Cheery's country living adventure

Cheery_Daff · 20 April 2020 at 10:33AM

Brilliant pyxis! They're really loud aren't they? I've not heard one for a few years, but I did spot one in our garden last year, most exciting!

Did I tell you we had a sparrowhawk in the garden the other day, perched on the wheelbarrow handle? Most exciting, but Mr Cheery chased it off - don't really want it getting ideas about our chickens (!) And also don't want to have to see it killing other things outside the window... we also disturbed an owl which was obviously asleep in a small tree by the chicken run. Spotted gold crests yesterday too - bird-arama at the minute!

Pyxis · 20 April 2020 at 10:56AM

Cheery_Daff said:

Brilliant pyxis! They're really loud aren't they? I've not heard one for a few years, but I did spot one in our garden last year, most exciting!

Did I tell you we had a sparrowhawk in the garden the other day, perched on the wheelbarrow handle? Most exciting, but Mr Cheery chased it off - don't really want it getting ideas about our chickens (!) And also don't want to have to see it killing other things outside the window... we also disturbed an owl which was obviously asleep in a small tree by the chicken run. Spotted gold crests yesterday too - bird-arama at the minute!

Lots of lovely birds! I’ve never seen a goldcrest.
Yes, the woodpecker drumming was surprisingly loud!

I had a close encounter with a sparrowhawk in my garden a few years ago. I had trained a starling to eat from my hand, and was feeding it one day when suddenly the starling squawked and dived off my hand and under a garden trolley which was right next to where I was sitting.
In almost the same second, a sparrowhawk flew within an inch of me down onto the ground after the starling, but couldn’t get under the trolley. I was completely taken aback and amazed by this sparrowhawk next to my foot!
The sparrowhawk suddenly seemed to realise that I was a humin bean and not a birdtable, and took off again, from right next to me.

I don’t know who was more shocked...me or the starling! Goes to show how brilliant birds’ peripheral vision is, as he spotted the sparrowhawk before I did.
I gave him extra mealworms, for the trauma, whilst keeping a close eye on the sky!

It had a happy ending, but I would have been devastated if the starling had been plucked from my hand while I was feeding it. It had become a sort of wild pet.

On the other hand, the sparrowhawk has a right to life as well, and may have had chicks to feed.

It’s so difficult, isn’t it? Things eating other things.☹️

Cheery_Daff · 20 April 2020 at 11:39AM

Gosh Pyxis, that sounds very dramatic!

Certainly is difficult, and I wouldn't begrudge anything a meal - I just don't particularly want anything killed in front of me (or anything to eat my pets!)

Pyxis · 20 April 2020 at 11:54AM

Cheery_Daff said:

Gosh Pyxis, that sounds very dramatic!

Certainly is difficult, and I wouldn't begrudge anything a meal - I just don't particularly want anything killed in front of me (or anything to eat my pets!)

Yes, exactly. That would be dreadful.☹️☹️

Ironically, I think we are seeing more sparrowhawks in urban areas because more people are feeding their garden birds, and so inadvertently providing take-aways for raptors. ☹️