Help identifying bird please

[courier]

We were out walking the dog today through some farmers fields. I saw a bird and have absolutely no idea what it was.

Firstly it was the size of a magpie, black apart from white flashes under it's wings. We watched it in flight for ten minutes before moving on and it didn't land. It flew in a sort of zig zag pattern, right, left then after a while it would dive like a gull divebombing then back up again no higher than about 30 feet and back to the zig zag pattern. The reason i am sure of it's size is during one of it's divebombs it disturbed a magpie in a hedge which took flight. It had a call which i am sure i have heard before on marshes but never seen what made the calls.

Any help appreciated as i have looked on the rspb site and can find nothing even close.

[Hedge Witch]

Do you think it could be an Oystercatcher?

[larachmor]

Lapwing ??
http://www.strathspeywildlife.co.uk/LAPWING-A.htm

[ChrisJB]

Check out Lapwing.

Regards, Chris

[courier]

Don't think so, the underside of the body was black and the call is wrong.

[squishy]

lapwing? they often put on flight performences.

here is an inflight lapwing pic

[Gill Catton]

yes I'd suggest lapwing, sounds like the display flight. But oystercatcher is a good call too

[squishy]

sorry, the thread moved on several posts while i was writing mine

[courier]

The underside was totally black apart from white flashes on the wings running from front to back of wings about half way along.

[Hedge Witch]

Sooty Oystercatcher ? (she says, clutching at straws ).

Edit - wrong continent I think!