What is this bird?

MalMonroe

Money_Grabber13579 said:

twopenny said:

Wow what a great photo!

Yes, well, gardens with bird boxes and bird tables are our equivelent of fast food.

You might want to make an umbrella type cover if you have bird feeders.

I must get a budgie ladder to errect against mine to stop the seagulls taking the whole fat block and cage from the table.

I haven't got any bird food out at the moment (due to me being badly organised) but there is a hedge at the back of the garden and I suspect there may be birds nesting in that - which is right beside where the sparrow hawk was siting.  I'm in two minds as to what to do if I see it again i.e. scare it off or let it be.

I used to feed the birds in my back garden too. Our property backs on to woodland so we have quite a lot of visiting wildlife and birds. However, one day I saw a rat (a lovely brown woodland one) partaking as well and while I really don't mind personally (everything has to eat), I knew my neighbours would probably have apoplexy. So now I don't feed the birds. You don't really need to, especially this time of year. Water, yes. Food, no. (as Archie_Duke has said)

I have to say that sparrowhawk really is gorgeous. I'd be tempted to scare it off but as I said above, it's nature. What can you do? We shouldn't really interfere. A sparrowhawk will go after magpies, yes The female is bigger than the male and will also go after pigeons, starlings and thrushes, among others. And in turn, magpies will go after smaller birds, such as blackbirds, as per my experience above. 

FluffityBunny

Love seeing sparrowhawks in our garden, not so fun when you find the carcass of a woodpigeon they have just devoured.  

Woolsery

Sparrowhawks don't usually hang about like that if actively hunting. When they hunt they'll go through your garden and probably half a dozen others at speed, because success lies mostly in sudden attack. They aren't greatly  bothered about human presence either; we've had one take a blackbird literally from above our heads and continue on with it without pause.

Woolsery

Money_Grabber13579 said:

greyteam1959 said:

Wait until you see it eating a small bird alive.
Then you might chang your opinion of it.
Lovely picture though.

I guess it's just following instinct... I did see a magpie fly off quickly after the sparrow hawk flew away but perhaps it would be after smaller birds than that?

It would have trouble flying with a magpie and a bird that size wouldn't go peaceably! A magpie's greatest enemies are probably  farmers with guns and Larsen traps. They have reasons for wanting to keep the numbers down.

cymruchris

I've had a sparrow-hawk in the garden quite a few times. He's taken quite a few doves, and was happily sitting there chewing through one while I got my camera out to take a few pics. They are only doing what nature intended - and as much as we go 'aww what about the little birds' - it's the way nature works. Good that you caught him on camera - and now you know what you're looking at next time you see one! (They don't half make a mess!)

[Deleted User]

greyteam1959 said:

Wait until you see it eating a small bird alive.
Then you might chang your opinion of it.
Lovely picture though.

Horrendous noise as it's caught and horrendous noise and sight as it's being eaten alive.
One took a female blackbird from my garden last week, i have 3 pairs that nest here, they pair for life, and now 1 family is minus a parent.
I know it's nature but i loathe the hawks, we get buzzards here too.

[Deleted User]

Money_Grabber13579 said:

greyteam1959 said:

Wait until you see it eating a small bird alive.
Then you might chang your opinion of it.
Lovely picture though.

I guess it's just following instinct... I did see a magpie fly off quickly after the sparrow hawk flew away but perhaps it would be after smaller birds than that?

Nope, they'll take wood pidgeons and town pidgeons.

[Deleted User]

Money_Grabber13579 said:

twopenny said:

Wow what a great photo!

Yes, well, gardens with bird boxes and bird tables are our equivelent of fast food.

You might want to make an umbrella type cover if you have bird feeders.

I must get a budgie ladder to errect against mine to stop the seagulls taking the whole fat block and cage from the table.

I haven't got any bird food out at the moment (due to me being badly organised) but there is a hedge at the back of the garden and I suspect there may be birds nesting in that - which is right beside where the sparrow hawk was siting.  I'm in two minds as to what to do if I see it again i.e. scare it off or let it be.

If it's already caught the poor target let it be, if it hasn't move it on out of sight and earshot.
I know it's nature but it's awful to witness - and definitely don't let your grandchildren watch, it gave mine nightmares.