Birds.

[Reg Smeeton]

Mmmmm having looked again at about 300 images of each on google, i'm still none the wiser. Listening to to you both has now got me edging towards it being the sparrowhawk.

Presumably the sparrowhawk is more likely to be in my garden (i just live on a estate not in the sticks) and therefore end up flying into my garden greenhouse? What was more surprising to me was that it was only about a foot from the house too.

When in doubt that's the sort of thing you have to go by...an old mate, big Town fan who now lives down in Somerset, was a proper bird of prey man...sort who'd get up at 4:00 in the morning and drive miles to watch something he'd heard about on the grapevine. Only did it for birds of prey mind, so not quite a proper looney.

[Paolo69]

When in doubt that's the sort of thing you have to go by...an old mate, big Town fan who now lives down in Somerset, was a proper bird of prey man...sort who'd get up at 4:00 in the morning and drive miles to watch something he'd heard about on the grapevine. Only did it for birds of prey mind, so not quite a proper looney.

Fair dues. I'll content myself with it having been a sparrowhawk then. I harbour a casual interest but early starts on that scale is proper dedication. Cheers Reg.

[4D]

I've seen a sparrowhawk chase a small bird into a hedge.

[Ginginho]

Fair dues. I'll content myself with it having been a sparrowhawk then. I harbour a casual interest but early starts on that scale is proper dedication. Cheers Reg.

We had a sparrowhawk in our garden recently (I posted it in the other birds thread here) ripping a pigeon to pieces. Luckily it just left a pile of feathers and not half a pigeon carcass to dispose of.

So, yeah, it was probably a Sparrowhawk.

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

Don't rule out a Peregrine Falcon........A fair few around now.

Sparrowhawks have a different wing shape and tails to Kestrels, both very common.

Could be a Hobby. I was watching one hunting last year in a field adjacent to the River Cherwell.
Relatively small.
Female Sparrowhawks are bigger than the Males.

[Flashheart]

I never got to see these cool birds when I was out and about, asides from an Owl I saw in lawn woods that is. Just pigeons and fucking starlings mostly.

[4D]

A bird in the hand FH!

[Reg Smeeton]

Female Sparrowhawks are bigger than the Males.

Think that's pretty much the way with all raptors...

[Peter Gibbons]

Stumbled across this and thought it may be of interest to some on here:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/

[Honkytonk]

This is the first Bird thread I found in the search, so...

Had just let the chickens out this morning and gone back in the house, when I heard an awful ruckus coming from the run. Went back down the garden, wondering what the hell it was- first thought was fox, as there's apparently been one snooping around the area during daylight and we have young chicks atm.

I look around and see not only a bloody sparrowhawk but a young Buzzard as well, both sat on top of the garage, about 10m away from the hen run and the front door. Both raptors could see me and were looking at me as I walked down the garden, but completely ignored me, despite me clapping and waving my arms to try and get them to go away. I was virtually within touching distance when they finally buggered off, and they didn't return (no alarm calls from the hens for the rest of the day).

Has anyone ever seen these two hunting together? I've never seen them in the same place, let alone sat on top of a garage barely a couple of metres from each other. I've seen four or five buzzards put up with company when a field's being turned over to get at the worms, but not with sparrowhawks...

[slinky]

Got home a few weeks back and noticed a load of feathers on the path leading to the front door.  Went out the back of found this fella finishing a pigeon.



Managed to get a few snaps before it clocked me and flew off with what remained of the pigeon.  Does anyone know what bird this was?

[4D]

Sparrowhawk

[slinky]

Sparrowhawk

Cheers!

[RWB Robin]

Just returned from the Isle of Canna where we had a very close encounter with a Golden Eagle...came round a  corner and there he was, sitting on a crag about 6ft away from us. When we and he had recovered from our surprise, he took off and flew right across my shoulder! Amazing sight and once seen never ever confused again.

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

Got home a few weeks back and noticed a load of feathers on the path leading to the front door.  Went out the back of found this fella finishing a pigeon.



Managed to get a few snaps before it clocked me and flew off with what remained of the pigeon.  Does anyone know what bird this was?

To be more exact, a female sparrowhawk. (Slightly bigger than the male that also has a more "bluish" colouring). Another bird that has migrated in recent times from the Country into built up areas.