Bird of prey with Squirrel

ChrissyMarie · #1 (**permalink**) 05-06-2011, 02:04 PM

Going for a drive today and in and out of the Wyre Forest, we saw a Bird of prey in flight with a grey squirrel in it's talons. Not a sight that I have ever seen before. I read an earlier thread and it seems that it is likely to be a Goshawk or Buzzard. I didn't see the underneath of this bird but the top was shades of (what appeared to be quite russet ~ it was dark in the forest)) brown and the tail feathers which were splayed out had white edges ~ any idea? I have looked for photos but this bird was flying quite low through the trees (weight no doubt) and I can't find many images from the top view, rather than looking up.

The Woodman · #2 (**permalink**) 05-06-2011, 02:16 PM

Co-incidently I saw a female sparrowhawk carrying a small young grey squirrel yesterday. I've never seen this before but it was at close quarters and I was able to see both bird and squirrel clearly.

Ladywell · #3 (**permalink**) 05-06-2011, 02:30 PM

A couple of years ago I was talking to a lovely, knowledgeable elderly welshman in Mid Wales and he told me that when the RSPB did a survey of goshawk nests in the area they were littered with grey squirrel tails!