mikeyjh
Well-known member
Quite the spectacle! Very likely to have been a Buzzard - Just part of the circle of life, Buzzards are very common these days....
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[Misc] The Official NSC Bird Spotting Thread.
- Thread starter 1066familyman
- Start date
- Oct 20, 2022
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But not in (sub)urban gardens hunting Woodpigeons!
Buzzards, although are opportunistic feeders, tend tend eat earthworms and small rodents and prefer hunting from a perch in open areas or soaring over open terrain then dropping down onto prey. (Or walking around looking for worms)
Female Sparrowhawks on the other hand are stealth hunters and regularly take down Woodpigeons and regularly hunt in urban gardens. They are much larger than the male and brown in colour so can be confused with a Buzzard. I used to work for the RSPB and we found the Sparrowhawk was one of the most wrongly identified garden birds when talking to people about their experiences.
That said, it does look a bit like
a Common Buzzard on just this one image (size compared to fox and the apparently unbarred primaries and wingtip shape) and Buzzards do occasionally take woodpigeon ( and more rarely are seen in semi-rural gardens) but the photo is not very clear so it’s hard to be sure. It would be good to see more images or the video.
(If it was a Buzzard, perhaps it was already weakened with illness or starving even - which might explain the slightly unusual behaviour, location and not moving out of the way from the fox)
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1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
- 15,185
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- #163
Good Friday. Brede Valley.
I may have stumbled upon a valuable bit of field craft here for future reference. It's like one of those magic eye thingies. Can you see what it is?
I may have stumbled upon a valuable bit of field craft here for future reference. It's like one of those magic eye thingies. Can you see what it is?
Algernon
Well-known member
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
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- #165
November last year. Pett Levels.
Is it a Linnet does anyone know please?
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
- 15,185
- Thread starter
- #166
January this year. Pett Level. One of a pair.
Is it a Corn Bunting does anyone know please?
Horton's halftime iceberg
Blooming Marvellous
A Barn Owl was flying around the bottom of Sheepcote last night when I was walking the dog about 19.30. It looked spectacular and had a huge wingspan.
tigertim68
Well-known member
- Sep 3, 2012
- 2,330
Stonechat
- Oct 20, 2022
- 4,883
It’s a male Reed Bunting - Corn Buntings are your archetypal Little Brown Jobs with no distinct plumage pattern I love Pett Level - i Used to go down there a lot when I lived in Brighton
tigertim68
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- Sep 3, 2012
- 2,330
Reed Bunting
- Oct 20, 2022
- 4,883
Looks nothing like a Stonechat!
Note the lack of face stripes and the orange breast:
European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola - Media Search - Macaulay Library and eBird
Explore millions of photos, audio recordings, and videos of birds and other animals; powered by Macaulay Library and eBird. The Macaulay Library collects, archives, and distributes wildlife media for research, education, and conservation.
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- Oct 20, 2022
- 4,883
Yeah, who gives a hoot.
1066familyman
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- Jan 15, 2008
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- #175
Thanks. Makes sense at they were in among the Reeds.
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
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- #176
Thanks. I'm struglling on a lot of little bird id's. Not only the differences between male and females on some species, but also winter vs breeding plummage. Hence why I gave the month I took those shots in.
1066familyman
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- Jan 15, 2008
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- #177
Anyone able to help here?
I'm thinking Tree Pipit. Taken at Wark Forest, Northumberland, a few days before Newcastle away.
I'm thinking Tree Pipit. Taken at Wark Forest, Northumberland, a few days before Newcastle away.
Worried Man Blues
Well-known member
He's standing on a small budgie!
- Jul 10, 2003
- 25,877
It's a sad day at Wz Towers.
I got up this morning to see a few feathers on the lawn outside the bedroom window and figured that our regular sparrow hawk had taken another pigeon. Miss Wz (who is on a visit from Oz) was out in the garden this morning and found the remains, coming back to tell me she thought it was Mrs Wz's favourite bird, a very pale cross between either a ring necked dove or, as Mrs Wz insists, a turtle dove which she had been trying to hand tame with various seeds.
I'm sure the foxes will see off any remains tonight, but what should I tell Mrs Wz, it's like the Serengeti out there in darkest Westdene
I got up this morning to see a few feathers on the lawn outside the bedroom window and figured that our regular sparrow hawk had taken another pigeon. Miss Wz (who is on a visit from Oz) was out in the garden this morning and found the remains, coming back to tell me she thought it was Mrs Wz's favourite bird, a very pale cross between either a ring necked dove or, as Mrs Wz insists, a turtle dove which she had been trying to hand tame with various seeds.
I'm sure the foxes will see off any remains tonight, but what should I tell Mrs Wz, it's like the Serengeti out there in darkest Westdene
Si Gull
Way Down South
Yep, Tree Pipit. Nice photo!