Silence in Garden: Peregrine.

[KentYeti]

My garden is silent.

No sign of any birds in it.

On a distant rooftop sit some of my collar dove visitors.

A magpie tentatively views the ground from the garage roof.

Something small stirs in a neighbours garden bush.

But nothing dares to enter my garden.

And the reason is clear. A Peregrine has been. Again.

The remains, mainly feathers but a very small part of the carcase of a collar dove lie on my grass. Three distinct piles of feathers.

Wow. And I missed it all! Not been that well and was dozing. Woke up and went to get lunch, and noticed this all outside.

It happened a few years ago as well. My late wife and I were getting lunch by the kitchen window when a flash of speed saw a Peregrine take a collar dove that was on our Leylandii. And then spend 40 minutes eating it. It came back for the remains of ther carcase the next day, which it hid under some bushes near the top of the garden.

So far this looks like a re-run. Wonder if/when the Falcon will come back for the remains?

And when will my garden birds return!

Bryan

[Dogghound]

I am not doubting your bird ID skills Bryan, but could it have been a sparrowhawk? The location is much more typical of a sprawk. Peregrines will hunt in/over gardens but much less frequently, in comparison sprawks regularly hunt in gardens.

In answer to your questions.

It is unlikely that the raptor will return to the kill, but it may return to hunt over the garden.

The birds will start to become active again quite quickly after the threat has gone. They only really react to an immediate danger rather than a one which has been and gone. If they cant see it and nothing is alarm calling they quickly come back out.

[werdnal]

I agree, more likely a sparrowhawk. They are frequent garden visitors, often snatching birds from feeders, and once they find a good source of food, they will return on a regular basis. We get one hedge hopping here, and you can almost set your watch by him.

Peregrines are more inclined to hunt on the wing, and although they do drive prey to the ground, would probably carry it away to a high plucking/eating post, rather than sit in on the ground, making themselves vulnerable, while they eat.

Check google for some photos as they are very different birds.

[KentYeti]

Last time it happened my late wife and I had 40 minutes to get out our wildlife books and make certain of the ID. We were 100% certain then.

And amazingly I was at the kitchen window the next day when it returned for less than a minute. Landed in the garden, walked up to where it had hidden the carcase, retrieved it and then flew off. The same bird without a doubt.

Similarly a neighbour across the road had one sit on her back garden fence once. She called us over with our books and all three of us checked. Again 100% certain.

We are "suburban (ish)" but right on the edge of green belt, under the North Downs.

So I guess they are rare visitors.

Of course for today I'm only guessing. So it could have been Sparrowhawk this time. One did fly over a few days ago.

Whatever it was. Looking at the gaden it is a very efficient plucker!

Bryan

PS. Goldfinches are now back feeding!

[Acipiter]

That's just what I would have said Dogghound, except for the bit about returning to the kill, I seen s/hawks do this many times.

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by Acipiter

That's just what I would have said Dogghound, except for the bit about returning to the kill, I seen s/hawks do this many times.

I too have seen Sprawks return to a kill - at least 3 times in my own garden

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)

[rossy]

sparrowhawk for me to, but if you can get a photo, we will know for sure, typical sparrowhawk behaviour. rossy.

[KentYeti]

I'll keep a watch out in case it returns to the kill.

Cheers,

Bryan

[Hobjob]

I haven't seen a sprawk almost all summer in my garden this year - but then they seem to have eaten all the collar doves; three years ago I counted fourteeen in one conker tree at a time!

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

I haven't seen a sprawk almost all summer in my garden this year - but then they seem to have eaten all the collar doves; three years ago I counted fourteeen in one conker tree at a time!

How do you know its the sparrowhawks which have caused this decline?