Can anyone help resolve an argument please?

[kevin jenkins]

i would say kestrel 100% sure of this.have a look at the tips of the wings if they come to a point its a kestrel.buzzards are a lot more common than red kites and have the same type of wings.

[piskieinboots]

so it's not Trevor then

[Nicos]

my picture was the prettiest

Indeed it was!
You are really lucky to see them so often!

[nelliegemini]

Kestrel !
a falcon, not a hawk, but no I don't know the difference either

Falcons like peregrine, saker, kestrel - has pointy wings and a baffle in the nostril so when it is stooping really fast it can still breathe, and a notch on the beak. Hawk has stubbier wings. Falcons fall out of the sky at a tremendous rate to surprise things to catch, hawks tend to ambush. The other day the birds on my feeders were surprised by a sparrowhawk that had flown up the street, through the back gardens, hopping over each fence/hedge to surprise the birds on the feeder. They all got away and he sat on our summer house and (I think) said a very rude word! And I don't live way out in the country, just on the edge of a protected mixed woodland.

Oh this is great, it's the first time I've been able to answer a question!!

[jacob marley]

i would say kestrel 100% sure of this.have a look at the tips of the wings if they come to a point its a kestrel.buzzards are a lot more common than red kites and have the same type of wings.

Kestrels wings appear to to leave the body at the front were as Buzzards are much larger and the wings extend further along the body .
And as my mate nick says i have seen a Red Kite here in god's county jacob

[kernowyon]

i had to travel up to high wycombe for my work, and sat and watched a pair of red kites for about half an hour, they are amazing, beautiful birds and are quite large, I didn't realize just how big they are, but although quite large they are so graceful. long may the recovery in numbers and the spread of the fantastic birds continue. truely mesmerizing

[allotmentlady]

Sparrow hawk?

[yoanbob]

Kestrel would be my guess

[everdream78]

Thanks all for your replies - very satisfying to win an argument! lol

However, I am inclined to go with the Trevor suggestions....any ideas what his missus is called as I know where they're nesting, just thought I'd pop a card round, perhaps take a bottle of wine....haha

[terrier]

Sorry to disagree with you all, Tootles is right it's definitely Trevor

Red Kites are spreading all the time, we even get the odd one in Gods County.

As Welsh is God's own language, I assumed that Wales was God's own country but we see very few Red Kites up here. Buzzards and Kes's as common as muck. A couple of years ago I saw a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk flying within a few hundred yards of each other, quite a spectacular sighting.
My best/worst photo op was years ago atop a mountain forest in Scotland. It was still daylight and the full moon was low in the sky. A Honey Buzzard glided into sight just along side the moon. Guess what, camera was packed away in it's case

[piskieinboots]

....any ideas what his missus is called ...haha

Lady Trevor

[nick the grief]

As Welsh is God's own language, I assumed that Wales was God's own country but we see very few Red Kites up here. Buzzards and Kes's as common as muck. A couple of years ago I saw a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk flying within a few hundred yards of each other, quite a spectacular sighting.
My best/worst photo op was years ago atop a mountain forest in Scotland. It was still daylight and the full moon was low in the sky. A Honey Buzzard glided into sight just along side the moon. Guess what, camera was packed away in it's case

It's happened to me as well Terrier so now when I'm driving back I always keep the camera on the front seat next to me !

and as to what Buzzards look like in flight Here's one falling out with a Crow

[Muddy-G]

Out in the garden yesterday and had a Red Kite gliding above us - fabulous sight. We do see them on a very regular basis; certainly two pairs. Obviously all of the guides telling us that they are very rare in the UK are now out of date. Also see plenty of Buzzards - love their call!

Sparrowhawks would be most welcome too, to take the pigeons and rabbits please.

[Elijay]

Lovely photo, Nick the Grief.

I live on the slopes Portsdown Hill, Portsmouth and I regularly see Buzzards being mobbed by crows. The Buzzards like perching on the pylons and there's always lots of small mammals hiding in the grass.