old'un Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 35 minutes ago, Mice! said: Nothing like that in my garden, when I have seen a Sparrowhawk go through our garden they just dive through hoping it seems to just hit something as the birds flee for cover, I've only ever seen two hits and the odd patch of feathers on the ground. Magpies obviously hunt out the nests working in pairs or groups, that's the big difference for me. but at least the adults survive to breed another day, not so with spars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 1 hour ago, Mice! said: Nothing like that in my garden, when I have seen a Sparrowhawk go through our garden they just dive through hoping it seems to just hit something as the birds flee for cover, I've only ever seen two hits and the odd patch of feathers on the ground. Magpies obviously hunt out the nests working in pairs or groups, that's the big difference for me. Believe me they don't just dive through and hope to hit something if they got a target in there eye they will chase it down i have flown and hunted them and they are a very determined BOP also just because you only see a few feathers on the ground that's the ones that get eaten there a Spar is more than capable of carrying their prey that's how they feed the Female sitting eggs if you want to find a spars nest or Goss just look for there plucking post it will be in their nesting area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 35 minutes ago, Rim Fire said: Believe me they don't just dive through and hope to hit something if they got a target in there eye they will chase it down i have flown and hunted them and they are a very determined BOP also just because you only see a few feathers on the ground that's the ones that get eaten there a Spar is more than capable of carrying their prey that's how they feed the Female sitting eggs if you want to find a spars nest or Goss just look for there plucking post it will be in their nesting area This^^^ They are fast and agile, I have seen them turn on a sixpence to catch fleeing birds. What I believe Mice is seeing is the sparrowhawks flushing tactics by diving into a bush hoping to flush birds out then they lock on and pursue. What I cannot understand is how magpies get such bad press but birds like spars dont. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minky Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 (edited) 2 hours ago, marquesgriffin said: The absence of small birds in your garden could be influenced by the regular presence of your neighbor's cat, which may deter birds due to the threat of predation. Despite providing cover and bird feed, the cat's stalking behavior could outweigh these factors in bird behavior. Seasonal variations in bird activity might also play a role, but minimizing the cat's presence and maintaining a safe environment could encourage bird visits over time. Maybe the cat needs to go on holiday for a while to see if there is any difference. We had a strike on a sparrow out on the front lawn a few years ago. not a good day for the sparrow and only the other day I saw a strike on a bird on the pavement in a town. Edited July 14 by Minky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Minky said: Maybe the cat needs to go on holiday for a while to see if there is any difference We are not allowed to talk about cats on the forum. Believe it or not. there are more spars visiting urban back gardens than out in the sticks. Edited July 14 by old'un Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minky Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 I wasn't taking about anyone, I just mentioned that a break period might make a difference. perhaps some fencing could make a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 29 minutes ago, old'un said: We are not allowed to talk about cats on the forum. Believe it or not. there are more spars visiting urban back gardens than out in the sticks. That's because of bird feeders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 6 minutes ago, Rim Fire said: That's because of bird feeders Yep, once they know where the feeders are they will do the rounds at least once a day and sometimes two or three times a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 3 hours ago, Rim Fire said: Believe me they don't just dive through and hope to hit something if they got a target in there eye they will chase it down They do where my feeders are, they come in over the garage, mine or my neighbours and dive towards where the feeders are, they never seem to put any effort into a chase, just hope to crash into something, they'll be unsighted until there say 10-15ft as they skim the roofs. 2 hours ago, old'un said: What I cannot understand is how magpies get such bad press but birds like spars dont. I'd say because of the way they hunt, I'll regularly see 10 magpies in the trees, but I'm lucky to spot the Sparrowhawk, it's about balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B686 Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 What makes me laugh is some people I have met who hate magpies , crows, sparrow hawks but own cats! ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph5172 Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 We have a fair few pigeons use our olive trees to nest. I should think about 1/4 are lost due to cats getting upto the nests or taking them as they are just getting their wings in. we have a few black birds including one that sunbathes - I couldn’t work it out and have been put a few times as I thought it was injured. It will sit happily in the grass sunning itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 48 minutes ago, ph5172 said: will sit happily in the grass sunning itself. We get pigeons doing that, they flatten themselves out and just chill out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted July 15 Report Share Posted July 15 13 hours ago, Mice! said: They do where my feeders are, they come in over the garage, mine or my neighbours and dive towards where the feeders are, they never seem to put any effort into a chase, just hope to crash into something, they'll be unsighted until there say 10-15ft as they skim the roofs. I'd say because of the way they hunt, I'll regularly see 10 magpies in the trees, but I'm lucky to spot the Sparrowhawk, it's about balance. Being retired we see at least one or two kills a day at this time of year and that's just in our garden, when the adult birds are killed it means a complete breakdown of that breeding pair and the loss of the young chicks, not so with magpies, the eggs/chicks may be gone but the adults will possibly breed again. A successful breeding pair of Sparrow hawks account for about 55 kg (121 pounds) of meat in a year. This is equivalent to about 2200 House Sparrows/ Finches or 600 Blackbirds or 110 Wood Pigeons, I would say to catch that many birds is a bit more than hoping to crash into something. BOP and balance? Bit like the naturally high numbers of Red Kites in places like Wales maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted July 15 Report Share Posted July 15 58 minutes ago, old'un said: successful breeding pair of Sparrow hawks account for about 55 kg (121 pounds) of meat in a year. This is equivalent to about 2200 House Sparrows/ Finches or 600 Blackbirds or 110 Wood Pigeons, I would say to catch that many birds is a bit more than hoping to crash into something. I don't doubt that they are successful hunters, I've watched them go through the woods after blackbirds, I once saw a female carrying a dead blackbird with chicks following like she was training them. The hoping to crash into something is what I see at my garden feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted July 16 Report Share Posted July 16 On 14/07/2024 at 16:38, old'un said: This^^^ They are fast and agile, I have seen them turn on a sixpence to catch fleeing birds. What I believe Mice is seeing is the sparrowhawks flushing tactics by diving into a bush hoping to flush birds out then they lock on and pursue. What I cannot understand is how magpies get such bad press but birds like spars dont. Because all BOP have been elevated to iconic status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Bear Posted July 16 Report Share Posted July 16 On 14/07/2024 at 16:38, old'un said: What I cannot understand is how magpies get such bad press but birds like spars dont. Probably due to magpies outnumbering spars by over 20 to 1 - all about balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted July 16 Report Share Posted July 16 We get a lot of the green parakeets now They drive the other birds away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted July 16 Report Share Posted July 16 Lots of big moths about last night, not fun when they bounce off your head having got in the car 😅😅 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted July 16 Report Share Posted July 16 1 hour ago, Vince Green said: We get a lot of the green parakeets now They drive the other birds away They succumb to my .177 in the same way as the magpies and squirrels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted July 16 Report Share Posted July 16 2 hours ago, Vince Green said: We get a lot of the green parakeets now They drive the other birds away Poxy things are extending their range. Out in Essex now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted July 16 Report Share Posted July 16 3 hours ago, amateur said: They succumb to my .177 in the same way as the magpies and squirrels 👍👏🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.