The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Bird of prey just came into the plum tree outside my office window, it was side on and silhouetted against bright sky.

My first thought was 'the Sparrowhawk is back' but something was not quite right, it appeared to sit more upright and taller and had distinct light coloured circular markings running down it's shoulder - also missing was those Piercing yellow eyes. I stumbled to get a better view but alas the bird took flight.

Any ideas? I thought maybe a Goshawk (never having seen one) so I checked my guides and was surprised to find an entry for a Levant which is a pretty close match to what I just observed.

I don't remember seeing Levant Sparrowhawk with pale scapular patches like you describe. They are very common on Sparrowhawk however. Young Levant's also are streaked underneath, rather than barred.

Importantly, Levant would be a first for Britain, and i don't know of any records on the near Continent either. Although highly migratory, they don't really seem prone to vagrancy. Not saying it wasn't one, just that its highly unlikely. And it comes from a very different area to the Siberian vagrants currently in the country.

What colour exactly were the eyes, and did you see the bird well enough to say for sure?

Hi Paul,

Didn't get a good view, just a 4 or 5 second 'glimpse'. Bird was in dappled shade and against bright background, was side on so didn't see the chest at all, just the outer wing which had these white 'patches', I haven't seen these before on the hawks that usually come into the garden so pleased to hear that they are typical and highly unlikely to be anything other than a plain 'ol Sparrowhawk - I don't want to be responsible for sending anyone out on a wild goose chase

It wasn't so much that I could see the colour of the eyes, what struck me was the lack of any yellow, eyes or beak? Could simply be the angle I was viewing from, usually the eyes are so vibrant, even in the shade of my plum trees (happens to be a favourite haunting ground of the local hawks)

The eye colour of Sparrowhawks differs with age from yellow, orange to almost red.