Hawk 1, Pigeon 0

[Toddy]

Sitting at my desk in the living room this morning I heard the most enormous racket outside. Magpies and crows going nuts at something. I thought they'd tree'd a cat and went to break up the riot.
Opened the front door, and realised that the birds were all around the roofs and focused on something in next doors front garden. Photos taken literally from a couple of metres.

 

[Mesquite]

Nice one Mary, not often do you get to see something like that so close up

 

[Toddy]

It was totally unbothered by me being there, or going back in and out as I fetched my camera.
Himself did the same thing too and it didn't even budge, just got on with it's breakfast.

M

 

[bambodoggy]

Wow, great photos Mary....what a lucky thing to see. Only ever seen this once myself in the flesh and was lucky enough to see the pigeon taken in mid flight

Thanks for sharing

 

[wheelnut]

the pigeon looks to be still alive in the pics, did it kill it quickly or just chew it up

 

[Toddy]

The pigeon wasn't moving at all. I think the way the hawk's sitting on it's back was keeping the head up. When the hawk moved the head dropped right down. It was well and truly, if very newly, dead.
The rest of the pigeons were sitting up on the next door (faces us) neighbour's gable end. I recognised the dead one, it was the only really white one among them. I suppose it just stood out too much agin the ordinary greyish ones.

M

 

[Clouston98]

What a great thing to see, especially so up close. Great shots!

 

[British Red]

I agree the pigeon does look very much alive. I have seen buzzards eat "not dead yet" prey - so, provided that the pigeon was immobile, I doubt the hawk cared if it was dead or just crippled and in shock. I'm sure it was dead by the end.

 

[JAG009]

Sorry! Mary you can give me a slap the next time you see me ,,,,http://youtu.be/dexQhvczVeM

Jason

 

[petrochemicals]

It was totally unbothered by me being there, or going back in and out as I fetched my camera.
Himself did the same thing too and it didn't even budge, just got on with it's breakfast.

M

Sparrow hawk?
Yup they're very willing to stand there ground with a kill, even though they could fly off with it. Goes to show they are not scared really, just inclined to take the easy road when there is nothing to gain. Suppose crows and other prying eyes may try to steal it.

 

[falcon]

Great photo. I once disturbed a Sparrowhawk doing just that in a pheasant release pen when I arrived to check the perimeter and top up food. The hawk flew off and I went into the pen and located the poult. Indeed the pheasant was alive too with a hole in the flesh on its back as in your picture. I felt I had no choice but to put the pheasant out of its misery. As a friend says...every day's a school day. Thanks for posting..

 

[Robby]

I once saw a Perigrine take a bird down out of a flock and do pretty much the same thing about 10ft away from me when I was working security in the Ravencraig Steel works before it closed. Brilliant photos.

 

[sunndog]

great pics, not often you see that close up.
i'd say that pigeon was alive in the first pic too. Not that animals care much for such niceties, remember..."nature is raw in tooth and claw"


I remember once going out on the quad to check a fox bait station. a buzzard took flight from the pile of guts and cruised off down the field about 12 feet in the air. I was able to ride directly underneath for over 200 yards

a fantastic view and a great memory that one

 

[nephilim]

Mind if I show this on another forum?

 

[danny358]

great pics. i saw a spar take a pidgeon next to a bin on mcdonalds car park it sat on its back and killed it in exactly the same way as that one by pulling away at the back until it was inside the chest it was very gruesome and took about 10 mins to kill it. there were people walking right past that didnt even notice it. it was hard to not help the pidgeon but i suppose thats nature eh.