Help to identify a bird

[Ricanna]

Not quick enough for a photo but I will do my best to describe. It was the size of a small crow, dark grey with a squarish head. A chunky sort of thing. It had whitish bars on it's breast and a white bar across the tail feathers. Nearest I could find was a cuckoo but I don't think it was. Was sitting on the hedge apparently eating bees! Anyone any clues? Thanks

[kosacid]

it most likely was I have seen a few this year

[Ballymore]

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/ Try this and see if you can find your bird.

[Ricanna]

Thanks, I have never seen a cuckoo before and thought the grey colour was wrong somehow

[Ricanna]

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/ Try this and see if you can find your bird.

I did try that with no luck but I will try again in case I did something wrong. Thanks

[r.rackstraw]

Great Grey Shrike?
Have a look on google and see if the images match what you saw.

[nirofo]

Not quick enough for a photo but I will do my best to describe. It was the size of a small crow, dark grey with a squarish head. A chunky sort of thing. It had whitish bars on it's breast and a white bar across the tail feathers. Nearest I could find was a cuckoo but I don't think it was. Was sitting on the hedge apparently eating bees! Anyone any clues? Thanks

It could have been a female Sparrowhawk, was it similar to the bird in the photo below.

Sparrowhawk female at nest with young.


nirofo.