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We spent this gorgeous day up on the clifftops in Bournemouth scootering along with our two little monkeys. We were looking out at the sea when a bird that at first we thought was a kestrel hovered up into view. It was sort of hovering in the air by hummingbird style wing beating. Too small and sleek for a kestrel and wrong beak from what i could see - wasn't close enough to get good look at him. Brown in colour with short tail feathers, about the same size as a magpie but sleeker and neater if you know what I mean.
I've lived here a long time and spent a lot of time on that beach and never seen that. I don't think it was  a thrush as we see those on Hengistbury Head and i thought it was much too big, and also never seen one do the hovery thing. Loads of people on the beach looking at it too.
Any one got any ideas? Lent my bird book to the school and they've still got it!!

That's a bit too vague to get anywhere with. Where was the bird exactly?  I remember Hengistbury Head from when I was a kid; we used to stay at Black House on the end of the spit across the mouth of Christchurch Bay.

sparrowhawk? i have quite often seen small birds of prey hovering over the cliffs there Em and think they usually are kestrals but not really sure.  have been seeing a lot of lizards on the zig zags too. 

Robert we go up to the spit there quite often and know the black house well its still there.  it gets very busy up there in summer.  i think there is quite a bit of history connected with the black house, pirates and battles with the treasury.

That's interesting; I haven't been since I was six, and I still remember it well. At the time, it was split into two flats, with gas lighting, and the fishermen rowed us over in a little rowing boat.

It wasn't a jay was it?

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/jay.htm

I was going to suggest a sparrowhawk, by the way you described the hovering.
We see a lot of them around here in south Devon and one that visits our garden regularly. I have seen it pick a sparrow of the top of our bay tree as it flew through the garden it is so quick  :(

Howz about the Peregrine Falcon which seems to frequent cliffs.  No??  oh OK, thought I would try.   ;D ;D ;D   I have never seen the sparrowhawk hovering, I thought the only bird to hover was the Kestrel.   ;) ;)

Kestrels are the bird of prey which is known for hovering; they hunt prey on the ground, which is pinpointed while they hover overhead. Sparrowhawks and peregrines rely on speed to catch birds, often on the wing (normally so in the case of peregrines), and don't have any reason to hover about.

Sorry about the vagueness Robert but it was a bright hazy day, and he was too far away to get a really good look. I thought the beach and the hovering might give someone a clue!!!
The black house is fantastic, the tales of smugglers and pirates fasinate my kids, I can't believe you've stayed there! I'm not sure if there is anyone in it now.
Wasn't a jay Honeybee, they are beautiful aren't they- our first thought was kestrel. Have to keep my eyes open for them now. It's funny, but all the time I've lived here I've never seen one on the cliffs before.
Thanks all. x

Oooh, lizards on the zigzags eh sarah, have to take the girls down. x