# Suburban hawk



## Otto-de-froste (May 20, 2005)

Hi
Just looked into the garden around 17.00 to see a hawk or similar drop from our hedge onto an unsupecting blackbird

We live in a semi in a suburban rather than rural setting, not where I would expect to see a hawk; and certainly not on a 4 ft high hedge at the top of our garden

After a couple of minutes it lifted off and carried a limp blackbird over the opposite hedge and down a few gardens to consume its dinner

I would say the bird was only slightly bigger than a blackbird, though the spread of its feathers gave it a bit more presence

Interesting to watch (if a little sad - I don't like to see things die) but the hawk has to eat

Sorry - am I being a bit............er boring?

Just something I'd never seen before - certainly not round our neck of the woods (if there were any woods)


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Boring - not at all.   

It may well have been a Sparrow Hawk, as they are becoming more common again in some areas, and that sounds like their modus operandi.

Suggest you browse the web and look for piccies so you can identify it.

Cheers


----------



## Otto-de-froste (May 20, 2005)

Thanks Z

Maybe was a sparrow hawk - it didn't seem at all fazed by our noses stuck to the patio door

O


----------



## 107925 (Oct 27, 2007)

Don't get me started on bloody sparrowhawks - I keep some expensive pigeons and many are taken by the blasted creatures, as are a great many songbirds (which I appreciate will be of far more concern to most people!). There's a specific website devoted to explaining that the sparrowhawk is an absolute menace, when it comes to much of the wildlife we hold dear to us. They are also prolific throughout Europe and in no danger whatsoever. To date, the Government refuses to have them controlled. Of course, there are those who advocate sparrowhawks as a necessary balance to our wildlife system, but I've read enough and seen enough to be convinced that there are far too many of them. They get ever bolder and are no longer afraid to attack where there are humans about. 

Anyway, with that off my chest, if the bird you saw was not much bigger than the bird it took, it would probably be either a kestrel or the male sparrowhawk. The female sparrowhawk is about twice the size and a real brute of a bird - it can easily take a woodpigeon. Apart from size, the kestrel can be distinguished by the fact that it hovers in the air, often quite high up, before striking its prey. The sparrowhawk, on the other hand, hunts in a variety of ways, often lifting up out of trees, or skirting along hedgerows. When it successfully attacks, it will take its prey to ground to finish off. Many's the time I've had to separate sparrowhawk from pigeon with a clap of my hands, whilst they wrestle in front of me. 

When very hungry, the sparrowhawk will chase its prey with great agility through trees, and has been know to smash into walls in its efforts to catch its prey. That I would dearly like to see.

The kestrel has a sweeter face than the sparrowhawk, and tends to take voles from the sides of busy roads, where they congregate. Small birds and mice are another form of prey for the kestrel.

If you value your songbirds, be very aware of providing bird feeding tables, etc, in the garden. They are the local MacDonalds for the sparrowhawk.

Shaun


----------



## 96299 (Sep 15, 2005)

Shark said:


> Don't get me started on bloody sparrowhawks - I keep some expensive pigeons and many are taken by the blasted creatures, as are a great many songbirds (which I appreciate will be of far more concern to most people!). There's a specific website devoted to explaining that the sparrowhawk is an absolute menace, when it comes to much of the wildlife we hold dear to us. They are also prolific throughout Europe and in no danger whatsoever. To date, the Government refuses to have them controlled. Of course, there are those who advocate sparrowhawks as a necessary balance to our wildlife system, but I've read enough and seen enough to be convinced that there are far too many of them. They get ever bolder and are no longer afraid to attack where there are humans about.
> 
> Anyway, with that off my chest, if the bird you saw was not much bigger than the bird it took, it would probably be either a kestrel or the male sparrowhawk. The female sparrowhawk is about twice the size and a real brute of a bird - it can easily take a woodpigeon. Apart from size, the kestrel can be distinguished by the fact that it hovers in the air, often quite high up, before striking its prey. The sparrowhawk, on the other hand, hunts in a variety of ways, often lifting up out of trees, or skirting along hedgerows. When it successfully attacks, it will take its prey to ground to finish off. Many's the time I've had to separate sparrowhawk from pigeon with a clap of my hands, whilst they wrestle in front of me.
> 
> ...


Firstly.sparrowhawks dont know that your pigeons are expensive :roll: so will take them anyway.I dont feel sorry for you.

secondly.Yes they are becoming more popular again as I have witnessed localy to me.i have also noticed that some everyday birds such as the tits are also doing very well compared to a few years ago.This should be telling you something by now.The sparrowhawk will only multiply if the prey food is avaiable,and lately there seems to be plenty of the latter so the hawks will be well fed and the numbers up.simple logic.why do we always want to cull things when they are doing well? :roll:

steve


----------



## 96299 (Sep 15, 2005)

sorry Otto-de-froste,I went off topic in last post.

I agree.It could have been a male sparrowhawk.It sounds the most likely.

steve


----------



## patnles (Oct 26, 2006)

Here's a piccy of our local sparrowhawk who frequently devours his prey in our garden. The only parts he doesn't eat are the beak and the feathers. Sorry but I enjoy watching him take the pidgeons down but they are 10 a penny around here. Also it's not the best photo but I felt lucky to get such a close up view.
 sorry I'm not good with computers. I'll have to go and find Zebedee's instructions. 
YAY...it worked. Thankyou Zebedee and SandJ


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

We get them too as visitors to the bird table - or rather the birds visiting the bird table. Rule One: Don't disturb them mid-meal. If you do they fly off, leaving you with the mess of feathers and dismembered bird all over the place.

I'm waiting to see our local bird-eating cat meet up with one.....!

G :evil: :evil:


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

patnles said:


> I'll have to go and find Zebedee's instructions.


No worries Patnles.

Would love to see your photo, so  >>this<<  might help - says he modestly.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Zebedee said:


> Would love to see your photo, so  >>this<<  might help


That is brilliant ! I thought I was going to get a photo of a sparrowhawk but what an excellent little tutorial Dave.

( If I could find the Hands clapping icon and could get it past Firefox then it would be placed HERE !)

G


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Grizzly said:


> That is brilliant ! I thought I was going to get a photo of a sparrowhawk but what an excellent little tutorial Dave.
> 
> ( If I could find the Hands clapping icon and could get it past Firefox then it would be placed HERE !)
> 
> G


You know how to get round a chap and make him feel good Grizz - thanks for the kind words.

There are some more  >>here<<  but I have to say that Steve (SandJ) did most of them.

He's still at work you see, so he has plenty of time when the boss is not looking!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## patnles (Oct 26, 2006)

Hi Otto-de-froste,
I have finally managed to post a photo of a sparrow hawk on my previous post. It's not brilliant but much better if you click on it and then zoom in. It was taken from about 5ft away through double glazing but you can clearly see he's a sparrowhawk.
Lesley


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi PatnLes

I've cropped and enhanced your photo a bit.

A very good study of a "_spodger 'ork_" as my old uncle used to call them. 

I think it's a female, but I'm no expert.


----------



## patnles (Oct 26, 2006)

Thankyou Dave, That's brilliant. 
Lesley


----------



## Groper (May 17, 2007)

Hi

The Sparrowhawk in the photograph is a female.The male is much smaller and has a definite reddish pink breast.
Shark is way wide of the mark to confuse a Kestrel with Sparrowhawk.
Kestrel will not take prey as large as a pigeon and their method of taking a meal is to drop from the sky onto voles,grass snakes etc,NOT birds.

Clive


----------



## Otto-de-froste (May 20, 2005)

Thank you everybody for sharing

You guys are great

It appears it was a sparrowhawk, and I shall keep a camera near for when it returns


Paul


----------



## Otto-de-froste (May 20, 2005)

*heron*

Now we have a heron popping in

It's big enough to cast a shadow when it flies over the garden

We don't have a pond, but it seems to have made its home in the locale (not the 'local' - that would be silly)

No frogs about yet so can't see what's attracting it

The local river 'Drone' is hardly an attraction for fish so I assume there must be a few houses with ponds

What a beast though - I wouldn't tackle it without safety goggles

Have to travel a lot with the current job, and see lots of 'road kill' (excuse the apparent insensitivity - I do care)
I have seen several badgers and foxes squashed by the roadside over the White Peak area, A38, Leek, Stoke and Stafford

Does that mean there is more wildlife about now - or are our domains merging more?

What's happening to the world?
We seem be getting seasons all mixed up, all kinds of varmints snouting about

Or am I just an old fart that's had one malt too many?


----------



## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Sparrowhawk, falcon and tercel, male = tercel, preferred habitat, light woodland, preys on small birds mostly,
Kestrel, preferred habitat open grasslands and heath, muches on small mammals such as field mice and voles.
raptors increase in numbers as a direct result of an increase in prey. Therefore, increasing numbers of sparrowhawks indicates a healthy population of the bird life. 
Our domains are encraoching on the habitat of the wildlife. this is a fair thing for us, and a raw deal for the wildlife, we either nick thier homes to be replaced with ours, or we just shoot and kill stuff for fun.
Charming species, humanity, and we have the greated intellect.....appparently.


----------



## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

Nothing to say except enjoyed reading all posts.


----------



## 108921 (Dec 30, 2007)

Awwww Pusser. You must be having a good day then....


----------



## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

runoutofnames said:


> Awwww Pusser. You must be having a good day then....


Yes indeedy. And if anyone remembers my surmise re the Red Kite causing a black bird to go higher and higher presumably to get it knackered before topping it, and you will remember that M&D I think said it was only a carrion eater and others doubted it too and how right they were.

Someone on here said the male is smaller than the female and today, on my way twixt Amersham and Wendover, I saw the same thing happen but it was not a blackbird but a male trying to get away from the female as he probably had a headache. 8)


----------



## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Typical female, always pestering us blokes for sex.


:wink: 

Matron, I think the medications wearing off, I'm hallucinating again


----------



## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

bandaid said:


> Typical female, always pestering us blokes for sex.


I know... tell me about it. I am continually pestered. Why I am pestered now and not when I was in my late teens when I wan't getting any I just don't know. It is the cruel hand of fate.  ... and being a man in a woman's world. 8O


----------



## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Right, I may be able to help here, if the pestering is becoming irkesome, put me down for tuesdays and thursdays.


A man uses a relationship to get sex.
A woman uses sex to get a relationship.
Anon........................actually it isn't I just cant remember who said it.
apart from me, of course, but then I didnt really say it, I typed i....t


TAXI!!!!!


----------

