This is the worst photo in the world for ID purposes I’m aware, but I almost cycled over this little bird in the rain today. Its white ruff and the brown markings seem to match from what I’ve just googled, curious to see what people think it might be?

Baby robin

well at least you got that one over and done with! 🙂

🙂 – sorry

maybe a hobby?

Hard to see from the pic but peregrines are surprisingly big birds.

Hard to tell. Throat/upper chest on a peregrine is normally lighter than that.

Location?

Oh yeah uplink…. quite obviously a hobby. Thanks for that.

Mine was only about 15cm tall, have always wanted to see a hobby but not at the side of the path looking a bit scared 🙁

CFH, on the track that runs from the A360 near druids lodge down to Upper Woodford. Always see so many hares round there as well!

Good country! But not peregrine country!

🙂

Well it could be peregrine country flashy according to the rspb website which I’ve only looked at because you said it couldn’t be 😉 And look, not dissimilar

I’d say that’s a young peregrine personally. Or a very drunk Robin in fancy dress.

Really, Anna? Didn’t think they had spread down that way! Ace if they have!

Oh, lucky you Anna. 8) Was it a fledgling perhaps? Broken wing? Funnily enough, I know where you mean cos around there used to be guinea fowl.

Handsome looking bird too. 🙂

You do get Peregrines in Wilts. For example there are some nesting in the quarry just eat of Mere (apparently) and people I know who claim to be able to recognise such things claim to have seem them passing over the plain. Very rare but not impossible.

The more I look at the RSPB drawing the more I think it looks like the one I saw today….. it’s the kind of mutton chops moustache markings…. It was definitely a young bird, whatever it was. It didn’t move a muscle as I photographed it and cycled past, now I wish I’d have rescued it. CG, it was a bit further down the path from where we sat down and ate lunch when you stopped here for a bike ride on your way back from hols a couple of years ago.

😆 at mutton chops moustache markings! Amazing that it didn’t move, poor little thing.

Oh yes I remember. Sorry I was thinking of that nice track that leads downhill to Berwick St. James. There used to be guinea fowl at the farmhouse but it’s been a long time since I’ve ridden that.

funnily enough, this

track that leads downhill to Berwick St. James

is part of one of my new routes round here, inc the singletrack in the photo that you asked about a couple of weeks ago. Heyyyyyyyy, you should come over sometime for a bike ride 🙂

Bird expert here :), defo a hobby

now I wish I’d have rescued it.

Far better to leave it alone. If it was a young one mum was probably hiding somewhere waiting for you to go away. If it was ill enough that you could pick it up its in big trouble anyway

hi anna,

bird geek here too – its def 100% a northern hobby – stripes and colour give it away – we have peregrines on our local church and I see them daily – definitely not a peregrine. They are bigger and more bluey grey in colour. Both amazing birds – watching hobbies hunt is an inspiring experience – acrobatic to say the least when chasing dragonflies. Peregrines are more powerful and intense.

happy trails

paul

Another bird geek here. My best sighting of this species was of 4 bombing about bothering various hirundines close to Frensham Common. Awesome sight. Especially pleasing as I’d just been watching a Dartford Warbler too. Ace 🙂

Factoid: Subbuteo – the table football game, was named after the Hobby. The inventor was another bird geek. The species Latin name is Falco Subbuteo!!! From memory he couldn’t trademark ‘hobby’ as the name of the game he created, so went for subbuteo instead!

Probably a Hobby, they are around Wiltshire, although I’ve not seen one yet. There’s a breeding pair of Peregrines in the centre of Bath, and I’ve seen a pair on the ground in Biddestone before they got miffed with me watching them and took off. Peregrines are big birds, nearly crow sized, but narrower wings. Smaller than a Gyr, about the same size as a Saker. Kites haven’t got that far south yet, though, they’re only just expanding into North Wilts.

I once rescued a kestrel which had probably been hit by a car and was flapping about on the ground. This was on my commute to work on the Isle of Wight. Managed to cycle 4 miles with the thing half stunned and motionless in my left hand. Got as far as the East Cowes chain ferry where the crowd of curious onlookers freaked it out and off it flew apparently unscathed. A happy ending for once.

Thanks all for answers and info! I wanted it to be a baby peregrine, but hobby is good too. Beagle – really interesting about the latin name… I knew what the hobby was called in latin but not why! Count Zero, I saw red kites (3) flying above the same path where I saw the baby hobby. V unusual I know, and have only seen them once there, but definitely kites not buzzards, I can ID them ok 🙂 This is just outside Salisbury, and either much earlier this year or the end of last.

hurray for kestrel-rescuer Dave! 🙂

Not riding over the Purbecks today Anna?

Erm, have I missed something…? I’m not, didn’t know there was a Purbecks ride on. However, roast lunch out and then sloe picking sounds ok to me too 🙂 enjoy your unpacking!

Was going to say that we have a pair of peregrines in bath, was vert pleased a few years back to see them teaching one if their fledglings how to hunt. Not sure if they still nest in the same place but it used to be about 150yds from a flat I rented

Red kites are becoming very common in this area. My sightings in the last year or 2 include Andover, Vernham Dean, various along the A34, Dummer, Wickham and Owslebury/Winchester.

Pair of Peregrines used to nest in the ruins at Bishops Waltham.

Only seen hobbies once – a pair doing acrobatics over suburban Southampton about 15 years ago. Fantastic.

Now if that poorly Hobby had been wearing a helmet………….