Good Day in the Garden (1 Viewer)

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helenol

Well-known member

• Oct 26, 2004

• #1

It was a good day in the garden yesterday for BOP. The buzzard is becoming the "resident" buzzard these days, and decided to spend the best part of half an hour perching in various trees in the garden. After he left, the sparrowhawk decided to take his place.

Strange thing was, I had found one of the young wood pigeons very dead indeed. I placed it on the bank, the buzzard knew it was there but never took it. Just checked now, and the pigeon is still there.

 

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robinm

Registered User

• Oct 26, 2004

• #2

Hi Helen,

Definitely a good day. Very odd about the pigeon still being there.

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Oct 26, 2004

• #3

Agreed Robin. Usually anything remotely dead is gnawed by something, if not during the day, then usually at night. Must have well fed creatures around here!

I'll keep my eye on it during the day, see what happens, if anything,

 

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Anthony Morton

Well-known member

• Oct 26, 2004

• #4

Hi Helen,

Just a thought but perhaps the buzzard and the sparrowhawk were both already 'fed up' and not looking for a meal. If so I imagine they will both have logged the position of your 'freebie' for future reference!

Anthony

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Oct 26, 2004

• #5

Hi Mr M,

I too thought the same thing. Pigeon is still there. Good job it's not hot weather...

 

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songbird6666

Registered User

• Oct 26, 2004

• #6

Helen, how do you manage to get a photo of the Sparrowhawk? Have you got a camera with a telephoto lens, and you took it from indoors? Or are yours tamer than mine? I have one coming daily here now, can't say I'm overly pleased, but I haven't seen it catch anything so I don't mind at the moment. Yesterday, I was on my shed roof clearing leaves, and it dipped just by me, I could feel the wind current! But today, it was actually sitting in the oak tree, I knew something was up because my chicken and cockerel were looking with their heads at a funny angle, and no birds to be seen anywhere. I thought it was a cat to be honest, so I went out, and the second I turned the corner, the hawk was off like greased lightening! It amazes me how anyone gets any pictures of them!

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Oct 27, 2004

• #7

Songbird, I took it from inside looking out.

The pigeon is still there, obviously not up to the buzzard or sparrowhawks refined tastes!

I'm really surprised though it hasn't been taken by some other nocturnal creature.

 

IndyMoon

Member

• Oct 27, 2004

• #8

Was the pigeon killed, or just dead? Maybe if it had died of illness or something the other creatures don't want to touch it. Just a thought.

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Oct 27, 2004

• #9

Hi Indy. The pigeon was dead. It was a juvenile, and I am almost sure it was one that had a scare the other day from a spawk. I found the juvenile pigeon splayed out in some bushes, then it dropped to the floor. I left it there, and after half an hour or so it seemed to perk up, and went on a walkabout under the bushes. Then a couple of days ago, I found it dead as a dodo under a tree, with it's wings fully spread out, and it's neck looking decidedly wobbly...

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Oct 27, 2004

• #10

He's here again! This is becoming something of a regular occurance.

I'm assuming it's a young buzzard because of the markings?

 

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songbird6666

Registered User

• Oct 27, 2004

• #11

Certainly looks like one to me. Here's one I found on google, just to compare, almost identical.
http://www.bean-geese.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/common buzzard.jpg

Interesting point about a nocturnal creature could/should have eaten it. Anyone know if a hedgehog would eat a bird dead or alive if it found it? Only I keep coming across the remains of some of my sickly greenfinches, (beaks, legs etc yuck) and there always seems to be a lot of hedgehog poo near it!

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Oct 27, 2004

• #12

No idea about the hedgehog songbird, besides I've wouldn't know hedgehog poo if I stepped in it

 

Jos Stratford

Eastern Exile

Staff member

• Oct 27, 2004

• #13

helenol said:

No idea about the hedgehog songbird, besides I've wouldn't know hedgehog poo if I stepped in it

Click to expand...

I could send you some Helen, I have one or two wandering round my garden quite often, could probably find you a little 'gift box'

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Oct 27, 2004

• #14

I'll pass on the gift box Jos, but thanks for the offer

Re the buzzard, it is a juv isn't it? I was amazed at how agile it is, watching today, he was flying in and out of the woods, amazing. The branch he perches on is just on the edge of the wood.

 

pauco

Старлин&

• Oct 28, 2004

• #15

Hi Helen, yes your lovely buzzard is a juv.

 

pauco

Старлин&

• Oct 28, 2004

• #16

Helen, are the adults still around? or is the buzzard setting up own patch i wonder.

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2004

• #17

Bert, I saw a couple of them yesterday. I regularly see 2 of them, so to be honest, I'm not sure!

He is a cracker though isn't he :t:

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Nov 5, 2004

• #18

Well, the pigeon was finally eaten. Took a look today, and whatever ate it, sure did a clean job, carcass in the same place, and looks as though not a feather out of place. Just bones showing and everything inside eaten. Finally!

 

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sazcarter

Member

• Nov 21, 2004

• #19

Hi, I have just joined Birdforum. I was interested to hear of so many people having sparrowhawks and buzzards in their gardens. I live in a suburb of Bedford, with my back garden overlooking a road then some open grassland with a stream. My feeders are bursting with goldfinches, tits and the like, but I have just seen a very large pale bird of prey sitting on my fence scaring off the smaller birds. I at first assumed it was a really big sparrowhawk but it had very heavy barring on its chest and was at least 12-14 inches high. It sat on the fence for about 5 mins, but not long enough for me to get my camera. I was wondering if it could have been a Goshawk? I have never seen one before. There is a lot of agricultural land around here supporting rabbits and pigeons, would a Goshawk try and catch small birds at the feeders??

Sarah

 

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Elizabeth Bigg

Addicted member

• Nov 21, 2004

• #20

Hi Sarah, and welcome to the forum. My feeders have been remarkably empty for several weeks now which is very unusual - and even a couple of hard frosts have not encouraged many birds to return. I'll have to leave your hawk question to the experts - I just have sparrowhawk visits here.