The troublesome tail end of Stella has meant a week of enforced inactivity for yours truly. The local ban on ringing due to Avian Flu is now lifted but the wind and rain of recent days has given no opportunity for ringing or birding.
In my own garden and those of close neighbours there’s been a Chiffchaff, a singing Mistle Thrush, a calling Tawny Owl, a steady stream of Goldfinches, plus a number of Dunnocks chasing around.
More showers this morning, and as I typed away, Sue reported a killing taking place on the back lawn.
From the bedroom window I saw that an adult female Sparrowhawk had just collared a Collared Dove and was in the process of finishing off the job by sinking its talons into the dove's flesh. A Collared Dove is a large bird and at the top end of the list of prey sizes a female Sparrowhawk can handle.
After a minute or so the Sparrowhawk flew with it now dead prey to the quieter end of the garden and where in the shelter of the trees for the next fifteen minutes it would take its meal. The bottom of the garden near the trees and the fence can be pretty gloomy in the rain and cloud so I switched to ISO1000.
Sparrowhawk
A Sparrowhawk plucks its prey before it can eat the meat. By the end of its meal the Sparrowhawk's crop was noticeably bulging from eating a whole Collared Dove. The hawk flew off carrying the carcass and left a pile of feathers only as evidence.
Sparrowhawk
Sparrowhawk
Remains of a Sparrowhawk meal
The weather forecast is slightly better for Friday/Saturday. Let’s hope there’s some birding or ringing by then. If so read about it here. In the meantime, don’t forget to keep an eye out for garden birds.
Linking today to Eileen's Saturday and Stewart's World Bird Wednesday.