Friday 1 February 2008

This afternoon wasn't half as cold as the weather presenters said it was going to be. The wind was a bit chilly, but in the sun it was spring-like. A very quick walk around the lake area found just a few MALLARD and a couple of CANADA GEESE. In the waterlogged woods 2 TEAL were skulking, a useful addition for the months list, but otherwise it was quiet. A scan over migrant alley, and the FIELDFARE and a few REDWING were in the Sheep pasture, along with one or two MISTLETHRUSH.
These Two Canada Geese Were On The Pond
A View Over Migrant Alley, To Oxon Hoath Park


I got home and looked out the window to find........................................
This female (thanks lee!) sparrowhawk on a Collared Dove


Exactly the same place as the male hawk took the Blackbird kill to.
I watched this bird for an hour, it devoured every bit of this poor Collared Dove, except the feet! This Hawk was a bit bigger than the other one, and had less white on the back of its head, it also had a slight white supercillium, which the male lacked. It was interesting to see, that the feeding site, was exactly the same place as the last hawk took its prey. I might have to close down the feeding station :-(








2 comments:

lee said...

awsome female sparrowhawk the smaller males dont normally take birds the size of pigeons & doves also the male has red front

Warren Baker said...

Thanks Lee, my mistake ooops! must watch a bit closer. Its interesting to note that the male doesn't come into the garden whilst the female is in the area. The female is so much less agile, it doesn't often get a kill in the tight confines of my small garden