Bird of prey v pigeon in my garden (1 Viewer)

Bird of prey v pigeon in my garden in West Essex UK

A large bird of prey attacked and killed a podgy wood pigeon in my garden in West Essex on Friday morning, but I am not sure what the raptor was.
I took several pictures from about 15 yards away using a 70-210 Canon zoom but won't get the film (yes, I still use film) developed for a few days.
The bird had dark brown upper surfaces (sorry, I fly radio controlled model gliders) and grey undersides with what I would call grey 'pants' on its upper legs.
I found it difficult to judge the wingspan because I never saw the wings fully extended. Likewise, I did not get a clear view of the tail feathers.
It stood about 18-22ins tall when standing on my lawn carefully, but quickly, plucking the pigeon's feathers. It then started dissecting the pigeon's inards, before trying to fly off with the catch. It struggled to get airborne and landed on the top of my compost heap where it seemed to reduce the weight of the pigeon even further by removing more body parts.
I fired off a few pictures from my slightly-open patio door, then tried to creep closer for a better view of the bird. I managed to get within about 12 yards when the bird grabbed its catch and tried to fly under a bush. It then dragged the carcass into the open and flew off over my garden fence, then across the field behind my home.
I am very much a newbie to birding, but having had buzzards and other birds of prey fly alongside my model gliders while circling in thermals I have taken a keen interest in spotting the various types of raptor in my neck of the woods. However, I found the bird that caught its prey in my garden, very difficult to identify.
For a start, what sort of bird could quickly despatch a very plump wood pigeon and carry off the carcass?
Would welcome any clues on the bird

cheers

GF

Well now, I'm sure the experts will be along in due course, but this sounds like a female sparrowhawk to me (and there's a gallery photo on that link to compare).

It seems it's prime time for them to be doing just what you describe: I had a feral pigeon crash into my living room window 8 days back, closely followed by a young sparrowhawk that *just* managed to put the brakes on in time. The pigeon tumbled to the ground stunned, where a neighbour's cat sprang from the bushes and pounced on it, causing the sprawk to give up and head off. I hurled abuse at the moggy through the window and it scarpered. All three survived; shame about the cat.

Hi GF and welcome from all the staff and moderators at Bird Forum.

I think Sig has already identified your raptor, that's a very good bird for a garden tick.

D

Hi Sig and Delia and thank you for your replies.
The excellent photograph of the sparrowhawk (see the above link) shows almost exactly the scene I saw on my lawn on Friday.
The quarry was firmly pinned to the ground and plucked grey pigeon feathers were scattered around. However, the bird I saw had a darker, reddish brown in its upper plumage and the 'pants' on its upper legs were a pure grey (although I did see them only from behind when the raptor was tucking in on top of my compost heap).
Apart from those two differences (which I am sure can be put down to age of bird or the time of year) the bird in the picture could have been the one I saw. Even the beady stare it gave me as I moved closed with my camera is the same as that by the bird pictured in the link.

To change the subject slightly:

As I mentioned in my first post, I fly large radio controlled model gliders (10-12ft span) that stay aloft by circling in thermals. The local buzzards and other large soaring birds, will often see a model circling and fly over to investigate and stay in the same thermal. It is absolutely fabulous to watch, especially if there is a big bird on either wingtip of the models.
Most of my gliders would be able to carry aloft a small digital camera (mounted on top of the fuselage, directly over the centre of the wings) and I could fire the shutter or activate a video clip by using a spare channel on my radio transmitter whenever a bird flies alongside.
Gliders would be perfect for capturing birds of prey in flight because a powered model would frightened them away. Has anyone on the forum tried taking pictures in this way?

cheers

GF

Gliderflyer said:

Gliders would be perfect for capturing birds of prey in flight because a powered model would frightened them away. Has anyone on the forum tried taking pictures in this way?

Click to expand...

Don't know about the forum, but this web-site www.gpss.tripoduk.com/redkites/index.htm
shows Red Kite photos taken from a remote-controlled aircraft.

(Ignore the theory that Red Kites have a two-metre wingspan, BTW)

There was an aesome program on a few nights ago about base jumpers, who would train peregrines to follow them off cliffs so that they could get snaps and film footage of them stooping. What a job! If only I had the guts.

Definately a F Sparrowhawk. Amazing bird, you`re very lucky to get such a great view.

sure it wasent a goshawk?

They say that like buses, good luck comes along in threes.
After the sparrowhawk in my garden on Friday, I saw today, on a sailing trip around the Norfolk Broads, a black swan squabbling with a white swan and a barn owl hunting in mid afternoon.
I've never seen either before, despite sailing on the Broads for more than 30 years, but just how rare are these sightings?
They were a great thrill for me, as a newbie birder.
I tried to photograph the Black Swan, but I had my hands full, steering a very lively halfdecker yacht. The barn owl was just too far away for a decent photo on my 70-210 zoom lens.
Which telephoto lenses do most amateur birders use? I have Canon EOS gear, but would like a digital version.

cheers

GF

Black Swans come from Australia so I wouldn't get to worked up about seeing one, as for switching to digital the new Canon 400d looks a bargain and you could probably use your existing EF/EFS lenses with it.

IV


Black Swans may be native to Australia but if one appears on a river in Norfolk, I would have thought that would have been of interest.
Since my original post I have searched the internet and found several entries for a solitary black swan in the area where I saw it. There is also a picture on a BBC Norfolk website of a black swan at Whitingham Broad
http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/image_galleries/springwatch_2006_gallery.shtml?4
but I do not know when it was taken.
Clearly it has not flapped its big black wings for a flight from Oz so it is likely to have fled from a sanctuary somewhere.
But I am intrigued to find out where it has come from and how long it has been at large on the Norfolk Broads. I'll put a post on another section of the forum to see if I can get some more information.

Clearly it has not flapped its big black wings for a flight from Oz so it is likely to have fled from a sanctuary somewhere.


Exactly.

I have started a new thread about the Norfolk black swan on the Rare Bird Information forum. It has generated some interest with reports of black swans are various locations around Britain.

Ian: thanks for the advice on the Canon 400. I had considered a 350D but the bigger screen of the 400D and a few other mods make it a very good buy at a reasonable price.

a few years ago before i was interesed in birding i took my kids 2 feed the ducks at groby pool in the north of leicester, i 2 saw a black swann as i didnt know that at the time. later visiting my parents i told my dad about this lovley black swann. he was loading up the boot of his car before the kettle had even boiled. about an hour later cheeks all flushed he was back and yes it 2 was a balck swann from somewhere.

Hi Gliderflyer, I too always found such birds as Black Swan of interest but anything which is an "escape" is often frowned upon by the twitching fraternity, not worth investigating etc.
Not all birders are like this , but I often wonder that just because its an escape and therefore not a "tick in the book" should it reduce the appeal to the eye.
Anyway, thats just to explain scepticism you may come across, with such birds. Any Barn owl sighting is superb! If you get a view through binos or better still a scope it will make the sighting magical.