be appreciated thank you

Large female Sparrowhawk????

John.

[snapper]

Originally Posted by john barclay

Large female Sparrowhawk????

John.

Hi John it was far to big for a Sparrowhawk

[Craftycarver]

[quote=snapper]Hi John it was far to big for a Sparrowhawk[/QUOT

It looks a wee bit like a Red Kite.

[dan pointon]

Goshawk was my first instinct.

[pauco]

Marsh Harrier?

[RobF]

I'd say gos as well, I saw this moulting female last year. Soaring for 3-4mins then pelting off into a plantation.

Rob

[mojoedevine]

Lots of good suggestions!! Just a little more on my reasoning for suggesting the Peregrine. The other birds mentioned so far (I don't know about the Sparrowhawk) all hunt fairly close to the ground or not too far above the tree tops (like the Goshawk). The Peregrine is famous for soaring extremely high, then plummeting at speeds over 200 mph with wings folded to its side. What it is doing is hunting other birds in flight, usually. It will plummet towards them, then hit them w/ its talons, usually killing them instantly with the force generated by the speed of its freefall.
This, of course, is typical of the birds of prey we have in the US. The outline you posted also shows a long narrow tail, which would not generally be what a larger bird of prey (e.g., eagles) would do as they soar very high; nor do any of them (here in the US) have that shape.
I hope that this birder "across the pond" has given you some helpful info.

[Lucky Birder]

It's an Accipiter I'd say anyway. It might be a Goshawk if it was really too big for a Sparowhawk. The proportions don't look quite right for Gos though and I'd probably say a large a female Sparrowhawk if pushed.

[RecoveringScot]

Jumping in with both big feet I'll say it's too long in the tail for Goshawk, and having 'improved' the photo I'll say that the body isn't bulky enough either, so I'll go Sparrowhawk I'm afraid. Now, where's my tin hat and my armour...

[Lucky Birder]

I'm glad you put improved in inverted commas. It's like improving a Skoda by pushing it over a cliff. ; )

[TWM]

Sparrowhawk for me too.

[Bubbs]

Originally Posted by snapper

Hi John it was far to big for a Sparrowhawk

Snapper,

The times I have had people say to me "had a soaring Buzzard over the house yesterday"..... High flying female Sparrowhawks, combined with size illusion, can give the impression of a much larger raptor.

I am open to opinion on this photograph but from your description I still think, A nisus....but I may be wrong.

John.

[Bluetail]

Sparrowhawk for me. And of course they do regularly soar high and plummet to the chase.

[Bubbs]

Originally Posted by john barclay

Snapper,

The times I have had people say to me "had a soaring Buzzard over the house yesterday"..... High flying female Sparrowhawks, combined with size illusion, can give the impression of a much larger raptor.

I am open to opinion on this photograph but from your description I still think, A nisus....but I may be wrong.

John.

Forgive me for appearing stupid.......no jokes please!

We may all learn a lot if we push our chairs a metre or two away fom the screen and even blur our eyes (I know it sounds silly) but you will get a better impression on certain photos.

A very famous raptor friend of mind (no names) looks at his screen from many metres way thru his bins...don't laugh, it works.

John.

[RecoveringScot]

Looking at photos of ventral views of Goshawk on the web, of which there are very few good ones, the obvious distinction apart from tail length and width and corner shape, and body bulk, is that the hand of the Sparrowhawk's wing is proportionately longer to the arm of the wing than Goshawk, as well as being slightly slimmer. This is what gives Goshawk its distinctive wing-shape.

[snapper]

Here is the other two shots that I took if they are any help

[Tim100]

Originally Posted by snapper

Here is the other two shots that I took if they are any help

I would call that a Sparrowhawk.

[RecoveringScot]

Originally Posted by Tim100

I would call that a Sparrowhawk.

And from the slim, long-winged appearance, I'd say it was a male.

[Edward woodwood]

sprawk

Tim

[Klant]

Definately Accipiter, probably sparrowhawk...

[snapper]

Thanks for all the replies Sparrowhawk it is then