Posted by Gavin Parsons on October 12, 2006 at 12:33 PM
This doesn't happen very often (to me at least)
I was working in London today (as a graphic designer) and while on my way to the tube station I pass a small playing field. A commotion was coming from the field as a pair of crows where getting excited. They were, it turned out, pecking a rather bedraggled wood pigeon to death. It was pretty much dead anyway - it just didn't know it yet.
As I was standing there watching the scene - cursing the fact my camera was at home (not where I was staying) a sparrowhawk plunged onto the pigeon. The crows, of course, went nuts. I think the pigeon was actually bought down by the sparrowhawk and then the crows (who nest nearby) pounced and drove it off. It was a young bird and rather inexperienced. It was certainly nieve to think it could fly away with a bird as big as itself with 2 crows and subsquently 2 magpies in pursuit. It was getting severely hassled and though I didn't stay to watch the outcome I assume it lost its breakfast.
It's not the usual scene in north london, but a good way to start the day. Having a camera would have been even better, but such is life.
Posted by Sean Bolton on October 12, 2006 at 1:47 PM
Hi Gavin
A great scene to witness (unless you are a wood pigeon). I had a similar sparrowhawk encounter earlier this year in my back garden. I was sat on my patio enjoying a glass of wine (as you do...) watching the chaffinches feeding on the bird table at the bottom of the garden. Suddenly, whoosh, sparrow hawk dives into the garden, chaffinches go beserk, sparrowhawk flies off. I don't know if it caught a chaffinch or not but the garden was extremely quiet for an hour after that !
Spar's seem to be a bit like Stoats - if they've killed, or almost killed, then they're reluctant to give up the chase. We had one that managed to kill a Tree spug inside of one of our wire mesh nut feeders - despite us unwittingly disturbing it, the Spar returned several times to try and hook/pull the corpse out of the feeder. So, if you disturb one, then it is probably worth waiting quietly and unobtrusively somewhere to see if it comes back (unless of course it left with dinner in it's talons).
Our resident Spar' kindly splattered a young Woodpigeon all over our drive on hot day back in summer. It left a mega mess - had to get the power hose out to blast the dried on guts & blood away ! Also had to get rid of a couple of wings with legs still attached .
Murphy's law also states that you *never* have your camera with you when something happens
Discussion
2 repliesI was working in London today (as a graphic designer) and while on my way to the tube station I pass a small playing field. A commotion was coming from the field as a pair of crows where getting excited. They were, it turned out, pecking a rather bedraggled wood pigeon to death. It was pretty much dead anyway - it just didn't know it yet.
As I was standing there watching the scene - cursing the fact my camera was at home (not where I was staying) a sparrowhawk plunged onto the pigeon. The crows, of course, went nuts. I think the pigeon was actually bought down by the sparrowhawk and then the crows (who nest nearby) pounced and drove it off. It was a young bird and rather inexperienced. It was certainly nieve to think it could fly away with a bird as big as itself with 2 crows and subsquently 2 magpies in pursuit. It was getting severely hassled and though I didn't stay to watch the outcome I assume it lost its breakfast.
It's not the usual scene in north london, but a good way to start the day. Having a camera would have been even better, but such is life.
A great scene to witness (unless you are a wood pigeon). I had a similar sparrowhawk encounter earlier this year in my back garden. I was sat on my patio enjoying a glass of wine (as you do...) watching the chaffinches feeding on the bird table at the bottom of the garden. Suddenly, whoosh, sparrow hawk dives into the garden, chaffinches go beserk, sparrowhawk flies off. I don't know if it caught a chaffinch or not but the garden was extremely quiet for an hour after that !
cheers
Sean
Our resident Spar' kindly splattered a young Woodpigeon all over our drive on hot day back in summer. It left a mega mess - had to get the power hose out to blast the dried on guts & blood away
Murphy's law also states that you *never* have your camera with you when something happens