Redwing attack

[snake]

It has been a pretty miserable day on my patch, cold with grey skies and rain.
This morning I watched something that helped lift my spirits.
I was parked at the side of the road watching a mixed flock of Fieldfares and Redwings feeding on a grass field. I had the camera ready waiting for them to move close enough in the hope of getting a reasonable picture of them.
All of a sudden they all lifted calling like mad as a Sparrow Hawk flew low across the field towards me.
The hawk then flared up, turned almost upside down and grabbed a Redwing in mid air then fell to the ground clutching its prize.
It was sitting just a few yards from me so I grabbed the camera and thrust it out of the window to get a shot. The hawk must have seen my movements because it it let go of the Redwing and flew away.
The Redwing sat there for a few seconds then flew off leaving a trail of loose feathers in the air behind it.
An amazing sight to witness.

I did get a few pics of them before they all flew off, not the best but I can try again on a sunny day.

[aeshna5]

The weather's been pretty miserable in Herts/London today.

That was one lucky Redwing that probably owes its lucky escape to you. When I was at Elstree today I heard a Black-headed Gull making a racket + as I looked up this one bird was attemting to mob a Sparrowhawk.

[Harold Smith]

Hallo Snake,

Where is your patch? It’s been pretty miserable on my patch as well. My patch is Gloucester and today there has been rain, sleet and snow. And by the looks of it it is going to be freezing overnight which means I will need my ice skates to get the morning paper.

Sorry if this sounds a bit facetious but a lot of people describe things, particularly the weather, without saying where they are or what their location is on their profile. I'm assuming your patch is near where you live. A location gives us all an idea of the type of countryside you are in and what the weather is like. Like me, I suspect many of us keep up to date with the weather throughout the country so we can compare it with all other contributors like yourself.

Great picture of the surviving Redwing. Had a number of Redwing and Fieldfares in the garden a few weeks back when the weather was quite bad. They disappeared as soon as the weather improved. Had a female Sparrowhawk yesterday but it did not stay long as breakfast was a bit too quick for it.

Harold.