Rossenarra Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Was decoying at the weekend, not much about just sitting in the hide when a hawke swooped down and attacked the lead decoy in the "V" formation......lovely looking bird, don't ask me what type he was but not a big one. Needless to say he didn't have much success. He then flew to a pretty high altitude a glided over the pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 any more problems like that, you'd better call Prince Harry. he might have a few suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBLATCH Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 any more problems like that, you'd better call Prince Harry. he might have a few suggestions! nice one mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I always think that hawks showing interest in your pattern, shows you have it laid out about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossenarra Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I always think that hawks showing interest in your pattern, shows you have it laid out about right. Ya, was pretty chuffed I managed to fool the hawke. I must say that any pigeons that wre around were landing in the formation, not much around though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I had this happen to me some years ago. I was sitting at the base of a solitary elder bush on a drum seat with an overhang of the branches. My pattern was displayed out to my right with the lead decoys in front of the hide. Suddenly I heard a sound that I can only describe as a fast fluttering vibrating sound. Two hawks swooped over the pack but none of the deeks moved ( strange one that). The two hawks side by side in formation pulled up into a hover about thirty feet up. They would have been easy meat if I had wanted to shoot them but I didn’t and they flew away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hitman Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I had a sparrowhawk hit one of my flock coated shells so hard , that it cut into the plastic on the decoys head. Had it been a real pigeon , it would have been virtually decapitated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pob Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I had this happen to me some years ago. I was sitting at the base of a solitary elder bush on a drum seat with an overhang of the branches. My pattern was displayed out to my right with the lead decoys in front of the hide. Suddenly I heard a sound that I can only describe as a fast fluttering vibrating sound. Two hawks swooped over the pack but none of the deeks moved ( strange one that). The two hawks side by side in formation pulled up into a hover about thirty feet up. They would have been easy meat if I had wanted to shoot them but I didn’t and they flew away. Now that's interesting. If the birds hovered then they were almost certainly kestrels. I decoyed a peregrine (possibly 2) a couple of months back, but before he came in I had a kestrel that hovered over my pattern for 15-20 minutes; started to p*** me off a bit. And no, I didn't........... Rossenarra's bird could have been a sparrowhawk, but I'd always thought that pigeons were too big for them and what would a kestrel want from a flock of pigeons? Maybe pigeons flush small mammals as they work the stubble? That's what I love about shooting though; always something new to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Misinterpretation of statement. >> Hovering . The two hawks side by side in formation pulled up into a hover about thirty feet up. The hover was only momentary. A second or two. They weren't Kestrels. We’ve got a lot of kestrels around here and I know the difference. They were definitely peregrines. Digital cameras weren’t around then and you’ve never got a camera to hand when that kind of shot is there for a brief moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSA Shaun Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 My money is on a buzzard, or maybe goshawk? For your identification perusal Rossenarra: BUZZARD GOSHAWK SPARROWHAWK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustyfox Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Misinterpretation of statement. >> Hovering .The two hawks side by side in formation pulled up into a hover about thirty feet up. The hover was only momentary. A second or two. They weren't Kestrels. We’ve got a lot of kestrels around here and I know the difference. They were definitely peregrines. Digital cameras weren’t around then and you’ve never got a camera to hand when that kind of shot is there for a brief moment. I think it was not perigrines because they normally dive for prey not hover. I think it was a pair of buzzards Where they the same size? What time of year was it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Suddenly I heard a sound that I can only describe as a fast fluttering vibrating sound. Two hawks swooped over the pack >>> QUALIFICATION >>> AT HELL OF A SPEED+++but none of the deeks moved ( strange one that). The two hawks side by side in formation pulled up into a hover >> QUALIFICATION MOMENTARILY >>> about thirty feet up. PS not as big as buzzard. We've got them around her also. Usually seen at altitude circling on a thermal PPS doesn't really matter what they were, it was a long time ago now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biakalblaster Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 i had a buzzard thump down on a decoy earlier this year, i was standing in a pine wood, with decoys in field, nearly shot it was it came in down fast from above and behind me and i thought it was a crow as it came down, it flattened the deek! and flew off a bit shaken and disgruntled at finding a fake meal!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plinker Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 i had a buzzard thump down on a decoy earlier this year, i was standing in a pine wood, with decoys in field, nearly shot it was it came in down fast from above and behind me and i thought it was a crow as it came down, it flattened the deek! and flew off a bit shaken and disgruntled at finding a fake meal!!! i had a buzzard sit in the middle of the pattern today ,then a magpie came in over him i nailed the magpie and the buzzard did not panic at all just took a leasurley short flight to a hawthorn about 20 yds away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossenarra Posted November 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 My money is on a buzzard, or maybe goshawk? For your identification perusal Rossenarra: BUZZARD GOSHAWK SPARROWHAWK thanks for the pics Shaun, from looking at the picture I would think it was mosty probably a BUZZARD. Must say eventhough it wasn't a good couple of hours shooting, it's great to experience these type of things when shooting regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy1 Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I had this happen whilst decoying over Rape stubble , a Buzzard glidded out of the tree behind me a hit the bouncer . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berettaman1 Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I think its great to see the different raptors doing the business, About 6/7 years ago I was walking a farm that I had permision to shoot rabbits/ corvids etc, when I came across a pair of buzzards dead in a tree, I scouted about and found strycknene poisoned eggs on the edge of bushes nearby. The farmer, god rest his soul, he has passed away now. Had put out the poison to kill off the dozens of magpies that where plaging him and his pheasant poults. he was as upset as I was when I returned to his farmhouse to tell him what I had found, he was a real nice shooting bloke. I didnt go back there for some months as I was torn between reporting the incident or what. in the end common sense won , I had been shooting that land for over 20 years and thats the only time I had witnessed anything wrong. then again about 5 years ago I was shooting DTL at mid Wales shooting ground when my attention was drawn to a bird with a huge wingspan that was taxiying down a sloping field about 300 yards away! Jeeze what a sight! eventually it got off the ground and we watched it soar up into the sky. Magic! I was told it was a red kite, reintroduced into Britain after being wiped out last centuary, the sad note this bit of the story was this bird and its mate had been found shot! a few weeks after its introduction back into Britain.!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 Kite's are a fantsatic site. 30 years ago I lived just outside Aberystwyth for a hile and that part of Wales was the only place you could see red kites. Now you get them all along the M40 corridor from eastern Bucks to around Banbury. They've also spread to the south of Reading. On the last two visits to my permission in southern Hertfordshire I've seen four buzzards, a sparrowhawk, two kestrels and one kite. Fantastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I've a merlin arrived on one of my permissions playinig havoc with the partridge. I havn't seen it take partridge or show much interest but it hunts small birds all around the farm at what seems to be a few inches of the ground or hedges. I think just the activity seems to be upsetting the partridge. A really lovely sight. can anyone tell me if they know of merlins taking birds as big as game........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Boy Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 I heard that Sandringham is the place to watch birds of prey? CB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 I've a merlin arrived on one of my permissions playinig havoc with the partridge. I havn't seen it take partridge or show much interest but it hunts small birds all around the farm at what seems to be a few inches of the ground or hedges. I think just the activity seems to be upsetting the partridge. A really lovely sight. can anyone tell me if they know of merlins taking birds as big as game........ No, Merlins would take chicks but usually nothing bigger than a Blackbird. I've seen them take Snipe off the ground, but it's usually Pipits and Larks and other small songbirds they go for. It would probably upset the Partidge though, birds tend to react to any raptor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronny Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 went out yesterday after farmer reported large pigeon flocks the day before, on arrival two 50 odd flocks flew off by where i set up, on freshly drilled barley with my back to a small wood, put out 20 shells and 10 full bodies with sillosock jackets on and a group of 4 crow deeks off to the right. not that many pigeons came back ,those that did seem spooked, I took in the full body ones with jackets on in as they seemed to shine in the sun, any one else had this?, anyway managed a few to put on flapper and bouncer, then best part of the day, caught sight of something diving from behind me from over the woods straight into my decoys and SMACK, into a flocked shell decoy, the speed at which it came down was unreal, it hung around for a short while then flew off,a bit puzzled, it was a Buzzard but not sure what type. beautiful weather, bit too bright and still though, ended up with 16 crow, rooks, 4 pigeons (Wiltshire) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davo Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 I've had a pigeon hit by a hawk whilst it was coming into the decoys, absolutely brilliant to see up close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossenarra Posted November 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 I've had a pigeon hit by a hawk whilst it was coming into the decoys, absolutely brilliant to see up close. Poor Mr Pigeon, if the hawke didn't get him, he would have got a belly full of lead Safe to say that pigeon wasn't having a good of it!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundowner Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Well now , since last winter I had a sparrowhawk and a kestrel diving for my decoys (shells) but the best one was a few days back when NOT ONE BLOODY WOODY came by but , yes!!!! here it comes .................................. a ................... HERON nearly lande on top of my deeks . I have never heard about that before?? have any of you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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