Help with ID please

[Janec]

I don't know if anyone can help me ID a bird I saw fly over today. I'm sorry but I wasn't able to get a photo.
At first, due to size I thought it was a heron but neck not long enough and no long legs visible.
So, wings as big as a heron and fairly broad and looked fairly dark coloured but it could have been the light.
Just sort of drifting along like a gull.
Very strange tail, or so it appeared. It looked like the tail narrowed half way along before broadening out again, although I suppose against the grey sky it could have been a grey or white band accross the tail.
Sorry, I realise this is probably an impossible task.
I wondered if it was some sort of water bird but it didn't look like a cormorant.
Unfortunately my bird books only show profiles of birds of prey in flight.
Any ideas?

[Shrike]

Could it of been a Raven ?

[Janec]

It would have been lovely if it was but I don't think we get them round here. It didn't look corvid like (is that the right term?)
It's the tail that's really confusing, unless I could see a tail with legs and big feet sticking out the back?
Sorry, I feel I'm not being very helpfull

[rossy]

was the tail long or short ? rossy.

[Shrike]

Your right the crow family including Ravens are corvids , i think Ravens are increasing in numbers but not sure about Norfolk myself. If your sure it was a dark Heron the only other things i can think of offhand are Glossy Ibis but these show even longer knecks than Grey Herons so thats not much help , or an immature Grey Heron , sorry that's all i've got

[Janec]

Thanks Shrike.
Rossy, I've talked it over with hubby and the best we can say is the tail was sort of medium (there's no helping some people)
I've had another look through my books and the nearest thing in shape and size is an osprey although it looked darker underneath.
I realise that's unlikely but is there anything less rare about the same shape and size?

[dmuir]

Could it have been a red kite?

[Janec]

Thanks Dmuir
but sadly no.
We've both seen quite a few of those when we used to holiday in Wales and this bird had a much straighter tail (apart from the strange band or whatever it was around the middle of it) and looked bigger.

[diggleken]

Norfolk, hhmmmm, like a Heron?
Stork maybe.
Cheers
Ken

[billybirder]

Not a hen harrier?