Hello, that's an intriguing description! No British bird of prey has markings that could be described as electric blue, on their wings or anywhere else, in fact I don't think any species of raptor anywhere in the world does...
Did you see its bill size/shape at all?
ETA - sorry, I don't know where I got the bird of prey thing from! OK, size and electric blue wing patch could mean a Jay, though white/grey body doesn't really work for Jay. Another, much more remote possibility would be an escaped Blue-winged Kookaburra - they look like this: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/files/pictures/Scan3822.jpg
My blog: http://mazzaswildside.blogspot.co.uk/
My Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124028194@N04/
Hi Kirsty and welcome to the Community from me in Berkshire.
The only bird I can think of with electric blue markings on its wings is a Jay. I wouldn't describe it as grey though. Is it anything like this?
____________________________________________________________________
Tony
My Flickr Photostream
aiki said:Another, much more remote possibility would be an escaped Blue-winged Kookaburra
Paul A had one on his roof not so long ago so it can't be discounted.
Unknown said: Another, much more remote possibility would be an escaped Blue-winged Kookaburra Paul A had one on his roof not so long ago so it can't be discounted. [/quote] Crikey, did he?? It was my first thought when I saw the colour description, and I know they are popular aviary birds. My blog: http://mazzaswildside.blogspot.co.uk/ My Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124028194@N04/
Another, much more remote possibility would be an escaped Blue-winged Kookaburra
[/quote]
Crikey, did he?? It was my first thought when I saw the colour description, and I know they are popular aviary birds.
He did indeed. Here's a link to Paul's thread.
www.rspb.org.uk/.../110613.aspx
Thanks TJ. Paul's bird was actually a Laughing Kookaburra, but I see Ben A then posted a photo of an escapee Blue-winged Kookaburra in Surrey :)
Oops, I hadn't realised there were different species of Kookaburra.
All we need now is Kirsty to tell us if any of us are on the right track.
Hello everyone - thank you for your assistance... I'm drawing a blank with all these, the beak was definitely not long like the kookaburra - that would have been amazing!! Not a Jay, what I'm having trouble with is that I don't recall (which is a term one cant depend on I know) it having any dark markings at all... It was all white or all light grey... My first thought was that it had to have been an escaped Avery bird, but I know nothing really of birds so assumed I was wrong...
Oh I wish I had my camera... What is so frustrating is that my three year old daughter was at the breakfast table looking out into the garden and kept saying "Look at that big white bird Mummy" and I just assumed she was looking at a dove/seagull or similar, and when I looked up I froze as it was the same one I had seen a before...
I'm afraid I'm stumped :( It may well be an aviary escapee but off the top of my head I can't think of any other species with those colours. It could also be an unusual colour form of a more familiar species. With any luck it'll return for a photo - even if it's not a great pic we should be able to ID it.
Keep your camera handy, Kirsty. Or better still get your daughter on the case.