I think that's a female Sparrowhawk - RSPB Website: Sparrowhawk (Look at Image 2)
Red Kites (on my Flickr) are a lot bigger.
RSPB Website: Red Kite
I think that's a female Sparrowhawk - RSPB Website: Sparrowhawk (Look at Image 2)
Red Kites (on my Flickr) are a lot bigger.
RSPB Website: Red Kite
Fen .......... My Website and Blog - My Flickr
... i believe that everyone else my age is an adult whereas i am merely in disguise
Margaret Atwood
That's a Kestrel. Definitely.
Cheers
David
I should really look at my bird books before commenting.That's a Kestrel. Definitely.
Fen .......... My Website and Blog - My Flickr
... i believe that everyone else my age is an adult whereas i am merely in disguise
Margaret Atwood
I'm with Dave on this one - a kestrel, it's the dead spit of "Vole patrol" on our allotments. Sparrowhawks have stripier pyjamas.
Red Kite are much, much bigger - my Collins suggests approximately double the length from beak to tail, with a corresponding increase in bulk, and you will know when you really do spot one, they are very distinctive. Unlike Buzzards, which have a range of colour from almost cream to almost black, they vary very little.
On the other hand, you've got much closer than I've ever got to one with a camera!
Adrian
All part of the fun of extreme vintage photography
You'll be amazed at the carp I've posted here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gray1720/
I've checked and Kestrels aren't especially rare even in Hampstead Heath. I was fairly close - I saw it land on the branch and walked around to take a look at its face, hoping it wouldn't fly off. It was as if it was deliberately facing away from me as I walk around the tree behind it, but luckily it sat their patiently when I eventually circled the tree and ended up in front of it. It wasn't too far up. It wasn't very large, and I was using my 55-250 at pretty much full zoom.I'm with Dave on this one - a kestrel, it's the dead spit of "Vole patrol" on our allotments. Sparrowhawks have stripier pyjamas.
Red Kite are much, much bigger - my Collins suggests approximately double the length from beak to tail, with a corresponding increase in bulk, and you will know when you really do spot one, they are very distinctive. Unlike Buzzards, which have a range of colour from almost cream to almost black, they vary very little.
On the other hand, you've got much closer than I've ever got to one with a camera!
Adrian
Thanks for the ID!
They're magnificent creatures. The sky's thick with them here in Didcot although I've never managed to get a photo.
Turning it off and on again.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote