Monday, March 02, 2009

Sowerby Bridge, unidentified raptor

Milner Royd, river bridge near the tip & allotments, at dusk on Sunday.

15-16 inches, long and sleek, shiny blue/black back and tail, red on bib or chest, brown/orange or red legs. Face not visible.

Perching on a log, watching river, allowed me to get quite close (6m?) then swooped fast and low to river and took something from the surface, making a splash.

I’m not too good on raptors and it was getting dark. Definitely not kestrel or peregrine. Any ideas please?
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5 comments:

AndyC said...

It sounds like a male Sparrowhawk or even a male Merlin.What was the wing shape rounded or pointed.The habitat and time of year points to male Sparrowhawk.??

9:30 am
steve_e said...

I've consulted Harris, Vinnicombe & Tucker who say that if it looks like a redfooted falcon then its probably a male sparrowhawk, so that will do for me. I saw a female not far from there a few days earlier.

Pesumably it was trying to take a bird flying low over the water.

It wasn't a merlin. Red was in the wrong place and I would have seen the moustache.

However when it flew it did seem a bit like a swift, wings pointed and tucked back....

12:00 pm
AndyC said...

Harris, Vinnicombe & Tucker is a great book and very hard to get hold of these days 'mores the pity'

1:12 pm
steve_e said...

Oh, didn't know it was hard to get.
I just bought it from the library discard shelf for 80p.

It does seem quite good. Will come in handy if I see an eclipse ring-necked/pochard hybrid.

5:31 pm
steve_e said...

Sorry, getting mixed up between merlin and hobby.

It could have been a merlin, but too big & red, so probably male sparrowhawk.

5:52 pm

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