Was having a quick 15 mins looking at the gulls on the local water treatment works today when this big falcon came over.
Of course my camera was zipped away, not switched on, set to wrong setting etc., so rather than getting some nice sharp images of it overhead being mobbed I had to settle with these blurry shot as it chased a (common/herring) gull before disappearing over the hill.
Anyway, I did look at the bird through my bins as well and made the following notes:
large falcon with blunt wings and longish tail
underwing dark coverts bar across wing
much reduced or absent moustachial stripe and no black cap on head
very clear pale supercilium
dark brown flight feathers above with paler warmer brown body feathers above
To me this matches Saker Falcon, so I wondered whether anyone with lots of experience of this species and its separation from Peregrine could comment on the images - although I realise this is quite a challenge... Just a confirmation that this is not a juv Peregrine would be enough (unless you think otherwise...)
Of course, given the location it is possible that a falconer is working the site, but it is my understanding that this currently does not happen (as the gulls just fly the mile or two to the other water treatment works apparently!).
Obviously it will be impossible to comment on hybrids etc from these images.
Thanks
Geoff
Of course my camera was zipped away, not switched on, set to wrong setting etc., so rather than getting some nice sharp images of it overhead being mobbed I had to settle with these blurry shot as it chased a (common/herring) gull before disappearing over the hill.
Anyway, I did look at the bird through my bins as well and made the following notes:
large falcon with blunt wings and longish tail
underwing dark coverts bar across wing
much reduced or absent moustachial stripe and no black cap on head
very clear pale supercilium
dark brown flight feathers above with paler warmer brown body feathers above
To me this matches Saker Falcon, so I wondered whether anyone with lots of experience of this species and its separation from Peregrine could comment on the images - although I realise this is quite a challenge... Just a confirmation that this is not a juv Peregrine would be enough (unless you think otherwise...)
Of course, given the location it is possible that a falconer is working the site, but it is my understanding that this currently does not happen (as the gulls just fly the mile or two to the other water treatment works apparently!).
Obviously it will be impossible to comment on hybrids etc from these images.
Thanks
Geoff
