On 2014-03-12 10:18:03 +0000, CT said:

sacha wrote:

I've put this in the bird group, too. We've just seen a bird perched
on the back of one of the garden chairs, just a few feet from the
window. It had a hawk like beak and a dark body which, at rest,
appeared to have white spots over its back. The chest had a pale
creamy patch and had a red tinge in the middle of it. The eyes were
dark. As it flew away, the tail was something between a fan and a
fork and barred. We would say it was about the size of a wood pigeon
and slightly dishevelled looking. We've never seen it here before or,
perhaps, we've never seen whatever-it-is so close up.

Initially I thought Sparrowhawk but the eye is yellow.

Merlin?
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...ry_merlin2.jpg

We think that could well be it. Ray mentioned this to one of the
Nursery team who is very much a countryman and has lived hereabouts all
his life. He reckons he's seen a Merlin two or three times, sometimes
flying up the road in front of his car. I said that we've seen
sparrowhawks do that but he said the markings are quite different. We
often see sparrowhawks here and this wasn't one!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk