Friday, 9 July 2010

What bird did kill one of the wood pidgins?

Some days ago I hurried into the garden to get lettuce for dinner. I wasn’t that far from the bird in the pictures below when I noticed it. It looked at me, but was busy plucking another bird and didn’t fly away despite my approach in a hurrying gait. I walked slowly backwards and watched it from inside the house.

Then I thought I might get a picture, as it was so concentrated on its activity. So I went out with the camera, which has a very wide angle, that’s why zooming didn’t bring the bird very near.




Anyway, I managed to get as near to it as before, and did take the first picture before it flew away to where I took the second. I thought he was plucking a blackbird, but it turned out that the victim was a wood pidgin, which is somewhat larger in size than the bird itself I’d say.




Anyway, I guess it was a sparrowhawk, but I didn’t find the rectangular feature on its head that I see on my pictures on any drawings or pictures of these birds that I could find.





Here’s what was left of the poor wood pidgin:



If anyone can help determine what predatory bird that is I’ll be thankful.


5 comments:

  1. A pidgeon must make a huge meal for a sparrowhawk - they are so big! Found this link and if you scroll down it looks just like your fellow - even eating a pidgeon too.

    http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mull-bed-and-breakfast.co.uk/im/sparrowHawk-01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php%3Ft%3D2055943431%26page%3D2&usg=__dEhHf2jubBEwmbJsNVpSsBaCy_c=&h=480&w=640&sz=112&hl=en&start=2&itbs=1&tbnid=jCUMNLuzzBv2uM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsparrowhawk%26hl%3Den%26cr%3DcountryIE%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DaBH%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26tbs%3Disch:1,ctr:countryIE%26prmd%3Dvi

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  2. It looks like a peregrin falcon to me: bit hard to make sure though ;-)
    Lovley blog, I will be back ;-)
    (gaynor from knitting group)

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  3. Thanks for your suggestions, Snac Breac and Stitcheranon.

    Interestingly I meanwhile got both suggestions you made by private email, whilst the person who thought of the peregrine first on second thought considered the sparrowhawk be also possible.

    So if I take statistics of answers so far, the (female) sparrowhawk would be the winner.

    But the contest is still open to further suggestions and or confirmations.

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  4. I got anouther private mail today that says it was defintely a peregrin falcon. Hmm.

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  5. On second thought the person that sent the mail yesterday also considered it was more likely a sparrowhawk. I also got strong confirmation from someone else that it wasn't a peregrine at all.

    So I now feel it is right to say that it was a sparrowhawk.

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