And death swooped from the sky

[monkeyman]

Working at my computer, I happened to glance out of the window. The sky is a beautiful shade of winter blue and the sun is setting in dazzling pink and gold to my right.

We have a lot of pigeon fanciers around here and I was idly watching a flock of "tumblers" about four hundred yards to the south when I realised they weren't tumbling but trying to evade a sickle-shaped blur that dived through the middle of them. It was a peregrine! I snatched my bins and followed the falcon as he swooped and turned and finally snatched a straggler. Feathers flew everywhere!

With his dinner clutched firmly in his talons he turned and very obligingly flew towards me and over the house to the north.

Peregrines are quite common here, usually flying overhead, but I have never witnessed one actually kill before.

Makes up for not being able to go out with JohnJ today!

[Cindy M]

gosh I could get used to seeing peregrines on a common basis I think, such a perfect predator they are. I'm always in awe of hawks and falcons & how there are no wasted movements in their actions once their sights are set on their prey. Powerful sighting!

[Reader]

Monkeyman

You just knew that was going to happen didn't you. No wonder I was kicked into touch: lol

That's one for the old memory banks.

I have only ever witnessed a Peregrine kill once and that was at Belvide, funnily enough in January as well. Belvide was virtually iced over, just a small patch of water way out in the middle and as you can imagine everything was crammed into that patch of water.

Suddenly everything seemed to irrupt as Ducks were flying every which way. A few stayed put and as we all looked skywards there it was, a Peregrine.

It dived towards the water and most of the remaining ducks took flight barring the odd one or two that dived. Amongst them was one Little Grebe. As it dived the Peregrine just missed it, flew higher, banked and turned, started its screaming dive again and just missed the grebe again. This went on for seven times, each time the Peregrine timed its dive closer to when the Grebe surfaced. On the 7th dive it timed it as the Grebe surfaced and seemed to clip the Grebe across the crown rendering the poor bird motionless. The Peregrine turned back and collected its victim and flew over and landed on the ice and started to pick at it. Then something I have never seen before, or since, happened. Two Buzzards flew down to try and take the Grebe from the Peregrine. the Peregrine seemed to raise itself up, as if leaning on its tail and whilst holding the Grebe in one leg proceeded to splay out the other talon towards the Buzzards. It would then drag they prey for a bit then repeat the same posturing towards the Buzzards. The Buzzards must have got the message and took flight. The Peregrine had had enough as well and flew off with its prey over the dam wall.

I have never forgotten that. I don't usually keep that much detail in my head about sightings but I can remember that day as if I was still there watching the action unfold before my eyes.

I suspect that what you saw today will stay with you forever as well.

Peregrines are spectacular birds and what a sight when you see them go into attack mode.

[Colin]

Hi there Monkeyman,
The Peregrines which are just about guarenteed at Slimbridge catch a duck or wader or two but often miss. BUT when they hunt in pairs, they rarely miss. One will come in low and fairly leisurely and approach a flock of duck (say, Teal) or waders on the ground and cause them to flush. The prey get away quite easily until the other one which has been lurking high in the sky 'comes out of the sun' and it's 'goodnight Vienna' for some poor bird. Amazing to see.
Quite a spectacle that you saw too, from your detailed account.

Colin

[peter hayes]

Great story Al. And after Colin's posting I'm look forward to SlimBash even more eagerly!

[bcurrie]

Those are spectacular moments to witness. Thanks for sharing it, Al.