I was driving home last week (I live in SE Sheffield) when a bird caught my eye flying
over the road. There were Carrion Crows and Herring Gulls too but my first thought (I
couldn't watch it as I had just crossed a traffic light junction) was 'heron', because of
it's langorous flight.
My second look saw a bird slightly larger than a H gull with longer narrow wings - about
one third longer -which were ROUNDED at the ends (not pointed as a gull or 'fingered' as a
hawk), slowly flapping as a Grey heron does. The body was not bulky, it had a shortish
neck - not kinked - smallish head, short beak. The legs did not protrude noticably but I
could not look for long.
It was pale underneath with no barring or patches.

I have looked up Osprey as that was the only bird I could immediately think of, but I did
not think the way it held it's wings or the rounded ends fitted. None of the pictures I
have looked at since seem like it at all. The rounded ends, narrowness and length are what
threw me.

Any ideas, please?

Kath

'The Stories of George the Hamster'
Translated by Lee H and Kathleen Smith
ISBN - 978-0-9546989-3-5
Available from www.arlev.clara.net/george.htm
and from both on line and High Street Bookshops