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Author Topic: Sparrow Hawk  (Read 6167 times)

Offline Darren

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Sparrow Hawk
« on: March 20, 2009, 01:34:56 PM »
I was just sat on the veranda when something shot past me down to the sparrows on the lawn.

It missed, and spent a while hopping around a prickly hedge we have that the sparrows love.
Now I know why they like this hedge. The sparrow hawk couldn't get inside, try as it might.
What a noise the sparrows made, alarm calls amass.

After it left the sparrows went deadly silent and took quite a while to come out of the hedge.

Wish I had my camera handy......I was only a few feet away.
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Offline PTsideshow

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2009, 02:00:59 PM »
That is real cool isn't it. The county brought in a couple of pairs of some kind of hawks to control the pigeons.  Downtown I live about 3/4 of a mile from the building they have the roosts in. Guess they don't like the taste of the city chickens. As they have always been in our neighborhood feeding on the squirrels, birds, rabbits and the Homing pigeons. Guess they prefer the taste of raisin bagels and cracked corn feed critters that me and the neighbor feeds them. I see them soaring all the time in the area, Here is one of them in the tree along side the shop.


and  another one of one eating a homing pigeon in our yard. Messy suckers! Blood guts and feathers everywhere.

Told wifey as long as they aren't dropping them on top of her car don't worry about it  :bugeye:
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Offline cedge

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2009, 02:02:59 PM »
Darren
I love watching raptors in flight. I get to watch mated pairs of Red Tail Hawks, Red shoulder Hawks, Falcons and a pair of large very large Barred Owls hunting in the woods surrounding my home. More than once I've had to duck to avoid near collisions and I always get a thrill when one of them lands in a tree quite near my deck. The one that really spooked me was the big Red Tail that chased a bird all the way into my shop and brushed the back of my head with this wings as he wheeled around to fly back out.  THAT will take your attention away from whatever you might have running on the mill.... trust me...LOL

Steve
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Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2009, 03:57:18 PM »
This is so bizarre...

We just had a large raptor incident in our back yard a few weeks ago. Now bare in mind we live in a fairly urban environment. We stepped out back to have a smoke. Just as we stepped out the door, we heard really loud flapping. When we looked in the direction of the noise, we saw this:



Coming out of the tree with a small bird in it's claws. After much researching and contact with a local bird group, we narrowed it down to a golden eagle. Thing was freaking huge.

Eric
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2009, 05:14:22 PM »
Hi Chaps

Thanks for showing us these fantastic pics  :clap:

I've added a few pics of some Galapogus hawks when we visited there a few years ago, they were queing up to feed off a dead seal pup.





Cheers

Stew
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bogstandard

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2009, 05:45:21 PM »
On our last visit to Bavaria, we called at a Schloss where they had been breeding and training birds of prey since the middle ages.

They put on a display of all the birds they train, including vultures.

This is  long shot I took of the grandson (arrowed). It wasn't until later when I went thru all the pics, it came to light that I had had a close encounter of a sorts. Never felt or heard a thing.



Bogs
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Offline John Hill

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2009, 05:57:13 PM »
Just imagine if you lived in New Zealand about 1200 AD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbdwn4mGmZ8

...or Google 'Haast Eagle'.
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2009, 06:18:17 PM »
PT,

I believe that's a peregrine falcon. They use them in cities to control the pigeon population.

Bernd
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2009, 06:34:01 PM »
Quote from: bogstandard on March 20, 2009, 05:45:21 PM
It wasn't until later when I went thru all the pics, it came to light that I had had a close encounter of a sorts. Never felt or heard a thing.


Bogs


It must have bin a Bog Hawk   :lol:

Stew :lol:
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bogstandard

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2009, 06:40:17 PM »
Wrong Stew,

Some sort of vulture, the other one was eating the chap on the shed in the far background.

Bogs
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2009, 06:56:40 AM »
You Chaps who are interested in Raptors will enjoy this site following the migration of Ospreys

http://www.roydennis.org/osprey.htm

Enjoy

Stew
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Offline Darren

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2009, 07:09:45 AM »
We've got a pair of Ospreys nesting near us, I think it's their third year to return now. They have been spotted back again this year.

Many of you will have seen them on Bill Oddies TV series, with co host Kate Humble
« Last Edit: March 31, 2009, 07:16:19 AM by Darren »
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Offline Twinsquirrel

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2009, 07:21:14 AM »
aaah, Kate Humble
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2009, 09:27:51 AM »
Quote from: Twinsquirrel on March 31, 2009, 07:21:14 AM
aaah, Kate Humble

She must be a fine looking bird? (isn't that what you call good looking females over there?) :lol:

Bernd
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Offline Twinsquirrel

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Re: Sparrow Hawk
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2009, 09:44:53 AM »
Bernd, She's what us chauvanists (sp?) call "the thinking mans crumpet"

David H

P.S. We'll get you speaking the queens english in no time  :D

P.P.S. No that's nt english for "queens" either
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