Raw Nature

[Scully]

Yesterday afternoon while baiting a fox,we heard a lot of flapping and distress noises from the orchard so we went to investigate and disturbed a Sparrowhawk killing a Lesser(or Greater,I can't tell the difference)Spotted Woodpecker.When we got to it it was still alive,but a lot of its feathers had been plucked and the woodpecker itself had been badly shredded,with its entrails exposed.It was quickly put out of its misery,but it makes you realise just how raw and horrific nature can be.

Mans ability to remove himself from his most base fear of being eaten alive through the development of shelter and weapons is a good thing,from our point of view,but for most things out there,it's still survival of the fittest.Just brought it graphically home to me.What an awful way to go.

[BaconBoy]

Yesterday afternoon while baiting a fox,we heard a lot of flapping and distress noises from the orchard so we went to investigate and disturbed a Sparrowhawk killing a Lesser(or Greater,I can't tell the difference)Spotted Woodpecker.When we got to it it was still alive,but a lot of its feathers had been plucked and the woodpecker itself had been badly shredded,with its entrails exposed.It was quickly put out of its misery,but it makes you realise just how raw and horrific nature can be.

Mans ability to remove himself from his most base fear of being eaten alive through the development of shelter and weapons is a good thing,from our point of view,but for most things out there,it's still survival of the fittest.Just brought it graphically home to me.What an awful way to go.

bet the hawk was a bit annoyed,he was looking forward to a nice warm meal after all that hard work.

[jacksdad]

A Sparrowhawk grabbed one of 'my' spadgers last week, right in front of me! I was in the garden when it just burst through the conifers, grabbed said bird in mid air then landed on my shed roof, about 10 feet from me :blink:

It gave the poor bird a few pecks, probably to finish it off, looked straight at me for a few seconds then flew off with dinner for the family: Amazing, never seen anything like it in an urban back garden!

Brutal, and what with Sparrows being under threat seemed a shame, but thats life..or death!

[Ratman2]

I came home and disturbed a Sparrow Hawk down my drive, it had killed two young Doves and had plucked them both clean, it stared at me for a short while and then tried to fly off with one of the Doves but had to drop it. It's a shame that it had gone to all that work without getting any reward.

[AVB]

My garden is small and urban but I get a sparrowhawk taking a pigeon or two every month. Normally I leave them alone to finish their meal but sometimes the dog is out there and chases them off. That said they don't shift easily and only fly off when the dog is close.

[Kes]

I live a bit in the country was v surprised to see a sparrowhawk drop a juvenile green woodpecker and start to attack it on the ground. So was my dog I was walking - it had a go at the sparrowhawk which beat a hasty retreat. The woodpecker was unharmed but dazed and flew off to cover. One lesson learnt. I'd rather have the green woodpecker !

On another occassion when the kids were young a sparrowhawk took a full grown woodie in flight as it crossed the lawn. Kids watched it eat the poor thing - another lesson.

Then I came home the following day the male sparrowhawk was sat on the arm of a lounger seat outside the lounge window as bold as brass.

Nice to see them but they are very efficient and merciless killers.

Edited August 29, 2011 by Kes

[Browning GTS]

Yesterday afternoon while baiting a fox,we heard a lot of flapping and distress noises from the orchard so we went to investigate and disturbed a Sparrowhawk killing a Lesser(or Greater,I can't tell the difference)Spotted Woodpecker.When we got to it it was still alive,but a lot of its feathers had been plucked and the woodpecker itself had been badly shredded,with its entrails exposed.It was quickly put out of its misery,but it makes you realise just how raw and horrific nature can be.

Mans ability to remove himself from his most base fear of being eaten alive through the development of shelter and weapons is a good thing,from our point of view,but for most things out there,it's still survival of the fittest.Just brought it graphically home to me.What an awful way to go.

 

Re the woodpecker, the easy way to tell is the greater is collard dove size and the lesser is sparrow size.

[Scully]

Re the woodpecker, the easy way to tell is the greater is collard dove size and the lesser is sparrow size.

Didn't know that.Many thanks.

[ack-ack]

Natures brutal alright. Wish I'd been around when the mags hit my wren nest. They were just on the verge of flying. I carried out a series of reprisals worthy of Dirlewanger and as a result haven't had a mag in the no fly zone since.