Hindolbittern
Wildlife artist & good egg
I'm slightly ashamed to ask such a basic question - but how else am I going to catch up with the rest of you if I don't ask?
I was cycling up to raid (by prior arrangement) my neighbour’s allotment this afternoon when I heard an appalling scream.
At first I couldn’t locate the source of the noise and then saw in the sky a sparrow hawk with something, about the size of an orange, in its talons, being mobbed by a gull. The screams continued (from the gull) and then it was joined by about half a dozen more gulls, who mobbed the sprawk until I lost sight of them all. The sparrow hawk kept its prey as far as I could see.
I couldn’t give a positive ID of the gulls (bike, bags, no binoculars, incompetence etc.) but I'd say they were Common Gulls.
I assumed from the hysteria that it was a gull chick being taken but then realised I wasn't aware that Common Gulls nest in the village (we are about 8 miles inland). It was a surprisingly big fuss and some deeply tragic noises from the first adult if something other than a young gull was being taken.
You'd think from my avatar that I'd know this wouldn't you?
I was cycling up to raid (by prior arrangement) my neighbour’s allotment this afternoon when I heard an appalling scream.
At first I couldn’t locate the source of the noise and then saw in the sky a sparrow hawk with something, about the size of an orange, in its talons, being mobbed by a gull. The screams continued (from the gull) and then it was joined by about half a dozen more gulls, who mobbed the sprawk until I lost sight of them all. The sparrow hawk kept its prey as far as I could see.
I couldn’t give a positive ID of the gulls (bike, bags, no binoculars, incompetence etc.) but I'd say they were Common Gulls.
I assumed from the hysteria that it was a gull chick being taken but then realised I wasn't aware that Common Gulls nest in the village (we are about 8 miles inland). It was a surprisingly big fuss and some deeply tragic noises from the first adult if something other than a young gull was being taken.
You'd think from my avatar that I'd know this wouldn't you?
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