# Wildlife Shock/surprise



## Roger (May 17, 2003)

For a few years, we have been feeding the garden birds with the usual diet of seeds etc.....

Today, whilst watch a clutch of goldfinches on the feeder and a pigeon on the ground......suddenly a sparrowhawk rocketed down to the ground and attacked the pigeon....there was an explosion of feathers and the sparrowhawk was away with the pigeon in its claws.

We live in an average surburban area, and I cannot remember seeing that in our garden, not 10 yards from the house.....quite a surprise.

Roger


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## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

It happened in our garden last year with would you believe a wood pigeon. The sparrowhawk hit it like a rocket and yanked it over the garden fence right in front of our eyes. I have seen several piles of feathers since. I life in a leafy area I suppose but it is Manchester. One day last year I managed to get this shot of her.


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## hotmog (Feb 4, 2006)

Roger said:


> For a few years, we have been feeding the garden birds with the usual diet of seeds etc.....
> 
> Today, whilst watch a clutch of goldfinches on the feeder and a pigeon on the ground......suddenly a sparrowhawk rocketed down to the ground and attacked the pigeon....there was an explosion of feathers and the sparrowhawk was away with the pigeon in its claws.
> 
> ...


I witnessed the same thing last year - in the middle of the shopping precinct in Kingston on Thames opposite the Bentall Centre, just outside Ernest Jones.







The strange thing was, although there were loads of people milling about, no-one apart from me seemed to have noticed anything!


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## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Yes, thats it Russ....nice picture...

Ours was too quick for me...this is all thats left!!

Shame really, we were fattening this one for the pot!! ( for Machs attention!







)


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Roger said:


> ......suddenly a sparrowhawk rocketed down to the ground and attacked
> 
> Roger


It's impressive if rather grisly isn't it







.

We used to have some brambles over the wall at the top of our garden (until the local council cut them down







) , which the sparrows used as a refuge when the sparrowhawk was about.

He used to sit on the fence and eye me up





















.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Terrific picture Russ! I don't think I've ever seen a Sparrowhawk before. There are plenty of Kestrels around here though which do an excellent job of keeping the rats and mice under control.

Last year I saw a small mouse get whalloped by a Kestrel right outside the kitchen window. It was so fast (like a guided missile) I was quite startled...

...but not as much as the mouse


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## johnbaz (Jan 30, 2005)

we had the same also last year but it was blue tits it was after, i wasn't there but the 710 told me all about it, from memory, i don't think it was successful.

last year also a fox chased one of our two cats up the pair tree, the cat was dangling from a branch, the fox was trying to snatch it from the tree, the 710 ran out screaming and the fox buggered off but a few days later, the cat wouldn't come when called but we heard a pitiful meow coming from beneath the next doors hut, i found her but she was terrified and wouldn't come to me so i put some food down just far enough for her to have stick her head out and grabbed her, we kept her in for a few days (she wouldn't go out anyhow) and the fox never appeared again









john.


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## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

rhaythorne said:


> Terrific picture Russ! I don't think I've ever seen a Sparrowhawk before. There are plenty of Kestrels around here though which do an excellent job of keeping the rats and mice under control.
> 
> Last year I saw a small mouse get whalloped by a Kestrel right outside the kitchen window. It was so fast (like a guided missile) I was quite startled...
> 
> ...but not as much as the mouse


Cheers, I was lucky that it sat still for quite a while so I could get back into the house and find the camera. I imagine whacking one pigeon a day gives them a bit of sunbathing time!


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## pugster (Nov 22, 2004)

great sparrowhawk pic







,had a kestrel hit my window with a pigeon a few years ago, left a dust mark in the shape of a pigeon complete with wings


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

johnbaz said:


> we had the same also last year but it was blue tits it was after, i wasn't there but the 710 told me all about it, from memory, i don't think it was successful.
> 
> last year also a fox chased one of our two cats up the pair tree, the cat was dangling from a branch, the fox was trying to snatch it from the tree, the 710 ran out screaming and the fox buggered off but a few days later, the cat wouldn't come when called but we heard a pitiful meow coming from beneath the next doors hut, i found her but she was terrified and wouldn't come to me so i put some food down just far enough for her to have stick her head out and grabbed her, we kept her in for a few days (she wouldn't go out anyhow) and the fox never appeared again
> 
> ...


I was working in london a couple of weeks ago. had to leave really early (about 0600) i was walking to the tube station and saw a big white cat chasing a fox down the road. So its not always the fox who comes out on top.









Re. the pigeon dust outline, I saw a pic of that on the web some time ago. I'll try and track it down. I think it was on anomalies unlimited, but the domain has expired so I cant check.

cheers

Foz


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

I remember seeing a wildlife programme on tv which showed an encounter between a cat & a fox. To be honest they seemed to be ignoring each other, but it was also obvious that each knew the other was there and both were in a general state of alertness (defcon3) . I suspect the fox was after easier pickings & knew cats have more firepower (teeth & lots of sharp claws), depends on the size of the fox & the temperament of the cat too I suppose (my cat wouldn't stand a chance - very much a lazy house moggy now).

We have some sort of hawk that patrols an area of rough ground at work. I think it may be a sparrowhawk (I can never get a clear view of it though to be sure), it's certainly far too big for a kestrel. I remember my dad telling me about a hawk he'd seen attacking a flock of sparrows, the sparrows saw it and scattered into a dense bush and it just dived straight into the bush & came out with one in it's claws, sat on the ground outside the bush (with the poor sparrow still alive) started plucking it, then saw my dad watching & flew off. Impressive but grisly - natures way.


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

pugster said:


> great sparrowhawk pic
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Like this one? No sparrowhawk involved just a stupid pigeon.....


















Best regards David


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## Mothman (Oct 11, 2005)

Weve had the pile off Pidgeon feathers on the lawn on at least 3 occasions, but i've always assumed it was caused by an urban fox. Will now be keeping the yes peeled for Sparrowhawks.


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