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ID Help Needed - Oxford (1 Viewer)

Hi all.

Relative birding newbie here, so do excuse me if this is a silly question...

I've posted this in the ID forum, but thought I'd also try the Oxfordshire one.

Although I've been birding for less than a year, I'm super keen and spend a lot of time looking out on my garden and the many various feeders etc. As much as I love it, I very rarely see anything unusual out there.

Today, a bird flew over head that looked like a heron or very large egret but it was very dark, perhaps black, or maybe charcoal grey. it's neck was bent like a heron in flight and it had a very long wing span. I didn't see any other colour other than this black/grey. It also had quite a long beak.

This was just on the edge of Cowley, by the Oxford Business Park. I've looked through my books, but my best match is a juvenile heron, which seems more of a lighter grey than the bird I saw.

Does anyone have an idea what this might have been?

Thanks.

W
 
Grey herons can seem quite dark in flight, if looking into the light, especially, and wouldn't be unexpected in Cowley, as you're not far from the river.
 
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