Sazzyox
Active member

Hi all,
Just out of curiosity, does anyone else feel sad when they find out one of their garden birds is no longer alive. I may have mentioned it before, but I get sad when the sparrowhawk feeds in the garden. However, I see a lot of your usual “sparrowhawks need to eat too” etc on posts on a group on fb when the sparrowhawks have been in someone’s garden. (I’m a silent reader/poster, I see so much stress against people who are just expressing their sadness and I just feel it’s inappropriate to comment such hate when such and such care for the birds they feed).
Of course I know sparrowhawks have to eat also, that’s a given. But does anyone else get too attached to their garden birds that they know which is which and such like? We have multiple blackbirds, and a few that know when it’s breakfast etc as they come and stand next to the table I’m putting the food out. But we had a blackbird who had lost a lot of feathers including his tail recently and he hasn’t been all day, so I went out earlier and seen a lot of feathers that look like blackbird feathers, and I just feel gutted as I have a feeling it was him. If not, it was obviously one that feeds here. But it just makes me sad. And again, I know sparrowhawks need food and that nature is nature but surely it’s not just me who feels sad and gutted that one of our garden birds has become dinner to another and you can’t help but feel guilt. I always think about them thinking of their final moments and it’s just so hard to put it out my mind. Sorry for the long post. But I’m just wondering if anyone else has this kind of connection with their garden birds as I know a lot of people find it laughable. I have a big heart and I can sit and watch owls and kestrels hunting and not feel the same sadness but when it comes to the garden, I just feel so much ache when the birds become dinner. I’m assuming it’s because I feel like I “know” the garden birds rather than the birds or mice that the other BOP get.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone else feel sad when they find out one of their garden birds is no longer alive. I may have mentioned it before, but I get sad when the sparrowhawk feeds in the garden. However, I see a lot of your usual “sparrowhawks need to eat too” etc on posts on a group on fb when the sparrowhawks have been in someone’s garden. (I’m a silent reader/poster, I see so much stress against people who are just expressing their sadness and I just feel it’s inappropriate to comment such hate when such and such care for the birds they feed).
Of course I know sparrowhawks have to eat also, that’s a given. But does anyone else get too attached to their garden birds that they know which is which and such like? We have multiple blackbirds, and a few that know when it’s breakfast etc as they come and stand next to the table I’m putting the food out. But we had a blackbird who had lost a lot of feathers including his tail recently and he hasn’t been all day, so I went out earlier and seen a lot of feathers that look like blackbird feathers, and I just feel gutted as I have a feeling it was him. If not, it was obviously one that feeds here. But it just makes me sad. And again, I know sparrowhawks need food and that nature is nature but surely it’s not just me who feels sad and gutted that one of our garden birds has become dinner to another and you can’t help but feel guilt. I always think about them thinking of their final moments and it’s just so hard to put it out my mind. Sorry for the long post. But I’m just wondering if anyone else has this kind of connection with their garden birds as I know a lot of people find it laughable. I have a big heart and I can sit and watch owls and kestrels hunting and not feel the same sadness but when it comes to the garden, I just feel so much ache when the birds become dinner. I’m assuming it’s because I feel like I “know” the garden birds rather than the birds or mice that the other BOP get.