Everyone else on here who lives in Chorlton seems to get better bird sightings than me, I just get common garden birds! Do you live near Chorlton Water Park Joel? Just wondering if people who live nearer to the WP get a wider range if birds in their gardens, as would seem more probable.
Joel Tragen said
Fri Jan 30 10:30 PM, 2015
During a barbecue (in my garden in chorlton) ,we had a pair of male sparrowhawks fighting above our heads. We regularly see them flying over our garden but we once had a juv. in the garden. Ihave seen them take stuff like blue tits and house sparrows but I once saw one large female take a magpie and after a massive struggle it killed it and started tucking in.
Peter Jones said
Thu Jan 29 9:29 PM, 2015
Thanks for the reply. I cannot believe that the sparrowhawk only flies over once a year! It must be a more regular visitor than that.
Rob Creek said
Thu Jan 29 6:18 PM, 2015
Hi Peter, I suppose it would only be a more frequent occurrence if there was someone to witness the event every time! But I'm almost certain it is frequent. Since you've asked why don't they call them Pigeonhawks...Sparrowhawks are so called as their food predominantly consists of Sparrow-sized birds (mainly what we think of as woodland or garden birds). As a general rule in literature, with the females being larger than the males, it is considered they take slightly larger birds ie. Blackbird and Thrush sized birds. But as Gary and Pete have already said, they can take Feral Pigeons and Woodpigeons with ease, and we've had exactly the same over the years in our Denton garden (and I had one take a Woodpigeon in the forest near Horwich Moors during last year) Both male and female have took both species in our garden, we've also seen a male take a Blackbird and a female take Blue Tit. Hope this is of help to you. Cheers Rob
Peter Jones said
Thu Jan 29 2:27 PM, 2015
Very odd! The same thing happened a few days ago, but after the counting hour for the Garden Bird Survey. If it were a female sparrowhawk eating a pigeon, surely it would be a more frequent occurrence than once every other year??
It may explain why she always says there are very few birds in the garden. Lots of cats, of course. The sparrowhawks seem not to eat cats!
Peter Jones
Pete Hines said
Wed Feb 6 4:33 PM, 2013
More likely a female Sparrowhawk and a Feral Pigeon as I've witnessed this several times in Chorlton gardens. Sparrowhawks often patrol the centre of Chorlton. If you notice the Pigeons suddenly take flight it's likely there's a Sparrowhawk in the vicinity.
gary mills said
Sun Feb 3 1:34 AM, 2013
A female sparrowhawk can take a wood pigeon, no problem.
Peter Jones said
Sat Feb 2 11:45 PM, 2013
I thought it was a sparrowhawk at first, far more likely, but do sparrowhawks tuck into pigeons? If so, why not call them pigeonhawks???
Peter Jones
gary mills said
Sat Feb 2 11:32 PM, 2013
This may be a sparrowhawk. I'd be surprised if a peregrine would choose to eat a pigeon in a garden as they tend to take prey back on to nearby high rise buildings.
Peter Jones said
Sat Feb 2 11:25 PM, 2013
A friend described a bird she had seen in her garden in Chorlton. She knows little about birds, but from the description and the victim (a pigeon), I assume it was a peregrine. Anyone else seen a peregrine in urban Chorlton cum Hardy? She said it had large talons and she was very pleased it was tucking into a pigeon.
I suppose it would only be a more frequent occurrence if there was someone to witness the event every time! But I'm almost certain it is frequent. Since you've asked why don't they call them Pigeonhawks...Sparrowhawks are so called as their food predominantly consists of Sparrow-sized birds (mainly what we think of as woodland or garden birds).
As a general rule in literature, with the females being larger than the males, it is considered they take slightly larger birds ie. Blackbird and Thrush sized birds.
But as Gary and Pete have already said, they can take Feral Pigeons and Woodpigeons with ease, and we've had exactly the same over the years in our Denton garden (and I had one take a Woodpigeon in the forest near Horwich Moors during last year) Both male and female have took both species in our garden, we've also seen a male take a Blackbird and a female take Blue Tit.
Hope this is of help to you.
Cheers
Rob
It may explain why she always says there are very few birds in the garden. Lots of cats, of course. The sparrowhawks seem not to eat cats!
Peter Jones
I thought it was a sparrowhawk at first, far more likely, but do sparrowhawks tuck into pigeons? If so, why not call them pigeonhawks???
Peter Jones
A friend described a bird she had seen in her garden in Chorlton. She knows little about birds, but from the description and the victim (a pigeon), I assume it was a peregrine. Anyone else seen a peregrine in urban Chorlton cum Hardy? She said it had large talons and she was very pleased it was tucking into a pigeon.
Peter Jones
Oldham