We just had a hawk land in our garden (5 Viewers)

Adge

Well-Known Member
It stayed for a good 5/10 minutes I was fascinated by it . Admittedly it was ripping into a carcass of a pidgeon
Probably more likely a buzzard which are now thriving if it was quite big or maybe a kestrel which are much smaller.
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
Sparrowhawks are more common in gardens than buzzards. Got quite a few buzzards you see/hear circling overhead for prey and have seen then just above the level of the rooftops on very rare occasions but never actually in the garden.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
If you get interesting birds in your garden, get yourself a bird identification book and maybe some binoculars.
That way you can identify the birds.
They are fascinating creatures, different species have completely different behaviours.
You can also put out a bird feeder or bird bath to encourage them to visit.
Be aware though that where you get birds, you also get bird poop.
 

ccfclinney

Well-Known Member
I had one land in my garden last year and destroy a magpie then flew off whilst holding it. Couldn’t believe it !
 

eastwoodsdustman

Well-Known Member
Buzzards rarely hunt live prey and won’t come into gardens usually. It’ll have been a sparrowhawk. We get them occasionally. They’re great to watch flying low over the fences.
 

Alan Dugdales Moustache

Well-Known Member
I feel sorry for buzzards. They almost always get chased off and pecked at in mid air by crows. It's about time they took a look at themselves in a mirror and just decided to kill the buggers.
 

Flying Fokker

Well-Known Member
It’s always good to see birds of prey in action. We’ve had Peregrine Falcons in our area for 20 plus years. They keep coming back and have fledglings without fail.
 

Alan Dugdales Moustache

Well-Known Member
Anyone ever driven down the M40 towards the smoke and seen red kites over the motorway ?Absolutely majestic they are. Occasionally I've seen dozens hovering over Oxford services and increasingly the odd one or two over the M1 or M6 near Rugby. Never tire of seeing them.
 

rob9872

Well-Known Member
If you get interesting birds in your garden, get yourself a bird identification book and maybe some binoculars.
That way you can identify the birds.
They are fascinating creatures, different species have completely different behaviours.
Exactly what I did with the one in next doors garden until the wife caught me :)
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
Anyone ever driven down the M40 towards the smoke and seen red kites over the motorway ?Absolutely majestic they are. Occasionally I've seen dozens hovering over Oxford services and increasingly the odd one or two over the M1 or M6 near Rugby. Never tire of seeing them.

Seen loads of birds of prey along the A45 but I don't know what species they are but There's been a huge increase in recent years.
Saw a huge owl one morni g stood by the side of the road in Pickdord green lane, few days later saw a small owl on the other side of the road.
Went down there early morning for years and never saw an owl.previously or after. Didn't know they lingered on the ground, especially with all the foxes around there.
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Anyone ever driven down the M40 towards the smoke and seen red kites over the motorway ?Absolutely majestic they are. Occasionally I've seen dozens hovering over Oxford services and increasingly the odd one or two over the M1 or M6 near Rugby. Never tire of seeing them.
Yeah .buzzards out Fillongly Harvest Jill side too .
Countryfile tonight seeinge porpoises off the coast at Deal Kent .
White tailed sea eagle down that way too along with a couple of other rare species.

At least 500 miles further south than normal possibly even further from Nordic countries.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
No photos??
Here's something to substitute.
These are turkey vultures feasting on a washed up dead fish.
Taken on a wilderness beach in California in 2016.
Vulture-Beach-1.jpg Vulture-Beach-2.jpg
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
If you get interesting birds in your garden, get yourself a bird identification book and maybe some binoculars.
That way you can identify the birds.
They are fascinating creatures, different species have completely different behaviours.
You can also put out a bird feeder or bird bath to encourage them to visit.
Be aware though that where you get birds, you also get bird poop.

Don’t waste your money on expensive binoculars.
Simply stand closer to the object you want to view for a fraction of the cost.
 

eastwoodsdustman

Well-Known Member
Anyone ever driven down the M40 towards the smoke and seen red kites over the motorway ?Absolutely majestic they are. Occasionally I've seen dozens hovering over Oxford services and increasingly the odd one or two over the M1 or M6 near Rugby. Never tire of seeing them.
Seen a couple Flying over kings newnham in the last few weeks whilst out on my bike.
 

Adge

Well-Known Member
Anyone ever driven down the M40 towards the smoke and seen red kites over the motorway ?Absolutely majestic they are. Occasionally I've seen dozens hovering over Oxford services and increasingly the odd one or two over the M1 or M6 near Rugby. Never tire of seeing them.
They are doing really well in the last decade or so the Red Kites-we have one at/around the back of our house, spotted it last year and it’s back now again.
 

Sbarcher

Well-Known Member
Black Hawk Down?
We have loads of red kites around our house north of Oxford.
 

oscillatewildly

Well-Known Member
If you get interesting birds in your garden, get yourself a bird identification book and maybe some binoculars.
That way you can identify the birds.
They are fascinating creatures, different species have completely different behaviours.
You can also put out a bird feeder or bird bath to encourage them to visit.
Be aware though that where you get birds, you also get bird poop.
And where you get bird feeders you'll also run the risk of attracting vermin from the fallen food.
I love seeing wild birds in the garden but it can have repercussion.
 

SBbucks

Well-Known Member
They are doing really well in the last decade or so the Red Kites-we have one at/around the back of our house, spotted it last year and it’s back now again.
There are literally thousands down here in the Chilterns. I believe 4 or 5 pairs (from Wales?) were introduced on the Rothschild estate near Stokenchurch (J5 M40) in the early 90s and have since spread over a 40 mile radius (certainly as far as Bicester northwards and Swindon to the west). Still most highly concentrated here though.They are literally the most common bird here, it's not unusual to see 20 or 30 overhead at any time, cruising the thermals, especially in late afternoon and early evening. Never get tired of seeing them, they are a magnificent sight (and very big/impressive close-up). They make a very loud miaowing noise, you usually hear them before you see them. Interestingly, we rarely get buzzards down here, you don't usually see any until north of Banbury but they are starting to drift south now; recently I've twice seen buzzards and kites flying close together, had not previously seen that in 25 years here, will be interesting to see how they co-exist.
 

SBbucks

Well-Known Member
And where you get bird feeders you'll also run the risk of attracting vermin from the fallen food.
I love seeing wild birds in the garden but it can have repercussion.
Very true, and not only for food spilt on the ground; we spotted a rat wrapped around a hanging bird feeder last summer (thought it was a squirrel at first). Pest control people said at least 50% of their callouts for rats were due to people feeding birds.
 
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