Where have all the birds gone?
Discussion
GKP said:
Discovered a baby pigeon on the driveway this morning. Very much 'asleep'. But it surprised me that our two resident adult pigeons are still at it this late in the year. Is it normal for chicks to still be being produced in October?
Pigeons can produce all year round if they have enough food!
Well, this has just taken a rather unsettling turn.
The mrs directed me to the garden, to the remains of a small bird.
By remains, I mean a head & two wings. Nothing else. They were in a pile, not spread about.
The 3 items look like they have been surgically removed.
I've found dead animals or their remains before, the result of cats, foxes etc., but nothing like this.
We regularly have Red Kits around, and the garden birds have never seem that bothered.
If there is a new predator on the block, this might account for the disappearance of all the garden birds.
Bloody hell.
Anyone got the number for RSPBCSI?
The mrs directed me to the garden, to the remains of a small bird.
By remains, I mean a head & two wings. Nothing else. They were in a pile, not spread about.
The 3 items look like they have been surgically removed.
I've found dead animals or their remains before, the result of cats, foxes etc., but nothing like this.
We regularly have Red Kits around, and the garden birds have never seem that bothered.
If there is a new predator on the block, this might account for the disappearance of all the garden birds.
Bloody hell.
Anyone got the number for RSPBCSI?
Smiler. said:
Well, this has just taken a rather unsettling turn.
The mrs directed me to the garden, to the remains of a small bird.
By remains, I mean a head & two wings. Nothing else. They were in a pile, not spread about.
The 3 items look like they have been surgically removed.
I've found dead animals or their remains before, the result of cats, foxes etc., but nothing like this.
We regularly have Red Kits around, and the garden birds have never seem that bothered.
If there is a new predator on the block, this might account for the disappearance of all the garden birds.
Bloody hell.
Anyone got the number for RSPBCSI?
You may have a resident Sparrowhawk. We were advised to put the bird feeders near to fences, if you leave them out in the open then any birds using them are easy targets for sparrowhawks. However, putting the feeders near to fences then make the birds easy targets for cats.The mrs directed me to the garden, to the remains of a small bird.
By remains, I mean a head & two wings. Nothing else. They were in a pile, not spread about.
The 3 items look like they have been surgically removed.
I've found dead animals or their remains before, the result of cats, foxes etc., but nothing like this.
We regularly have Red Kits around, and the garden birds have never seem that bothered.
If there is a new predator on the block, this might account for the disappearance of all the garden birds.
Bloody hell.
Anyone got the number for RSPBCSI?
Bob
Edit: Apparently the way to tell if it is a sparrowhawk is to look for piles of feathers as they like to pluck the feathers out before eating their prey !
Edited by RedLCRB0b on Saturday 17th October 10:27
That is a very good point. The feeders all have some degree of cover. One that I moved when adding the new ones is under a tree with plenty of cover & upon closer inspection is half empty.
If it is a Sparrowhawk, it's only recently turned up - last week r so.
I'll have to keep an eye out.
If it is a Sparrowhawk, it's only recently turned up - last week r so.
I'll have to keep an eye out.
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