DarrenW
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 09:53 AM |
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Amazing but sad
Over last few weks been watching a couple of families of blackbirds preparing nests etc around the house. One of my fave birds - these ones are full
of charactre and dont seem phased by us being about.
This morning there was an almighty racket going on outside the door. I was just walking back up from the river with the dog. Noticed something in the
gutter at side of road. Some other birds were flying down in a dive bomb stylee - as i got closer a bird flew up with another in tow and moved to land
at side of house. As i got around there saw it was a Kestrel - which then lifted and carried the blackbird off - still screeching.
Quite sad that a blackbird has been nobbled but an amazing sight so close to the house.
The other Blackbird was walking up and down our drive with its head down half an hour later calling for its mate.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 09:57 AM |
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About once a year we get a sparrowhawk in the garden - usually it's a blackbird it's caught as they are the most common birds there. The
other common birds are woodpigeons and rooks, and they're too big for the little sparrowhawk!
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 10:02 AM |
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we have 7 wild deer sleeping in the garden next to the dingy at night, no joke. They only move off into the field when the dogs go outside, their
doing quite a good job of keeping the grass down  they also like bread and dried dog food.
next doors dog plays in the other field with a fox!
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 10:05 AM |
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we get lots of sparrows in our garden, and I'll never forget eating my lunch, looking up and seeing a sparrow hawk crash into the hedge about 1m
outside the window. It grabbed the unsuspecting sparrow pulled itself out the hedge with one beat o its wings, and with the next was up and over the
hedge to eat it's prize.
It was incredible to watch, but the sound the little sparrow made was horrible.
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DarrenW
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 10:08 AM |
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Thinking about it more - and me not exactly being an avid bird spotter - i assumed it was a kestrel as they are quite common, but it could have been
something else. It wasnt a big bird of prey and it was keen to get away quickly so hard to see distinguishing marks. I did see the fanned out tail
which was lightish brown and speckled.
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blakep82
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 10:11 AM |
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i've got me a pigeon who's found a home on my bathroom window ledge. he's there most of the day, and all night since tuesday or
wednesday last week
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BenB
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 10:18 AM |
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Kestrels are pretty small, they normally eat mice and voles. A blackbird would be more sparrowhawk fodder....
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 10:21 AM |
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Apparently it's the female sparrowhawks who take blackbirds as they're bigger than the males...
Today's useless fact!
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DarrenW
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 10:34 AM |
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That looks more like it. It wasnt keen to sit on a perch and be photographed for some reason When on the side of road it looked like it had its wing
over the prey, then when it moved round side of house i couldnt see it at all against the undergrowth. I actually thought it had already flew away
until it lifted again. Very impresive sight, the brown i saw must have been its underneath plumage.
Ive heard them making loads of noise before when cats have been on the prowl - thats why i ran up to try and help thinking a cat would soon run off
and leave them alone - so it was a bit of a shock when i realised what had happened.
The blackbird didnt look too big - the chicks havent hatched yet have they?
Best laugh is - the dog i had out is a retriever. I started running up to the house to see what was going on, and she just ambled up, not a care in
the world, no gun dogs instincts in her whatsoever. If my other one was still alive he would have given the sparrowhawk something to think about,
blackbird would probs have got away. He was crap at retrieving but seemed to have beating instincts in him.
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 10:54 AM |
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I miss all that from when I used to live in Scotland. I remember going running through the woods between Lossiemouth and Elgin in Spring time and
there used to be this massive brown bird of prey with yellow legs that used to come at your head. Certainly kept you on your toes I generally just
get cats in the garden now I'm back in England which are generally followed by stones or whatever is to hand. Swaggering around and sh1tting
everywhere 
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MKMike
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 10:54 AM |
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I've got starlings moving in to my roof again this year, they pretty annoying because they crap all down the walls and on the windows of the
house.
I'll have to get the ladder out and seal under the tiles before they lay any eggs.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 11:01 AM |
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My picture link has broken - here's another link to a webpage about sparrowhawks.
LINKY
One got a blackbird in my garden a few weeks ago - the only sign was a pile of feathers and a beak. My wife was not impressed...
[Edited on 21/4/08 by David Jenkins]
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aerosam
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 11:03 AM |
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get a couple of cats Mike!
My pair sorted out our mouse problem, then joined forces to sort out the rats tag-team style (honestly they would corner one together then take it in
turns to attack, hillarious to watch) now they are bored and are mainy catching slowworms.
But I have had to give up using orange golf balls when I play as the resident golf course hawk kept stealing them off the fairway right in front of
you!
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macspeedy
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 11:59 AM |
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Mango and i where on a back road in his van when we saw something in the middle of the road approched slowly to see a sparrow hawk ripping into the
neck of a pigeon! It turned to look at us realised it was in the way and flew off, the pigeon looks up realises its life has been saved and flyes off
with a bloody (sore) neck!! quite a site they where nearly the same size !
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Peteff
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 12:59 PM |
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Kestrels will take collared doves out of the tree in our garden and they are bigger than blackbirds. The kestrels are chestnut brown on their back and
wings with a barred pattern and the sparrowhawks are dark grey.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 21/4/08 at 01:12 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
"there used to be this massive brown bird of prey with yellow legs that used to come at your head"
Sounds like Foghorn Leghorn
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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