juv. Sparrowhawk (3 Viewers)

[Nina P]

On our return home from work today our neighbour said we had just missed a commotion and that a big bird had swooped down and picked up a mouse. Apparently all the birds at the feeders and in the trees had taken flight and their cat wondered what on earth was happening.

She explained it as a big browny coloured bird, definitely not a magpie, crow or rook. The only thing we can think of is a Sparrowhawk, as one has done this before a few months ago.

Do you think that this could have been a kestrel? as that is quite typical of our local one who has given my cats a start or two?
:cat:

 

[Michael Frankis]

Could well be - Sparrowhawks don't go for mice much, Kestrels do

Michael

 

[CJW]

Have you all seen this? Should we start all over again?

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=9724

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi CJ,

Sparrowhawk, that one

Michael

 

[digi-birder]

Do you think that this could have been a kestrel? as that is quite typical of our local one who has given my cats a start or two?
:cat:

Nina, that could be a possibility, if we'd ever seen Kestrels in this area, but I have never seen one - not even flying over - and I have seen a Sparrowhawk swoop into our garden on a previous occasion. One also landed on the dividing fence between our garden and our neighbour's in a strong wind one day. It rested there for a few minutes before flying off.

Our neighbours are not birders so the description is annoyingly vague. When she said, "browny coloured" we immediately thought Sparrowhawk, having had them before.

 

[Nina P]

Hi Diane, The trouble with Kestrels is that they tend to appear and dissappear so quickly, our local one we see perhaps twice a week then we dont see it for several months, and then we can see it three or four times a day, and then see it once. If you have a motorway or dual carriageway nearby there will be one thereabouts, they have become very common all over the british isles but their distinctive hovering is usually the most noticeable time to see them but they don't always hover, more often swoop in on the attack. Nina.

 

[saluki]

I've only witnessed Sparrowhawks catching mammals on two occasions - a young rat and a young rabbit. The rat was caught by a falconer's bird on a refuge dump - it's now Pennington Flash Country Park!

The young rabbit was taken by a wild Spar - we initially thought she'd taken a chick as we had several broods of OEG's wandering around. But she landed on the drive in front of the house and we managed to stalk up to her and ascertain it was a baby rabbit - there was a small rabbit warren under the chicken shed, so we presumed she had caught one from there.

Spars take, almost exclusively, birds.

saluki

 

[Nina P]

Kestrels are up to get anything, even things bigger than themselves, as our resident kes has tried to get a woodpigeon, but didn't succeed, as pigeon was too heavy to carry off, but she did kill it quite cleanly.
Now we have a family of goshawks who are very aggressive at the moment, I think that is the reason kes is not being spotted, but our kes doesn't breed here, but I don't know if she has a mate either. Nina.

 

[digi-birder]

Our neighbour could well be mistaken on the prey. If it came in that quickly she could well have thought it was a mouse when it was a bird. They're not that observant.

We'll never know - it may well have been a Kestrel - I have seen them not too far away so it's not impossible that they've ventured here.

 

[HH75]

Hi Saluki,
"The young rabbit was taken by a wild Spar "
Could it have been a Goshawk..?
Harry H

 

[les]

Sorry I`m late - but - it looks like a sprawk to me . the way to differentiate is - the legs - Sprawks have knitting needle legs, Gossess are beefier. this is definitely knitting needle country