Sorry, no picture but perhaps a description will work.  As we would pass farmers fields often a large "grayish" bird would be flying, heavy chested, dark band on tail underside, strong and rapid wing beat, likely pigeon sized or slightly larger.  We saw these birds singly, not in groups.
If the description rings a bell, please point me in the right direction of images to find the answer.

We also saw magpies, the version living in the UK which is slightly different from the western North American version of magpie.  This was the first time to see a magpie.  At least that one I figured out.   The pigeon like bird above fields is still unknown.     Thanks for any insight.  TomDart.

I always thought they were crows, but i'm no ornithologist.

The closest I can find is a Wood Pigeon but am not certain if this bird is seen often as a solitary figure.

Sounds like a Lesser Spotted Wingnut.

 ecurb - The Devil

Fred, I was hesitant to mention the Wingnut I saw, certain of mistaken identity.   There is a twist to getting a good id on these.

Or it could be the Flying Tapdrip

 ecurb - The Devil

Thats what I like about this place, everyone is so helpful LOL! :lol:

Attached Link: Wood Pigeon

hth

And every one said, 'If we only live,
We too will go to sea in a Sieve,---
To the hills of the Chankly Bore!'
Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a Sieve.

Edward Lear
http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/ns/jumblies.html

could have been a Stock Dove www.rspb.org.uk/.../name/S/StockDove/index.asp which is very similar to a woodie..

The links from you and Richard(Onslow) are quite helpful.  The Wood Pigeon in flight looks very similar to what was seen but I could not see upper portions of the birds and it could be either.
Thanks to you both.  The bird hunt is quite narrowed down now and it will take seeing one in flight again for confirmation. : )   Tom

Hi Tom, looking through the forums here and found your thread
Maybe this might be helpful my friend?

http://www.arkive.org/woodpigeon/columba-palumbus/video-00.html

This shows several wood pigeons in flight

Ronnie.

It takes one tree to make a billion matchsticks, but one match to burn a billion trees