Something's making a mess on my grass

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 Michael Hood 09 Jan 2022

This is from upstairs, she's only about ten feet from the kitchen so I haven't gone in there yet incase it scares her off.

Been there at least 20 minutes in the rain

I think the victim is a pigeon but there only appear to be whitish feathers.

Still ongoing


 MeMeMe 09 Jan 2022
In reply to Michael Hood:

I’m shit at identifying birds, do you know what it is? 

OP Michael Hood 09 Jan 2022
In reply to MeMeMe:

Sorry, forgot to mention, female sparrowhawk

Was on the kill for a good 45 minutes, sitting in a tree now, burping presumably 😁

 Bottom Clinger 09 Jan 2022
In reply to Michael Hood:

Brilliant. Do you get many domesticated pigeons found your way?  Very white feathers, whiter than a collard dove. 

 Tringa 09 Jan 2022
In reply to Michael Hood:

Excellent sighting and even better to have seen it for so long. The visits to our garden of sparrowhawks are usually measured in seconds.

Dave

OP Michael Hood 09 Jan 2022
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

> Brilliant. Do you get many domesticated pigeons found your way? 

The houses at the back of us have a whole load of them that sit on the roof, somebody there feeds them! I've seen a female sparrowhawk fly through a couple of times but never had a kill in the garden before (it's not a large garden - 30-40' long).

Of course, for me it had to be a female sparrowhawk - although I have at least seen one identifiable as a male late last year - you seem to get clusters of them following you 😁

 Tony Buckley 09 Jan 2022
In reply to Michael Hood:

Very attractive colouring on female sparrowhawks.  The gingery terracotta on the cheeks and the chestnut brown on the wings are most distinctive.

T.

OP Michael Hood 09 Jan 2022
In reply to Tringa:

> Excellent sighting and even better to have seen it for so long. The visits to our garden of sparrowhawks are usually measured in seconds.

My usual experience is "whoa, that was a sparrowhawk", even when one stopped in a tree it was only for a second.

 nathan79 09 Jan 2022
In reply to Michael Hood:

Always a great experience.

I had it last year. Flash of something out of the corner of my eye as I was washing the dishes. Delighted to see a sparrowhawk v pigeon battle and rushed to grab my camera.

She brought it down, wrestled for a while before it escaped and darted under to safety a greenhouse.

Madame sparrowhawk loitered with intent and returned for another attack, hauling the pigeon out before it broke loose again. Again she loitered but flew off never to return.

Many minutes later along came Vegas, the neighbours cat, who proceeded to follow a feathery trail to the green house. Hauled out the pigeon which again performed a great escape and flew off to freedom.

Made my day.

OP Michael Hood 10 Jan 2022
In reply to Michael Hood:

The remains were moved across the garden in the night and when I looked out of the kitchen window a few minutes ago, madam was back for some easy pickings on the carcass. Currently sat in a tree, I don't think the local magpies and squirrels are too keen but she's just ignoring them.


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