reedbradshaw Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 There i was, driving home through work through a busy town. next thing i was watching a flying pigeon whilst sat at a red light then out of no where some sort of hawk lunges and grabs it in mid air....feathers everywhere. As it flew away i could see the pigeon in its talons.. what could it have been ! any one else ever seen the same ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretman Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 it cud have been a gos hawk mate i was watching 1 the other day after a pigeon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretman Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 was it in chesterfield mate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chess Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 More likely Sparrowhawk in middle of town, probably a female if it took a pigeon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reedbradshaw Posted May 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 nope, sutton in ashfield near mansfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretman Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 o yeh these ment to be a few there i seen a goshawk in a town before so it could have been 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 (edited) Female Sparrowhawk or Peregrine. Quite a few towns and cities have Peregrines nesting on cathedrals, churches and other high buildings now, including Lincoln, Derby and Manchester. Highly unlikely to be a Goshawk unless it was a falconers escape. Goshawks habitually keep as far away from humans as they can, they're extremely shy and secretive birds. I've seen hundreds of Goshawks over many years, never anywhere near towns. Sparrowhawks on the other hand, are frequent in towns and a big female Sparrowhawk is as big or bigger than a small male Goshawk. They're the most frequently misidentified birds of prey in Britain. If someone tells me they've seen a Gos and I ask them why they consider it was a Gos, if they start with it's size, I switch off. Size is extremely hard to estimate in the field, unless you have both species up together and you need to go by shape and style of flight. However a big female Gos is hard to confuse with anything else B) Edited May 22, 2008 by Chard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myzeneye Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 only the other day we were talking about the amount of buzzards about...... seems like loads latley..... then no sooner had the converstaion stopped i clocked two circling on the thermals high above our house !!!! saw one on a fence post on the side of the m62 (liverpool end) the other day too...... probably a buzzard id say.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 (edited) only the other day we were talking about the amount of buzzards about...... seems like loads latley..... then no sooner had the converstaion stopped i clocked two circling on the thermals high above our house !!!!saw one on a fence post on the side of the m62 (liverpool end) the other day too...... probably a buzzard id say.... Taking a pigeon in flight? It would need to be a turbocharged one B) Edited May 22, 2008 by Chard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSA Shaun Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 (edited) A buzzard wouldn't take a pigeon in flight, they search for carrion, bunnies insects and alike, they are not mid flight takers, although they will take an opportunity if something sits still long enough. Sparrowhawk sounds the most likely. More Rounded or more broad wings will sort out the goshawks from the sparrowhawks. Edited May 22, 2008 by BSA Shaun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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