Murder!!

[popeyewhite]

Kinkell said:

I've seen a sparrow hawk attack a wood pigeon and tuck into it. The pigeon was much bigger than the hawk and I was a bit surprised at the time.

Sure, possibly either the bird was very hungry or an aggressive female feeding her young. Much more risk of damage to the hawk taking prey that much heavier than itself.

[AdiT]

Sounds more like magpies to me. Seen them kill blackbirds and rip into the head before then raid the nest.

[ali_kat]

Gargamel said:

Any reason Minnie isn't in the frame for this heinous deed ?

A - doesn't live nearby
B - she's a cat, they wouldn't just eat the head
C - she's a cat, wouldn't take the eggs

[Mr GrimNasty]

Squirrel or Mustelid or Fox, in that order. All eat eggs and all eat birds and will decapitate.

[medieval]

Sparrow hawk sadly - we have a dovecote and loose one every two months or so in the same manner.


Heads off the plucked on the ground.......not nice

[Mr GrimNasty]

medieval said:

Sparrow hawk sadly - we have a dovecote and loose one every two months or so in the same manner.


Heads off the plucked on the ground.......not nice

And did it boil or scramble the eggs?

[Turn7]

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=195865

[Mr GrimNasty]

Turn7 said:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=195865

??????????????? Random pointless link ??????????????????????

Versus actual knowledge - I said what was the likely culprits above.

If you have grey squirrels, they are the prime suspect.

Edited by Mr GrimNasty on Sunday 3rd May 11:08

[oilydan]

Mr GrimNasty said:

Turn7 said:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=195865

??????????????? Random pointless link ??????????????????????

Versus actual knowledge - I said what was the likely culprits above.

If you have grey squirrels, they are the prime suspect.

Edited by Mr GrimNasty on Sunday 3rd May 11:08

Just wait until the kids hear that their other garden buddy - Rocky the squirrel - is likely to be the murderer.

Perhaps then the wife will allow me to get the rifle I want....

[Japveesix]

popeyewhite said:

Sure, possibly either the bird was very hungry or an aggressive female feeding her young. Much more risk of damage to the hawk taking prey that much heavier than itself.

Sparrowhawks on our site catch pigeons on a fairly regular basis. May just be the female catching them, not sure, but they are certainly more than capable of catching blackbirds and larger.

[oilydan]

I think Sparrowhawk is out of the question, considering the eggs are missing?

[Saleen836]

ali_kat said:

Gargamel said:

Any reason Minnie isn't in the frame for this heinous deed ?

C - she's a cat, wouldn't take the eggs

One of Mrs Saleens cats has taken eggs from a nest and brought it back in to the house unbroken, he then plays with it for a while till it breaks then eats the contents.

[otolith]

I have twice seen sparrowhawks take wood pigeons - the first time I was in the car and able to watch it tucking in from feet away. Lot of meat from one kill!

Don't think they take eggs, though.

I would be thinking corvid - or mammal.

[ali_kat]

Saleen836 said:

One of Mrs Saleens cats has taken eggs from a nest and brought it back in to the house unbroken, he then plays with it for a while till it breaks then eats the contents.

1, yes. Not a nest of them.

[Saleen836]

ali_kat said:

Saleen836 said:

One of Mrs Saleens cats has taken eggs from a nest and brought it back in to the house unbroken, he then plays with it for a while till it breaks then eats the contents.

1, yes. Not a nest of them.

True, him and his brother wait for them to hatch then one of them climbs to the nest and drops the babies out to the floor, the other grabs them up and runs off to eat them leaving the cat in the tree to bring the remaining baby bird/s down in his mouth before eating them.

[popeyewhite]

Japveesix said:

popeyewhite said:

Sure, possibly either the bird was very hungry or an aggressive female feeding her young. Much more risk of damage to the hawk taking prey that much heavier than itself.

Sparrowhawks on our site catch pigeons on a fairly regular basis. May just be the female catching them, not sure, but they are certainly more than capable of catching blackbirds and larger.

Likely to be the female as she is larger than the male. There's no question Sparrowhawks take on the bigger birds, but their normal diet is small garden birds. I'm still voting for Magpie.

[Simpo Two]

popeyewhite said:

There's no question Sparrowhawks take on the bigger birds, but their normal diet is small garden birds. I'm still voting for Magpie.

Perhaps because the news is on in the background, I read that as 'I'm still voting for Maggie'