Can any one help there a pair of birds in silksworth Sunderland on a bit of grassland they look very much like birds of prey they fly up out of the grass and they swoop and soar the ends of the wings look like those of a red kite but the bird has black wings and a cream coloured body and head under the wings near to the body they were cream my dad said it was a red kite but when I looked one up it is not like that apart from the end of the wings it is larger then a crow.
Hi dalery
Sounds like Buzzards to me. Did you hear their call? High pitched and a bit spooky.
Pipit
hi pipit a buzzard it says are a slow flyer these very quick have just looked at picture of a buzzard and it is not one of those it acted like a swift or swallow as if it were catching insects but was so much bigger I am going to try and get a picture
A picture would clinch it. So much easier.
Did you see the film of Hobbys on Springwatch? They swoop and twist while catching dragonflies. Your description of grassland is probably the wrong habitat for Hobbys as they obviously need to be near water.
Good luck with the identification, I'm sure someone on this forum will know.
Cheers
Hi Dalery
This is my first go at trying to indentify a bird in this forum so I hope I dont make too much of a fool in having a go. I reckon these birds could actually be Lapwings as they sit the discription even though they are not birds of prey. They have black, hawk like wings and a light underside they also have a habit of flying from the ground and performing some incredible arobatics which could look like hunting before plummiting back to the ground. Hopefully if you get a photo it will enable a more positive indentification but in the meantime maybe the real experts in here can help without embarrasing me too much ;-)
Regards
Shane
Regards Shane
My Photos in Flickr.
Marsh Harriers?
Jimbob
Good Thinking Jimbob I didnt think of posting a picture so here's one.
You are brilliant that is it to a tee thank you I work nightshift and my colleagues have been driven mad by me waffling on about these birds thank you from myself and my relieved colleagues.
Dalery
I'm so glad I could help I have really started getting into birding over the last couple of years and i have a lot to learn and have found this forum is the place to be to do just that :o)