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Fetch Birdwatchers

5 lurkers | 165 watchers
Oct 2021
2:24pm, 20 Oct 2021
22,750 posts
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Rosehip
We have an occasional sparrowhawk - usually spotted when a cloud of pigeon feathers erupts from the fence/lawn. She has a feed and then leaves the mess
um
Oct 2021
2:25pm, 20 Oct 2021
5,302 posts
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um
Sparrowhawks
Length 28-38cm, Wingspan 55-70 cm, Weight 110-200g (Male), 180-250g (Female)
(smaller than a wood pigeon, which is reported as L:40-42cm, Wing: 75-80cn, W:450-550g)

Buzzard
Length 51-57cm, Wingspan 110-130 cm, Weight 550-1100g (Male), 700-1300g (Female)

Red Kite
Length 60-66cm, Wingspan 175-200 cm, Weight 800-1300g
Oct 2021
2:29pm, 20 Oct 2021
8,662 posts
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Alice the Camel
Quite small then, relatively speaking!
Oct 2021
2:53pm, 20 Oct 2021
14,160 posts
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Yorkshire Pie
I think we had a sparrowhawk while we were away for the weekend - or at least there was a big pile of pigeon feathers on the grass when we got back.

We also saw a red kite in Lincolnshire - we get plenty of them at home so can recognise them fairly easily, but we seem to be seeing them in more and more other places.
J2R
Oct 2021
3:05pm, 20 Oct 2021
3,879 posts
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J2R
I would agree with others here that a sparrowhawk is the likely suspect. They make a right old mess of woodpigeons. They seem to have 2 modes of hunting, with the first perhaps leading into the second - soaring high up, as buzzards do, looking out for prey; and barrelling along at high speed not far above the ground alongside hedges, etc., so that they cannot easily be seen in silhouette by their unfortunate victims, and hitting them hard from the side.
Oct 2021
3:19pm, 20 Oct 2021
52,216 posts
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Derby Tup
I think soaring (generally in spring and early summer in good weather) is more of a courtship display than a precursor to hunting. The birds I’ve seen doing this are more often than not females
J2R
Oct 2021
4:25pm, 20 Oct 2021
3,880 posts
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J2R
Is that right, DT? Never knew that. Good job I'm not a sparrowhawk.
Oct 2021
10:10am, 23 Oct 2021
4,881 posts
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steve45
Chiffchaff.
No Redwings despite big influxes in some places.
J2R
Oct 2021
5:25pm, 23 Oct 2021
3,884 posts
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J2R
Pretty sure reasonable sized flock of redwings flew overhead as I was driving this morning. Didn't get a good enough view to be sure but that's what I think they were. First of the year for me.
.B.
Oct 2021
12:02pm, 24 Oct 2021
43,660 posts
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.B.
Hello, we’ve got this bird ripping another bird apart on a neighboyr’s doorstep. Photo through a monocular so not great

Thanks

About This Thread

Maintained by AngelWings
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