Nature in action

[hedgepig]

Spring is here and many birds are busy nesting and raising young. Its a busy time, but if you don't pay attention there's always going to be someone who takes advantage.

I believe that this is actually a juvenile male sparrowhawk, which makes it extremely remarkable that it took down this collared dove.

 

[Matt Weir]

Superb shots hedgepig!

 

[hedgepig]

Cheer Matt!

Eh, why was this moved from Fauna & Flora to trapping a game prep? It has nothing to do with either trapping (wild birds both of them) nor game prep!

Confused of Bangor

 

[Toddy]

I moved it because anything "visceral" is homed into Fair Game.

The forum is read by others not necessarily in their own homes; school, public libraries and the like.
We had complaints/ concerns raised a couple of years ago about members being reproached for opening pages displaying graphic images in public places, so now we just shift things over and it seems to have sorted the problem.

I do take your point that the photos are real life and not hunting/ shooting / fishing though.
I was actually about to compliment you on them when the net refused to let me post
I'll copy this reply before I send it this time


cheers,
Toddy

 

[crazyclimber]

Wow, very nice birds and very nice pics!!

 

[Humpback]

Cheer Matt!

Eh, why was this moved from Fauna & Flora to trapping a game prep? It has nothing to do with either trapping (wild birds both of them) nor game prep!

Confused of Bangor

Fantastic Photos, shame about the pigeon-holing.
Alan

 

[Toddy]

Witty pun
Mine ran along the lines of *Fair* Game

Stunningly clear shots of a beautiful bird.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[John Fenna]

I dont care where they are displayed - I just thank you for sharing such tremendous photos!
You could sell these for real money!

 

[Pignut]

WOW!!!

Those are truely stunning!

 

[scanker]

Fantastic photos. Very well done.

:wow1:
:notworthy

 

[Scrimmy]

Amazing photos, but I believe this may be a small female, due to the thickness of the leg, but I didn't see the bird 'in person'. Cain

 

[hedgepig]

I moved it because anything "visceral" is homed into Fair Game.

The forum is read by others not necessarily in their own homes; school, public libraries and the like.
We had complaints/ concerns raised a couple of years ago about members being reproached for opening pages displaying graphic images in public places, so now we just shift things over and it seems to have sorted the problem.

I do take your point that the photos are real life and not hunting/ shooting / fishing though.
I was actually about to compliment you on them when the net refused to let me post
I'll copy this reply before I send it this time


cheers,
Toddy

OK, fair enough. I understand why you moved the thread, although I find it a bit odd that people could find something offensive in something like this.

Wow, very nice birds and very nice pics!!

Cheers Crazyclimber

Fantastic Photos, shame about the pigeon-holing.
Alan

Heheh, nice pun. Cheers!

Witty pun
Mine ran along the lines of *Fair* Game

Stunningly clear shots of a beautiful bird.

cheers,
Toddy

Thanks Toddy - it was indeed a beautiful bird. It was a rather special experience being so close to a wild animal like that.

I dont care where they are displayed - I just thank you for sharing such tremendous photos!
You could sell these for real money!

Cheers John, maybe I'll get round to sending them to an agency at some point.

WOW!!!

Those are truely stunning!

Thanks.

Fantastic photos. Very well done.

:wow1:
:notworthy

Cheers!

Amazing photos, but I believe this may be a small female, due to the thickness of the leg, but I didn't see the bird 'in person'. Cain

Hmmm, that's interesting. I posted these on another (photography) forum and asked a question about whether it was a female or a juvenile male. It was a birders forum and so I hoped that they would be able to give me a better idea. Only one person came out and said they thought it might be a juvenile male.

I'm not an expert on raptors, but I have seen a few sparrowhawks in the wild and this one seemed smallish. My first reaction was that it was a female and the only thing that made me question that was the colour - I would have expected a female to be a bit greyer. Having said that, the RSPB website does show a picture of a sparrowhawk that is the same colour as this. I'm beginning to think that the size of the prey is more significant than any colour variation. What is it about the thickness of the leg? Thicker/thinner? Oh, and glad you like the photos

 

[Scrimmy]

Well, in captive bred birds they are bought at an early age and the thickness of the leg is the only real distinguishing feature, the pictures show the legs to be resonably thick, but if I had a first hand look they may be different, although looking at the pictures again Collarde Doves arent a large bird, and the Sparrowhawk isn't much bigger, taking i second look i think i would also say male, going on the size of the collard dove. Here's a picture for comparison, this is of a juvenille Female Sparrowhawk(captive) on a Rook.

Sorry for my shuddy identification skills. Cain And again those pictures are brilliant.

 

[Tony]

Just followed a link here and saw this, great thread and pictures. It's lovely to see nature in action.

 

[Wayland]

Fantastic shots, great photography.

I bet you are pleased as Punch with those.

 

[dommyracer]

The second pic is my favourite. are they cropped at all ? It would benefit from a little more space on the left of the picture....

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Great pics, did you take a pic of the remains of the carcass ?

Why I ask is that it would help me ID what killed a bird based on the patterns, quill shapes etc.

Nick

 

[hedgepig]

Just followed a link here and saw this, great thread and pictures. It's lovely to see nature in action.

Cheers Tony

Fantastic shots, great photography.

I bet you are pleased as Punch with those.

Pleased as punch? ABSOLUTELY!

The second pic is my favourite. are they cropped at all ? It would benefit from a little more space on the left of the picture....

Cheers Yeah, the were cropped from 3x2 aspect ratio to 10X8 aspect ratio. I know what you mean about the space to the left - I can't remember what the original looked like, but I suspect I cropped off both sides.

Great pics, did you take a pic of the remains of the carcass ?

Why I ask is that it would help me ID what killed a bird based on the patterns, quill shapes etc.

Nick

Heh, never occurred to me to do that Nick - I'll bear it in mind next time I see a kill site.

Cheers

 

[Prophecy]

Hedgepig - from Bangor are you? Where did you see the sparrowhawk if you don't mind me asking?

I'm in Bangor too, but have never seen one so close. Awsome pics!

Oh - and nice site you have! Some nice shots of Bangor there.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Re- Kill Site

Just would be handy to have a pic of the bird and it's killsite so when I'm out and can tell what did what rather than guess and think it was a fox.

Nick