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08-11-2007, 02:23 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,132
| | | Unknown Bird
On an area of pastoral farmland, today I saw a bird. Description : -
Slightly Bigger than a wood pigeon
Brownish body
Blackish wings
White bar across its back behind its wings (Like on a Jay)
Wings shaped like a bent boomerang type shape with pointed ends
Flight about 2 1/2ft off the ground for about 40 meters along the side of a fence, during this flight it glided, it only flapped about 3 times (which where deep slow flaps) the whole 40 meters.
Was on the ground when I disturbed it.
Sorry that's as much as I can remember.
P.S Definitely not a Jay despite it sounding like one. Bigger and browner.
Any idea's?
thankyou
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08-11-2007, 02:45 PM
|  | New Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Wolverhampton
Posts: 15
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Erm, from your description, I was thinking it might be a Hen Harrier, but not sure really  |
08-11-2007, 02:52 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hidden in the clover
Posts: 1,560
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by KatRaven  Erm, from your description, I was thinking it might be a Hen Harrier, but not sure really | Yes. I thought weird, lost Marsh harrier at first, but think you've nailed it Katraven - adult female Hen Harrier?
Doug |
08-11-2007, 02:54 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Wolverhampton
Posts: 15
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit Yes. I thought weird, lost Marsh harrier at first, but think you've nailed it Katraven - adult female Hen Harrier?
Doug | Yes, could be - the males tend to be grey, don't they? |
08-11-2007, 02:59 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,132
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Possibly although never seen or heard of one here.
Its wings were bent downwards is this how harriers glide? never seen one in the wild and they were black which isnt the same as the hen harrier.
I didnt feel it was a raptor although no reason why not. My first though was a wader of some sort.
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08-11-2007, 03:02 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hidden in the clover
Posts: 1,560
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogghound Possibly although never seen or heard of one here.
Its wings were bent downwards, and were black which isnt the same as the hen harrier.
I didnt feel it was a raptor although no reason why not. My first though was a wader of some sort. |
Oh.
Thats strange then.
The wing positioning (as you rightly say) doesn't fit a Harrier at all, which have a characteristic v shape.
Weird.
Sorry can't be of help! 
Doug |
08-11-2007, 03:07 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,132
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit Oh.
Thats strange then.
The wing positioning (as you rightly say) doesn't fit a Harrier at all, which have a characteristic v shape.
Weird.
Sorry can't be of help!
Doug | I know relatively little about birds so probrably not a wader. My description is spot on though. I remember it well, just dont know which bird it was.
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08-11-2007, 03:08 PM
|  | Wild Member | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SE London
Posts: 151
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Could it have been a curlew?
About the right size, brown with darker wings and a very pale/white rump. |
08-11-2007, 03:11 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,132
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Hawes Could it have been a curlew?
About the right size, brown with darker wings and a very pale/white rump. | Possibly, of a roughly similar size. Never got time to see its face, the only thing that makes me think maybe not curlew was its darker wings. Its not far from the coast or the moors so possibly.
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08-11-2007, 03:11 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hidden in the clover
Posts: 1,560
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Racking my brains here.
Slightly bigger than a Woodpigeon, but you thought maybe a wader?
Theres only a handful of waders bigger than a Woodpigeon - Oystercatcher, Avocet, Curlew, maybe Black-Tailed Godwit - and you would have known I'm sure if it was any of them.
Can't seem to get Hen Harrier out of my head for this one.
Maybe someone else will shed some light later...
Sorry again!
Doug
Postscipt: D'oh! Posting at same time as others! Maybe it WAS a Curlew then, though surely its bill would have been apparent?!
Last edited by The Black Rabbit; 08-11-2007 at 03:14 PM.
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08-11-2007, 03:22 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,132
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit Racking my brains here.
Slightly bigger than a Woodpigeon, but you thought maybe a wader?
Theres only a handful of waders bigger than a Woodpigeon - Oystercatcher, Avocet, Curlew, maybe Black-Tailed Godwit - and you would have known I'm sure if it was any of them.
Can't seem to get Hen Harrier out of my head for this one.
Maybe someone else will shed some light later...
Sorry again!
Doug
Postscipt: D'oh! Posting at same time as others! Maybe it WAS a Curlew then, though surely its bill would have been apparent?! |
True, i didnt see a bill no, but didnt see its head although perhaps i would have seen a curlew's beak. As i say iv little experience with birds as a whole maybe it wasnt a wader. I never saw its legs, just had a weird flight and size for your average bird. Also its dark wings. Not an oystercater or avocet, bigger, or a godwit. Infact wader was misleading ignore the wader part, it was probrably from another group of birds.
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08-11-2007, 03:28 PM
|  | Dame Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Kent
Posts: 6,368
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Hawes Could it have been a curlew?
About the right size, brown with darker wings and a very pale/white rump. | This is what sprung to my mind. The long curved beak would have been a good indicator, if you had seen it.
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08-11-2007, 03:31 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Yorkshire ( Gods Country )
Posts: 904
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
It sounds like a godwit to me there are lots about the area at the moment and the wing shape would fit that. Also the white flash. Wings sound all wrong for a harrier
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08-11-2007, 03:47 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Kent
Posts: 273
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
How about a short eared owl? |
08-11-2007, 03:54 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Willingham, Cambs
Posts: 1,074
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
The flight is intriguing and suggests either a harrier or an owl - but I cannot help further. I did look in my book at harriers and the short eared owl was offered as a similar bird to the hen harrier.
Colin |
08-11-2007, 04:50 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 77
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Based on your description my suggestion would have been Curlew. |
08-11-2007, 08:23 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,132
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Cheers for the replys, not a godwit. Possibly an owl. Although wing's were pointed. Unsure on its beak although it seemed to have dark wings. Im puzzled as to what it was. Are there any clue's in the flight description? seemed to hug the ground.
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08-11-2007, 08:33 PM
| | Frozen | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Buxton Spa, Derbyshire
Posts: 401
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
Sounds more like a curlew to me, they often glide, with wings curved slightly downwards, and the pale rump is noticeable, plus the wings can look dark, especially towards the tips |
08-11-2007, 08:47 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,132
| | | Re: Unknown Bird
So Curlew? No reason why not. I will keep my eye's peeled for it tomorrow.
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