Birdwatch's team blog

Monday, Monday...the pigeon can't trust that day...

22nd March
Oh well, the quest for a local patch Northern Wheatear at Seaforth continues with another dip yesterday, 21st. Also missed an early morning Swallow by not being out in the early morning. But the weekend was generally good as Everton won and Liverpool lost!

Sat at my desk Monday afternoon, bored with sorting photos and staring out blankly at one Great Tit and six House Sparrows on my back yard feeders; a cloud of feathers appeared, swiftly followed by a falling Feral Rock Dove in the talons of a huge female Sparrowhawk, which landed in front of the window about four yards away. Wow! A yard tick and one less pigeon to chase away.

Frantic dash to the camera bag while shouting daughter to "come see, quick, bring your camera". Lousy light and difficult angles, plus shooting through my not too clean windows (must have a word with the window cleaner), but one or two decent images were taken by both of us.

The Sparrowhawk fed for the next 20 minutes and all the time the pigeon was alive - ouch! A sudden hailstorm and strong wind saw the Sparrowhawk fly away, but a dull day had been transformed.

Steve Young
Photographic Consultant

Posted by Birdwatch