Sparrowhawk plus tea

[Duke of York]

Several times we have had a sparrowhawk land in our garden, look around and then fly off.... a couple of times we have found feathers but we have never seen one actually eating until today

And today just before tea, it started out as usual, sparrowhawk landed, looked about, jumped onto the hedge and then gone...

But after 5 mins it returned and at first it wasn't clear what it had but I did wonder if it had caught something so rushed to get my camera and fire off as many shots through our french doors as I could without startling him/her

And guess what... the sparrowhawk was having an early tea (it looks like a poor sparrow too )

Anyway while the photos were not brilliant they are my first of a sparrowhawk eating so my next aim is to get better ones

[ron1863]

Bet you couldn't believe your luck. What kind of bird is it eating. looks like a wader to me.

[Duke of York]

I suspect it is a sparrow (we don't get many waders near us ) but I could be wrong

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by Duke of York

I suspect it is a sparrow (we don't get many waders near us ) but I could be wrong

It seems to have long legs for a sparrow - maybe the long legged ones

[Bub-les]

Think it looks like a song thrush.
Lucky you having a sparrow hawk visit.
Barbara

[Duke of York]

Originally Posted by Bub-les

Think it looks like a song thrush.
Lucky you having a sparrow hawk visit.
Barbara

Actually it would be a bit disappointing if it was a song thush as we do not get many visiting our garden (I can only remember one even though we have seen and heard them in our local wood)

It would be just our luck that the second visit would be as a sparrowhawk's tea

[deer boy]

Great bird nice pics Mr Meldrew

[Duke of York]

Originally Posted by deer boy

Great bird nice pics Mr Meldrew

Thanks Deer Boy I didn't believe it!!!

PS I'm thinking of starting a competition for "Guess the Tea"

PPS My guess of sparrow looks like it is wrong

[snake]

It looks like a very young bird to me.
There are no real feathers and the wing tip is very round, possibly a game bird.
My guess would be a pheasant chick.

[RobinP]

My first thought was song thrush, maybe a juvenile, easy prey for a Sprawk.

[witham]

nice pics, we get one hunt our garden but not managed to capture it yet just see rings of feathers, I think the wings of the victim look very Sparrowy in colour so you could be right but there again I could be wrong

[Kayleigh]

Great capture there Victor..Can't make out its tea.

[GME]

Well done on the photos. I think it could be a sparrow if you compare size to the hawk but it looks as though it's a bit bare of feathers as they've been stripped (see las pic as they are flung into the air!). Great pics whatever his tea is

[GME]

... and congrats on becoming an officer!

[demicav]

Good pics of one of my favourite birds. I left a message in the gallery also. When I first saw the photos I thought the victim was a Long tailed Tit as it seemed to have a longish tail but hard to tell. Perhaps we should have a guess the victim thread, or rather not, it's all a bit in bad taste, pardon the pun.

[Duke of York]

Originally Posted by GME

... and congrats on becoming an officer!

Thanks, it has taken a while but I'm sure I'll be an Commander before I know it

[Duke of York]

Originally Posted by demicav

Good pics of one of my favourite birds. I left a message in the gallery also. When I first saw the photos I thought the victim was a Long tailed Tit as it seemed to have a longish tail but hard to tell. Perhaps we should have a guess the victim thread, or rather not, it's all a bit in bad taste, pardon the pun.

Thanks for the comment in the gallery, most appreciated.

It is one of those things where you just have to get your camera and hope for the best, so as they are not as good as they good be, I am still pleased to get them as it may never happen again.

And speaking of the gallery here are some slightly better shots I took







And we have already started guess the victim

[demicav]

Coal Tit or Long tailed Tit.

[Duke of York]

Originally Posted by demicav

Coal Tit or Long tailed Tit.

After looking at the pictures again I am wondering if it isn't a baby starling

[dave culley]

Hi i am very lucky to have sparrowhawks to nest in my garden every year,if
you like this bird i have loads of footage on you tube,even chick coming out of shell search you tube for female sparrowhawk all my footage by dvr365
chicks are 14 days old now and is streamed live,8 cams on hawk 3 on nest 2 on chopping block/2 on water hole i can follow these birds through the wood with out missing any action/other cams trrough out the wood.
musket.

[Madelinew]

I think it could still be a sparrow looking at the plumage in the last pic. It may just be the angle of the shot that suggests it's bigger. Too much stripe on the wing feathers for a thrush IMO

[deer boy]

Originally Posted by dave culley

Hi i am very lucky to have sparrowhawks to nest in my garden every year,if
you like this bird i have loads of footage on you tube,even chick coming out of shell search you tube for female sparrowhawk all my footage by dvr365
chicks are 14 days old now and is streamed live,8 cams on hawk 3 on nest 2 on chopping block/2 on water hole i can follow these birds through the wood with out missing any action/other cams trrough out the wood.
musket.

Hi Dave welcome to WAB some great footage u have there

[Tracey.A]

Yep, he's lovely! How lucky to see this all unfold in your garden. Loved the photos!

Tracey

[dave culley]

Originally Posted by deer boy

Hi Dave welcome to WAB some great footage u have there

HI thanks these are a fantastic bird i dont know why people dont like sparrowhawks,is it because they eat baby birds ,cats kill for the fun,Fox will kill every chicken in your shed,lions cheeters,ect kill fawns just been born and so on,when a blackbird is pulling a worm out of the ground
and people could hear the worm screaming in pain i bet people would scare the blackbird off.
Just trying to let people understand wildlife .Dave.

[dave culley]

Hi duke of york the prey your sparrowhawk is eating is a juvinile house sparrow.
dave culley.cheshire.