After Anna reviewed the recommended identifications she, Bet and I agreir with the Merlin/Peregrin Falcon id. The difference between the two is there size and details about their face. So it was either one of these two, Anna is certain of it (she is the one who actually saw it. )
She saw a male, the female is more brown than the black or slate grey.
Thank you everyone for your help and for your humor, can’t get through a day with out mirth thats for stinkin sure.
God Bless.
Anna saw this bird and Bet and I were not around to help her identify it or take a better picture, not that we could have it just is lovely to think so highly of our skills.
So I was wondering if any of you might be more familiar with birds so that just a glance at this fellow and you know instantly who he may be.
Here is the picture that Anna took, I have cropped it on my computer before placing it here. Look familiar?
From this distance it is obvious that it is no dinky bird but I am not sure it is Osprey size. I mention the Osprey only for a size comparison because we have a few here but this one doesn’t match up; I don’t think it is close to two feet in length; notice in the top picture that he has a white bar at the tip of his tail feathers.
He may be perched on a log but we are stumped and cannot find our better bird book at the moment. So what do you think?
His back looks rather bluish but that may be the lighting and such. Anna says it looked bluish black to her. His neck, chest and tail tip are white. 
