Kestrel in East Dulwich

[Michael Palaeologus]

Sitting in my living room yesterday, late PM, I saw a smallish bird swoop in and settle on a roof opposite.

Slightly smaller than your average pigeon, http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/k/kestrel/index.aspx

The bird sat for about a minute, head quickly darting from side to side. It flew away, dipping down below the roof line and then up and over the house and gone. Very graceful.

Anybody else?

[tshor]

I suspect it was a sparrow hawk seen fairly regulary in Dulwich village so probably looking around :)

[Michael Palaeologus]

Could have been - size seems more like it.

Ta.

[fl0wer]

Kestrels do come over, characteristic flight style is their ability to hover in one place. Here in town they are probably looking for pigeon chicks that aren't fledged yet.

They are not the only birds of prey that do this hovering, but they are the ones we're most likely to see.

Sparrowhawk style is to swoop fast horizontally, even through narrow gap in hedge, snatching small prey en route.

[Albert Fegg]

A pair of kestrels nested and reared their young in one of the towers of St John's at the top of Goose Green three years ago. They haven't been back unfortunately.