Long shot ID request - distant bird in flight, UK Middlesbrough (1 Viewer)

[andrewslack]

Hi

This is a long shot as it is a terrible photo, as I wasn't even aware of the bird. I just noticed it far away in the sky in the background of a phone snap, when going through my pictures. Whatever it is was flying over Middlesbrough (I was on the station at the time). I have a couple of thoughts but they all seem relatively unlikely as a photobomb and I don't want to prejudice anyone's thoughts!

Help appreciated!

Thank you!

Andrew

 

[KenM]

Could it be a Waxbill species?

Cheers

 

[THE_FERN]

looks like a great grey shrike except that that has black flight feathers (and perhaps a different tail pattern—but we can't tell here)

 

[Thijsdekruif]

Look like a great spotted woodpecker under a weird angle to me.

 

[THE_FERN]

Look like a great spotted woodpecker under a weird angle to me.

That has very patterned (chequered) underwings, a reddish vent, relatively much shorter tail and different face/head pattern (as well as a different bill)

 

[RichieTwitchy]

Hi

This is a long shot as it is a terrible photo, as I wasn't even aware of the bird. I just noticed it far away in the sky in the background of a phone snap, when going through my pictures. Whatever it is was flying over Middlesbrough (I was on the station at the time). I have a couple of thoughts but they all seem relatively unlikely as a photobomb and I don't want to prejudice anyone's thoughts!

Help appreciated!

Thank you!

Andrew

Hi. Any chance of the original photo no matter how poor the quality - it might help with size/scale and whether we can rule out shadow on the bird rather than thinking its' its jizz cheers

 

[dantheman]

Isn't it the orginals already (snapped with a phone)?

An escape of various kind, or possibly something native (Lapland Bunting superficially? or even a Skylark), don't think House Sparrow. Dark tail and pale underwings, at least in appearance.

Not a shrike imo.

 

[Thijsdekruif]

That has very patterned (chequered) underwings, a reddish vent, relatively much shorter tail and different face/head pattern (as well as a different bill)

Are we looking at the belly and underwings here? I figured the white is actually upperwing. The tail of a woodpecker is actually quite long. Also the facial patterns fits GSW better than any othe suggestion imho. The bill is indeed weird, but that might be an angle thing.

 

[andrewslack]

Hi. Any chance of the original photo no matter how poor the quality - it might help with size/scale and whether we can rule out shadow on the bird rather than thinking its' its jizz cheers

 

[RichieTwitchy]

Thanks for that

Definitely bright sunlight casting shadows on the bird - and it looks a medium to large sized bird to me by distance to its surroundings hmmm...

 

[andrewslack]

I wondered about a shrike based on the apparent dark eye stripe, but the wings didn't seem right. Its head and overall shape does seem bunting/finchy but suspect it's larger than that. I couldn't rule out GSW though I hadn't thought of it, but it doesn't give the impression to me. I believe we are looking at it side on. I don't think the white bit is upper wing - I think it's the side of its body. I also wondered about peregrine or goshawk but it didn't seem right. In the attached image I think line 1 is the bottom of its body, we are looking at both underwings, and I'm pretty sure what looks like a paler bit at the edge of the tail is just a sharpening artefact

 

[andrewslack]

Thanks for that

Definitely bright sunlight casting shadows on the bird - and it looks a medium to large sized bird to me by distance to its surroundings hmmm...

it was very bright

 

[Richard Prior]

It’s definitely a Class 156 Super Sprinter
Oh, the bird could be a Sparrowhawk with a bulging crop…

 

[RichieTwitchy]

Definitely too large at that distance for a GSW - that would be tiny

 

[andrewslack]

It’s definitely a Class 156 Super Sprinter
Oh, the bird could be a Sparrowhawk with a bulging crop…

I hadn't considered the crop possibility, but it seemed both out of proportion and not the right colours for sparrowhawk, but of course at that distance and lighting it's hard to be sure.

 

[andrewslack]

The really annoying thing is that I was holding a D7200 with a 300mm F4 and 1.4x TC at the time. I just didn't know there was a bird to point it at

 

[RichieTwitchy]

The really annoying thing is that I was holding a D7200 with a 300mm F4 and 1.4x TC at the time. I just didn't know there was a bird to point it at

I feel your pain - many a time I've safely packed away my D500 only for a blimmin interesting bird to fly over me ☹️

 

[Harry Stottle]

Looks a little like an Osprey.

 

[andrewslack]

Looks a little like an Osprey.

I wondered that too on the head and body colouring and the apparent beak size, but the wings didn't look eagle-like, but I'm not sure how much variability in apparent wing shape there could be. Wonder what anyone else thinks from the options so far, and why!

 

[Thijsdekruif]

Ow yes, i see it now, obviously no GSW. Strange how perspective can change. I guess Richard is right.