Sparrow hawk?

[daleyd]

My father in laws nemesis (he races pigeons!).

We love them (he doesn’t !) -, the female is usually a fair bit larger than the male. A goshawk is very similar looking but much rarer and very shy - I’d love to see one of those one day.

The markings are also very similar to a cuckoo, there is some thought that the cuckoo has evolved to mimic the markings to help it spook its host birds away when it goes to lay its eggs in their nest!

 

[4String.]

My father in laws nemesis (he races pigeons!).

I used to but I couldn't catch them .

 

[Ged93]

So beautiful creatures .

In my town there is a man who collaborates with forester corps , he helps them to save and recover animals like deers , boars , hawks , turtles , he keeps a lot of animals at his house while they are recovering ( seen a couple of huge boars at his home , very friendly and loved my carrots ) . He came home with 2 hawks ( brother and sister ) , I don't know their story in detail , but they adapted pretty well to humans . One day the female hawk went out to have a fly around the town sky , and she landed in our garden at 7:00 am , we were all surprised . It was August and damn hot so we managed to give her water , she really appreciated that . She was not scared at all , my mother phoned that man asking if he had 'lost' a hawk and he said 'yes'.
The hawk was waiting in our garden and when the man arrived she started to 'call' him and started to shake her wings , he showed his arm and she jumped on it fast like a thunder . She was very happy and went home .

She was not a trained hawk , he came from a forest and just fell in love with that old man , without any reason .

 

[slim_boy_fat]

It's been eyeing you both up....

Aye, whatever you do, don't leave the window open while you sleep.

 

[Gritineye]

We have around 50 sparrows and Sparrow Hawk will sit in the oak tree behind our bungalow watching them sitting about on the shed roof. He'll swoop down behind the bungalow roof and over closely following the shape of the it, and then down nearly to the ground, then up following the shape of the shed and the poor sparrow had no clue it was coming.

The SH spreads it's wings at the grab point which is quite spectacular with the setting sun behind the shed, as it shines through the feathers for a split second, then it's gone as if nothing happened.

 

[redlig]

Aye, whatever you do, don't leave the window open while you sleep.

be even more cautious if your not asleep.

 

[T5 TDI]

They are fantastic (sneaky) hunters. They first case the joint then swoop in low and fast over a hedge or fence and try grab their prey at speed. But failing that, we have seen them circling the bird table at lightning speed and even hovering. Once they have their victim they will find a perch and pluck it leaving all the feathers in a heap in your garden. If you happen to see one sitting on a fence post or whatever, look into those startling yellow eyes. True malevolence! We usually only see them in spring. I'm glad I'm not one of our poor goldfinches who disappear in a puff of yellow feathers in a nanosecond.

 

[brightspark]

ive seen a couple dive down and drop a pigeon and a stinker starling in mid air and rip em to bits on the floor

 

[Keithmac]

We've had one take a few pigeons and likes to sit on our fence.

Comes and goes but personally I'd make it a Sparrow Hawk Mansion for it's family if it would eat all the feral pigeons living under the Solar Panels 2 doors up..

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Aye, whatever you do, don't leave the window open while you sleep.

I’m more worried about the deer. There’s a sodding great stag that has taken to standing in the field and staring the dogs down, they absolutely hate it and go beserk, although they’re not daft enough to have a go!

 

[Morris]

Wifey opened our back to the sight of a sparrowhawk disemboweling a blackbird one morning. She's not keen on them anymore.
I think they are stunning birds.

 

[Hood]

..... A goshawk is very similar looking but much rarer and very shy - I’d love to see one of those one day.
...

Slight difference in size, pic below of female sparrowhawk and female Goshawk. There are quite a few pairs of Goshawk up this way but as you say they are elusive

 

[daleyd]

Slight difference in size, pic below of female sparrowhawk and female Goshawk. There are quite a few pairs of Goshawk up this way but as you say they are elusive
View attachment 398690

Goshawks also have broader, rounder wings more suited to their environment whereas sparrowhawks are more pointy - I’ve seen quite a few in captivity but I’d love to see one in the wild. Very similar markings though.

 

[Smallfry]

I hate them. They dont last long around here.

 

[Hood]

Goshawks also have broader, rounder wings more suited to their environment whereas sparrowhawks are more pointy - I’ve seen quite a few in captivity but I’d love to see one in the wild. Very similar markings though.

A friend had a licence to take a sparrowhawk but the first nest we found was a Goshawk, he was tempted

 

[Keith 66]

There has been a pair of Sparrowhawks nesting near here for many years, Next door neigbours had a resident flock of collared doves but they have virtually all been eaten! We have a thick holly hedge & the sparrows like it because it gives them protection.
Quite few buzzards about now which is new down here.
Occasionally in winter you may see a Merlin, A tiny falcon that hunts small birds & waders often on the coast. No point looking up at the sky for them they tend to fly low. I was privelidged to see one last winter while walking along the edge of the sea wall. Saw this tiny gray thing hurtling along the deck towards me, It went past three feet away at knee height then down & away over the saltmarsh.

 

[4String.]

Had a drive up Teesdale today, and called in at the Langdon Beck Hotel for a crafty pint of shandy.

Walked in the door to find the place rammed with television types that turned out be from BBC's Countryfile who were filming in Upper Teesdale for an upcoming episode. Had a nice chat with Charlotte whatsername, one of the presenters who looks a bit of a munter on screen but is quite appealing in the flesh, as it were. But I digress, and at my age who wouldn't .

Returned home via the minor road over the tops to Nenthead rather than going through Alston and I had an epic showing of a Short Eared Owl hunting over the fields. Couldn't get a photo of it as it wasn't still for long enough but it was fantastic viewing!

 

[redlig]

view from kitchen window this morning . Excuses for crap quality again Low light ,upped iso. slow speed and wide aperture. Oh! and the windows need a clean.

 

[Gritineye]

Sparrow Hawk might have took a sparrow today as I was sat by the window having a cuppa, there was a flurry of birds in all directions, and a loud bang on the window..

Not sure what happened it was so quick, but it looks like one sparrow was pinned against the glass and left a perfect ghostly image there, even the eye is there, impossible to get a good pic but it's head is to the left.

 

[striker]

We used to get a sparrowhawk in our garden, often sat on wood pigeons as the above pic. I saw one take a crow last week when I was out cycling. First time I've seen that....on another day last week I saw two owls in one day! A brown one and a white one!!