Nature at it's very best

Over the last few months we've been plagued with wild pigeons, the women up the road is feeding them so as you can imagine there are loads of the things about, a few weeks ago early one morning I noticed a sparrow hawk on the roof of the house across the road, I had to look twice because I've not seen one in ages, anyway cut a long story short yesterday I thought a bird had flown into the window, I got up to see what the commotion was and there was the sparrow hawk with a pigeon it had just taken out of the sky in full flight, to see nature taking it's cause right in front of your eyes is an amazing thing, I managed to get a picture of the hawk, a fine specimen it was to. There are no pigeons around this morning

[Jon T]

I agree thatt there's far too many of the different variety of pigeons around our part of Nottinghamshire Nidge. However where I live (mansfield, oak tree), a sparrow hawk isn't a rare site at all, we see them hovering above the quarry and then swooping down, then when you see them again they've got something hanging beneeth them.

[yesman]

Can you point it in the direction of Cambridge when it's finished

[Ramrod]

Beautiful! You are really lucky to have something that lovely on your doorstep Nidge!

Originally Posted by Jon T

I agree thatt there's far too many of the different variety of pigeons around our part of Nottinghamshire Nidge. However where I live (mansfield, oak tree), a sparrow hawk isn't a rare site at all, we see them hovering above the quarry and then swooping down, then when you see them again they've got something hanging beneeth them.

Hi Jon, I know the area of Oak Tree you are on about, I've seen loads of them when I've been working at the quarry, they hit the trees like a bullet then the next thing you see is the sparrow hawk flying away with something in it's beak. There are some cracking wildlife in them woods down there near the desert.

---------- Post added at 12:36 ---------- Previous post was at 12:31 ----------

Originally Posted by yesman

Can you point it in the direction of Cambridge when it's finished

LOL have you got the same problems as us? I'll show it the way the next time it makes an appearance, I'll never forget one day when I was shopping in Mansfield, I was on the market place having a drink when all of a sudden the pigeons made a mad dash somewhere, it was like something out of a film, one minute there were hundreds of the things flying about then the next minute they were all flying for cover, an elderly gentleman pointed out the 2 sparrow hawks sat on the top of the town hall, I'll echo what Jon has said about the amount of pigeons in Mansfield, there are hundreds of the things but people keep feeding them.

---------- Post added at 12:38 ---------- Previous post was at 12:36 ----------

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Beautiful! You are really lucky to have something that lovely on your doorstep Nidge!

Your right Rammy it truly is a great pleasure to see nature in all it's glory.

[joglynne]

They make a right mess on the lawn though. We have one that regularly downs its prey on our side lawn and I wish it would hoover up after itself.

[bw41101]

Any chance (after it's cleaned up all the feathers from your lawn) that you could ask it to come over to Blackpool. I've got a mob of starlings that are preparing to raid my cherry tree for this years fruits.

sigh......................!

Si thee

[KaySquirrel]

Very cool pic!

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by bw41101

Any chance (after it's cleaned up all the feathers from your lawn) that you could ask it to come over to Blackpool. I've got a mob of starlings that are preparing to raid my cherry tree for this years fruits.

sigh......................!

Si thee

Wish it would take a holiday, just a nice short flight over to Blackpool from here. It seems to only kill pigeons and sparrows though going by the evidence left in my garden.

Jo.

[Anonymouse]

Excellent! Sparrowhawks, like many of our native raptors, are far too rare; maybe they're staging a comeback. You should contact the RSPB; they'd doubtless be interested, if they don't know already.

Keep an eye out for peregrine falcons, too; they're also partial to pigeon on the wing. You might have trouble seeing them, though; in a dive the peregrine is by far the fastest living thing on this planet - they've been clocked at better than 200mph!