AlanR
Bird photographer
I saw a bird soaring overhead today in (a relatively countrified bit of) Cheltenham today. My first thoughts were of a Buzzard but it had a long straight and narrow tail.
I have many field guide-type books to look at but when it comes to pictures (and everything else!) they don't suffer from consistency.
I have to ignore coloration as birds like Buzzards nearly always look all black from below, unless very close. The pictures I can find that look close to what I think I saw are the unlikely Sparrowhawk or Goshawk, or perhaps a Kestrel. It is not clear whether Kestrels actually soar overhead with their tails straight and narrow.
What I really suspect it was is a Magpie but I can't find any pictures of Magpies flying overhead so I just wondered whethered they actually do this? If so do they do it with straight tails?
Alan
I have many field guide-type books to look at but when it comes to pictures (and everything else!) they don't suffer from consistency.
I have to ignore coloration as birds like Buzzards nearly always look all black from below, unless very close. The pictures I can find that look close to what I think I saw are the unlikely Sparrowhawk or Goshawk, or perhaps a Kestrel. It is not clear whether Kestrels actually soar overhead with their tails straight and narrow.
What I really suspect it was is a Magpie but I can't find any pictures of Magpies flying overhead so I just wondered whethered they actually do this? If so do they do it with straight tails?
Alan
