Sparrowhawk!

[blakeyboy 1,601]

This beauty flew across on my way down the lane to the workshop.

I pulled out a cheap Lumix, 12x zoom, and click.....I'm really pleased - normally all I get is a tiny fuzzy speck....

Sparrowhawks are astonishingly beautiful up close- so many shades from cream to dark brown, particularly the wing covers.

If you had to do a Painting by Numbers of this you would have a hundred pots of paint!

[Flash 23]

Nice photo but I'm afraid it's a Kestrel

[mick1271 159]

Yes definitely a Kestrel . They used to be extremely common , but I see more Sparrowhawks than Kestrels nowadays .Starting to make a comeback  .

 

[mick1271 159]

Edited January 4, 2021 by mick1271
.

[mick1271 159]

That should be a video of a Sparrowhawk with a pigeon , but I don't seem to be able to add it .

 

[blakeyboy 1,601]

You know, looking again- you both may be right- it has that big eye of a kestrel- I only saw it fly past whilst driving, so I didn't see the 

classic sparrowhawk tail -  it certainly is the biggest kestrel I'v ever seen- maybe fluffed up against the cold?

It looked big as it flew past....

[copper123 1,352]

Will keep all the other birds away if it becomes a regular.