Bird description.

[magix]

My friend at work has asked me to post this description to see if anyone knows what the birds in her garden were.
she says they were as big as a magpie without a tail.
they were a mink colour on the body and vivid blue wings.
she said the head plumage was like a bush (as opposes to a stripe or line of feathers) her words not mine. I can't remember what colour she said the the head were.
there were 4 of them and the other birds nearby (blackbirds, finches and sparrows) were going crazy noisy but not going anywhere near the strange birds.
there was also some doves that she says were petrified and stayed stock still until the strange birds had flown away.
we are in stevenage herts and it happened yesterday.
could it have been sparrow hawks???? we get them a lot but have never seen one sitting on a fence let alone 4.
thanks
lyn

[Jason Claxton]

Interesting,could they have been Jays?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Jason Claxton

Interesting,could they have been Jays?

Sound very much like Jays to me, Jason!

[Dogghound]

I agree Jay was the first bird that I thought of.

[Tringa]

Definitely sounds like jays.

Quite a few British birds are very colourful, but a few are in my opinion a mile ahead in terms of rivalling anything in the world. Kingfishers are one, but jays and magpies are up there too.

In the right light its hard to believe we have a bird like this in Britain.

[ChrisJB]

Yup, a very jay-like description.

Regards, Chris

[magix]

Thankyou guys I will tell her in the morning. I didn't think it could be sparrowhawks. I don't know much about birds can't much tell one from another except for the common garden variety.
We do have some kind of hawk like bird hereabouts lately (not the sparrowhawk) I have watched it during my breaks whilst working and its even glided over our house a few times recently. sadly I have trouble seeing much of anything lately but its bigger than a kestrel and it has a kind of forked tail. I will have to get the cameras out, take some photos and then post them here. I'm dying to know what that graceful bird is.
Lol wait until I tell my friend the birds in her garden were definately not sparrowhawks or kingfishers.
Cheers everyone she'll be the laughing stock at work now for weeks!!!

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by magix

Thankyou guys I will tell her in the morning. I didn't think it could be sparrowhawks. I don't know much about birds can't much tell one from another except for the common garden variety.
We do have some kind of hawk like bird hereabouts lately (not the sparrowhawk) I have watched it during my breaks whilst working and its even glided over our house a few times recently. sadly I have trouble seeing much of anything lately but its bigger than a kestrel and it has a kind of forked tail. I will have to get the cameras out, take some photos and then post them here. I'm dying to know what that graceful bird is.
Lol wait until I tell my friend the birds in her garden were definately not sparrowhawks or kingfishers.
Cheers everyone she'll be the laughing stock at work now for weeks!!!

Could be a red kite?

[magix]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Could be a red kite?

Yeah I did wonder about it being a Kite but reckoned we just wouldn't be that lucky. I know they are becoming well established around the Dunstable Downs area in Beds but, thought that had more to do with the zoo being there so very handy for a peckish bird.
It would be so coolif it is a Kite though.
I have this weekend off so I will keep the camera handy and hope to get a photo. I will post it on here if I do and maybe someone could help me out with it.