Friday 29 April 2016

Nature ... In Tooth and Claw ...

 
I came out of the bathroom and staring right at me was a Sparrowhawk, sitting on the landing windowsill (outside, not inside).  The ivy which covers the front of the house is a good nesting spot for Sparrows and the Sparrowhawk knows this and does a daily flypast looking for his breakfast.  On this day though he must have felt lazy and just sat and waited for his breakfast to come to him.

I dared not move to get my camera in case I scared him off so I called downstairs to my husband to come and look.  Eventually he heard me and luckily the bird was still sitting there.  He crawled under the window on his hands and knees (my husband, not the bird) to fetch his camera from the bedroom, then he peeped round the door frame and took a shot (with the camera, not a gun).

Just look at that golden, perfectly round, eye - and the sharp point on that beak - deadly, I would say.

Another strange incident happened early one morning whilst we were still abed.  My husband was woken by strange noises outside, he cautiously drew the curtains back a little to see what was going on - and there were two crows fighting on next doors' flat roof - was it real fighting or some sort of mating ritual?  You can see all the scrape and feather marks in the frost.

There's never a dull moment round here!








Elaine


37 comments:

  1. That's a beautiful shot and great effort taking it. Warm greetings!

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  2. Well Elaine, you do have quite a lot of bird activity going on there. Lots here too and the hummingbirds are back. I do so enjoy birdlife. Hope things are going better there.

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  3. WOW! Well done for having the camera nearby.

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  4. I have never seen crows fighting. I suppose it was territorial or males or something. Great movement and interesting blurring of the colour, particularly in the last one. Quite hypnotic in fact, I keep scrolling up to have a look. And to see a sparrowhawk so close is a rarity. I wonder if the bad weather we have been having made him decide to get an easy breakfast.

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    1. Can't say I've ever seen them fighting either - crows are regular visitors to the garden about five of them, but yes, it could have been a territory thing. The weather has been pretty awful just lately perhaps that it what made him brave enough to come so close to the house.

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  5. That first shot is awesome. To see a sparrowhawk that close up, what an experience (less so for the sparrows). Hope the repairs are going well.

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  6. Love the hawk photo! We've got a few hawks and some crows and they're always chasing the hawks away. They sure make a lot of noise! Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Sparrowhawk so do seem that be becoming more common in gardens - probably see them as fast food joints. Great photo.

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  8. Wow! The first photo is fabulous. We don't get hawks where we live but I love to see them swooping over the countryside.

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  9. Fabulous photos! The sparrowhawk is beautiful!

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  10. It was a beautiful day here yesterday, and the Buzzards were really taking advantage. We watched them for ages as they found the thermals and rose by huge amounts by just circling with wings outstretched. They must have loved it, just as we loved watching them.

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    1. We often see that happening around here too - I love to hear them calling to one another.

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  11. The Sparrow Hawk is a majestic bird - he/she often swoop through our garden after our little birds on the feeders.t
    I saw two Magpies having a similar fight yesterday and I though that one had killed the other as he was lying in a peculiar position - his tail feathers were blowing in the wind as if dead. Suddenly they both jumped up and flew off right as rain.

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  12. All the photos are wonderful but especially the sparrow hawk.

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  13. What a wonderful discovery to see that Sparrowhawk behind your window! I imagine the crows were fighting for their territory! As you say, never a dull moment!

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  14. Hawks are magnificent, aren't they? And how fortunate to be able to photograph one so close-up. We have sweet husbands who indulge our whims; another good fortune. When we pay attention to Nature, we see all sorts drama, and seldom a dull moment there.

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  15. Wonderful pictures, especially the sparrowhawk. Many birds fight, often over territory. Lucky you seeing both of these. Flighty xx

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  16. Great photo of the Sparrowhawk. I must admit, I don't like to see them in my garden, although they are impressive birds. I hope your sparrows stayed safe in the ivy!

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  17. How exciting to have the Sparrowhawk sat there right on the window, and great photo. The crow and magpie are having a proper scrap...
    Amanda xx

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  18. That Sparrowhawk photograph is just amazing. I am so pleased you were able to capture it on camera.

    Do hope the repairs/refurbishment is going to plan.

    Happy Weekend Wishes

    All the best Jan

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    1. Unfortunately not Jan. A man came and took all the plaster off one wall as it was drying properly. Then another man came to measure the dampness in the room - it is still at 50 per cent, nothing else can be done until it is zero. So I think we still have a long wait before we can go on to the next step.

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    2. That should be wasn't drying properly.

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  19. Woo! That was a lucky capture!
    Best wishes - and hope the weather warms up soon :)

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  20. What a wonderful photo of the Sparrowhawk, I'm glad it was outside not in. I know like the rest of us they have to eat but I do feel sorry for the little birds they catpture with those claws. The colour of its eye is amazing. The crows really do look as if they are having a real scrap over territory don't they?:)

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  21. How wonderful to have been that close to the sparrow hawk. I get them in my garden but can never see much of them due to the roses over the pergola.

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  22. Elaine, you have enough material for a bird reality show! I like the photo of the hawk - he looks lethal.

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  23. So amazing to see such a beautiful bird in close-up like that. Like you say its usually a fleeting glance as they fly past.

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  24. How wonderful to see a Sparrowhawk that close up. Fantastic picture!

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  25. That eye is mesmerising. Could it have flown into the window and been temporarily stunned? We often see the feathered imprints of birds which have done that sadly.

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    1. There were no wing marks on the window Lucille, so I think not. Although the sparrows are always crashing into that window.

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  26. Dear Elaine I have never seen a Sparrowhawk before. What an amazing bird. As for the fighting crows- wonder who won the battle? ? Hope you are having a wonderful day. Thanks to for taking time to visit me.

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  27. I think if I had just emerged from my bathroom and found such a handsome hawk transfixing me with such a stare, I might have swooned on the spot. Still, a husband who will crawl about on the carpet to fetch one's carpet is nothing to sniff at either.

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  28. Camera...I meant camera. Sheesh.

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  29. Oh my goodness!That sparrow hawk is gorgeous, fancy just seeing it sitting there! Ooooh....the crows fighting gave me goosebumps, it certainly looks aggressive doesn't it? What on earth is going on at your place, it's like a scene from Hitchcock's birds!xxx

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  30. That's an amazing image of the sparowhawk. You were so lucky to manage to capture it, whenever I see any interesting wildlife it always moved as I reach for the camera. Sarah x

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  31. A great photo. The birds can put on quite a ferocious display. I have watched a hawk bring down a pigeon and dispatch it in a very grisly manner on the lawn outside our kitchen window!

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