I think I may owe a cat an apology .... (1 Viewer)

The other day I posted that a cat had killed one of my goldfinches, well I think I may have to have another think about that.

Yesterday morning, I was greeted with the sickening but inevitable sight of a million collared dove feathers behind my shed in the garden where my unfriendly neighbourhood sparrowhawk had eaten his supper the night before, I noticed a couple of feathers round the front when I shut the chickens in that night, but didn't look round the back....... So I'm thinking maybe Mr S Hawk was the culprit with the goldfinch as there were only a few feathers and would have probably taken the bird off elsewhere to eat. I guess they can't carry doves too easily, and they normally eat them where they catch them (I know from bitter experience of keeping fantails) When a cat had a blue tit last year it left the body kindly for me to dispose of.

So yesterday lunchtime, the said Mr S Hawk attacked my living room window trying to get my Chippy (budgie - don't mention on here for obvious reasons as I know most don't approve, but he is the most loved and spoilt pet ever, honest...) Luckily, I still have the fruit netting stretched across the window from last year to prevent window strikes, else the hawk would be nursing a sore head or worse. Anyhow I had the chance to grab my camcorder and got some shots of his flight at the window, and then he had the audacity to sit on the wooden bench in front of the window glaring in for several minutes at me and Chips! I wish I had the know-how to post the actual clip, but I don't think I have the right equipment to transfer (maybe someone can put me right on this? ) However, I am posting a couple of still clips of the event. I think it may be a young male or would it be too early for a this years bird yet? He is either very naive, tame or sick, because he is almost unafraid of me, I went outside to take some pics with my digi camera, and he just sat on the fence a few feet away looking at me! Magnificent bird - just don't like him using my garden as a cafe, but still.......

Edit - I have found a better way of adding the pictures so that they aren't so tiny and hard to see. Please see my next post if you are interested in the pics. :bounce:

Trying an experiment, please bear with me, as I'm not sure if this will work or not......

Hi Songbird,
sparrowhawks dont seem to be very shy...I had one swoop down on some chaffinches feeding on my kitchen window sill when I was sitting the other side, but he misjudged the window glass cos the light was shining on it, and at the last minute put out his feet....there was a huge crash, and I had no idea what it was, so went outside and could see what looked like a pile of brown leaves. He (or she) got up very quickly and flew off. Until I cleaned the windows I had a nice outline of two feet on it! I do think there are lots more about than in the past. It's good that there are, not so good if you are their prey,of course. :eek!:
PS Have just tried your photos, but nothing has come so far will leave it to see if its just slow....

sparrowhawk pic

songbird said:

Trying an experiment, please bear with me, as I'm not sure if this will work or not......

Click to expand...

Hi Songbird
Downloaded one of your pics. Fascinating thank you. It did take ages to download though.
There do seem to be many more birds of prey these last couple of years. We have kestral and sparrow hawks visit our suburban garden and we notice large numbers of buzzards too.as we travel around the countryside.
Still, I suppose that indicates an increase in small mammals etc so it's not all bad news.

nice pics, got to love those eyes and that hard stare through the window :bounce:

see them a lot here but nothing like as fearless as that bird, lucky to get so close!

I don't know if it's just me but I have been finding the forum really slow to load for a few days now, not pictures, just the threads in general. I have 1MB broadband too, so it must be awful if you are on dial-up.

Not wishing to start an anti protected species argument, but I do wonder what is going to happen if the sparrowhawks are now increasing in numbers, (I too have noticed it) they (and other hawks) presumably have no predators, and will go forth and multiply and devour lots more of our song birds. They can't be encouraged to only eat rodents can they?

They can't be encouraged to only eat rodents can they?

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that would mean them competing with my Barn Owls, can't have that

if the number of Sparrowhawk is increasing it's good news as far I'm concerned, if a predator is thriving doesn't it usually mean there's plenty of food around

only increase I've seen around here is in the numbers of Buzzards

great pics.

yes, sparrowhawks are getting more common. if you look for them they will show. i think i see more sparrowhawks now than kestrels, witch is a first for me.

Wow that stare is ominous! Glad the cat is off the hook for now. I'd like to see the movie if you figure out how to post it.

Kay

Good thing the Cat didn't do it

I was on the receiving end of a Spawk stare yesterday in the garden after I startled him on the ground whilst trying to dispatch a collared dove. Dove went one way Sprawk the other. He then flew back and perched in a tree not ten feet away from me and just stared for a good minute obviously indignant at what I'd made him lose. You were lucky you were able to capture it - I never seem to have a camera at these times.

songbird said:

Trying an experiment, please bear with me, as I'm not sure if this will work or not......

Click to expand...

great picture- can you save it and post as an .avi file format. It should then be possible to view it, as long as the clip is very short, otherwise it will take up loads of memory. Just a thought.