Cathryn
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Bird identityWe are trying to identify a bird. It is not a nightjar, cuckoo or fieldfare or kestrel but it is about the same size. It has a dark ring around it's eye, flies almost like a hawk without the hovering bit. There is one here by the house and at least one other up at the farm itself. Does anyone have any other suggestions at all?
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Tavascarow
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Cuckoos are very often mistaken for hen sparrow hawks.
Your description is vague (extremely).
Leg & plumage colour?
Shape of wings, tail & bill?
Big difference in size between the species you have listed as well.
Cuckoo being about twice the size of a fieldfare.
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sean
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| Tavascarow wrote: | Cuckoos are very often mistaken for hen sparrow hawks.
Your description is vague (extremely).
Leg & plumage colour?
Shape of wings, tail & bill?
Big difference in size between the species you have listed as well.
Cuckoo being about twice the size of a fieldfare.
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Bird geek. 
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alice
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This reminds me of my friend's 5 yr old daughter, her step-by-step bird recognition book, and a bird on the lawn.
'Well mum, I've narrowed it down. It's either a goose or a sparrowhawk' 
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Cathryn
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whatdyamean extremely vague?!  I thought I had narrowed it down size wise.
Oh well just have to unpack a bird book, it just seemed so much easier to ask you lot.
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Cathryn
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Yellow legs, plumage, marked very like a sparrowhawk, speckled, hawklike wings, swooped back, undulating flight, non hawk like beak. That any use? Oh, about cuckoo size? Black ring around eye.
There.
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lettucewoman
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this?
common cuckoo
ah you said a dark ring...dunno then 
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Cathryn
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Is that a cuckoo? We are leaning mostly to that but we have seen two here but not heard any cuckooing earlier on in the year.
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lettucewoman
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the females are browner than the males and the young are very brown...apparently
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crofter
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A merlin perhaps?
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lettucewoman
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heres another one
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lettucewoman
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merlin
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Cathryn
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Just checked out the merlin but it isn't a hawk. There are merlins and hobbies here and we recognise them.
I think you've got it Megan - it must be a cuckoo.
It looks like the second photo. Is that a female?
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lettucewoman
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| Cathryn wrote: | Just checked out the merlin but it isn't a hawk. There are merlins and hobbies here and we recognise them.
I think you've got it Megan - it must be a cuckoo.
It looks like the second photo. Is that a female? |
yes it is...just checked!
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Cathryn
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Thank you. Cuckoo it is. I think there are probably two on the farm as well. I will listen for their song next year.
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GSHP
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In April come they will
In May they sing night and day.
In June they'll change their tune .
In July away they will fly.
If you didn't hear the ''cuckoo''
It will now sound more like cuk cuk
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