Mystery BOP (1 Viewer)

[KenM]

Walking across Chingford Plain, Grtr.London, Essex, at 9.38 am today, I espied this falcon rising languidly into the air...clearly a big, long-winged bird with brown upperparts/dark hands and darkish underparts, leisurely heading West over the forest/plain edge before disappearing out of sight. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I was able to get these two shots off. What does the forum think?

cheers

 

[Twite]

Without any detail in the photos. If there was no description, and going on the second pic only I would have gone for peregrine.

Twite.

 

[Mike Montier]

My first thoughts were Peregrine too! Structure looks right but no doubt others will contribute.

 

[jason stannage]

pic 2 looks like a peregrine

 

[tconzemi]

looks very long-tailed for a Peregrine, especially in first pic, looks closer to Lanner but that's just a feeling, not an ID, anyway Large Falcons nowadays can be anything including all kind of hybrids

 

[KenM]

In my opinion...with many years of watching Peregrines particularly now in London, I'm certainly au fait with their variable structure. Apart from having rich brown upperparts with a contrasting dark hand, the bird seemed longer bodied and winged, than any Peregrine that I have ever seen. Indeed my first reaction was what the ''hell'' is this? Although never having seen Saker before..would anybody who has seen Saker particularly well..like to comment?

 

[lou salomon]

really hard to tell but might be a hybrid. pure saker usually looks even broader winged but as said hard to tell from these pics.

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

I agree it doesn"t look pure peregrine. It can be a escaped Lanner (size of moustache and description matches), or indeed Saker x Peregrine... or even a Prairie Falcon!