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A visitor this morning

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  • 12-03-2020 5:16pm
    #1
    Bojill
    Registered Users Posts: 344 ✭✭


    Hi, I have absolutely no knowledge of birds, but saw this in the back garden and thought it was unusual.
    Not great quality as it's behind glass door, flew away when I opened the door.
    Sparrowhawk?
    Bird.jpg


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    #2
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,331 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    yep, sparrowhawk.


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    #3
    Fleetwoodmac
    Registered Users Posts: 263 ✭✭Fleetwoodmac


    Bojill wrote: »
    Hi, I have absolutely no knowledge of birds, but saw this in the back garden and thought it was unusual.
    Not great quality as it's behind glass door, flew away when I opened the door.
    Sparrowhawk?
    Bird.jpg

    A beauty


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    #4
    corks finest
    Registered Users Posts: 8,628 ✭✭✭corks finest


    Bojill wrote: »
    Hi, I have absolutely no knowledge of birds, but saw this in the back garden and thought it was unusual.
    Not great quality as it's behind glass door, flew away when I opened the door.
    Sparrowhawk?
    Bird.jpg

    Watching goldfinches or other feeders I'd say ( had similar)


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    #5
    Muppet Man
    Registered Users Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭Muppet Man


    Hi Bojill... that’s amazing. I came here to ask the same question, and I think it’s the exact same bird .... see attached! Again cr@ppy photograph through a rainy glass window. He was only there for 5 secs and gone again. I am in Ongar D15... where about a are you?


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    #6
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,331 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    why would you think it's the same bird?


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    #7
    Muppet Man
    Registered Users Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭Muppet Man


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    why would you think it's the same bird?

    Just The conincidence of both of us seeing a hawk in our back gardens on the same day, around the same time. Ive never seen a hawk in my back garden. Made my day :)


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    #8
    Bojill
    Registered Users Posts: 344 ✭✭Bojill


    Muppet Man wrote: »
    Hi Bojill... that’s amazing. I came here to ask the same question, and I think it’s the exact same bird .... see attached! Again cr@ppy photograph through a rainy glass window. He was only there for 5 secs and gone again. I am in Ongar D15... where about a are you?

    Celbridge, we have a small water feature which attracts some small birds, maybe he/she was looking for lunch.


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    #9
    gzoladz
    Registered Users Posts: 2,196 ✭✭✭gzoladz


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    why would you think it's the same bird?

    I think he means the same species


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    #10
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    Muppet Man wrote: »
    Hi Bojill... that’s amazing. I came here to ask the same question, and I think it’s the exact same bird .... see attached! Again cr@ppy photograph through a rainy glass window. He was only there for 5 secs and gone again. I am in Ongar D15... where about a are you?

    thanks for giving me a crick in my neck :cool: (rotate it before you post it)


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    #11
    corks finest
    Registered Users Posts: 8,628 ✭✭✭corks finest


    Bojill wrote: »
    Hi, I have absolutely no knowledge of birds, but saw this in the back garden and thought it was unusual.
    Not great quality as it's behind glass door, flew away when I opened the door.
    Sparrowhawk?
    Bird.jpg

    Quite common TBH


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    #12
    corks finest
    Registered Users Posts: 8,628 ✭✭✭corks finest


    fryup wrote: »
    thanks for giving me a crick in my neck :cool: (rotate it before you post it)

    I'm lucky I live near Roberts cove Cork and go up the cliffs walk regularly and spend ages watching out for all classes of hawks kestrels, falcon's , buzzards etc, rarely leave without seeing a few


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    #13
    Doctors room ghost
    Registered Users Posts: 4,800 ✭✭✭Doctors room ghost


    They’re gone fierce common and are becoming a menace in some places.


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    #14
    corks finest
    Registered Users Posts: 8,628 ✭✭✭corks finest


    Doctors room ghost wrote: »
    They’re gone fierce common and are becoming a menace in some places.

    Ref attacking small birds?


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    #15
    Del.Monte
    Registered Users Posts: 12,363 ✭✭✭✭Del.Monte


    Doctors room ghost wrote: »
    They’re gone fierce common and are becoming a menace in some places.

    How so?

    ****



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    #16
    corks finest
    Registered Users Posts: 8,628 ✭✭✭corks finest


    Del.Monte wrote: »
    How so?

    I'm asking you what are they doing ? sorry that was for the op


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    #17
    Doctors room ghost
    Registered Users Posts: 4,800 ✭✭✭Doctors room ghost


    Yeah attacking and killing small birds especially easy pickings at feeders etc.
    They also play havoc with racing pigeons.they kill the racers and terrify and scatter the flock.
    If the hawks hit a race aswell they destroy the pigeons with most of them never getting home due to injury and sheer panic.
    They hang around motorways a lot now too killing small mammals beside it and getting fresh road kill


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    #18
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,331 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    they are called sparrowhawks? that's their 'purpose'.
    i can't say i see the issue of them attacking pigeons as being one i'll lose much sleep over.


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    #19
    corks finest
    Registered Users Posts: 8,628 ✭✭✭corks finest


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    they are called sparrowhawks? that's their 'purpose'.
    i can't say i see the issue of them attacking pigeons as being one i'll lose much sleep over.

    Yes it's nature


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    #20
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,633 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    Doctors room ghost wrote: »
    Yeah attacking and killing small birds especially easy pickings at feeders etc.
    They also play havoc with racing pigeons.they kill the racers and terrify and scatter the .
    If the hawks hit a race aswell they destroy the pigeons with most of them never getting home due to injury and sheer panic.
    They hang around motorways a lot now too killing small mammals beside it and getting fresh road kill

    They are no more common then in any other EU country with similar habitats - they have simply recovered from a very low base during the 19th and 20th centuries when we lost half our native BOP species. Plus many "Garden" birds like Goldfinches, Blackcaps etc. are doing well according to all the latest data. BOP's also control alot of vermin like rats, crows, feral pigeons etc and clean up roadkill etc.


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    #21
    Del.Monte
    Registered Users Posts: 12,363 ✭✭✭✭Del.Monte


    @ Birdnuts


    Agree with all of your post above but less of your bad-mouthing crows. Vermin indeed!

    ****



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    #22
    Doctors room ghost
    Registered Users Posts: 4,800 ✭✭✭Doctors room ghost


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    they are called sparrowhawks? that's their 'purpose'.
    i can't say i see the issue of them attacking pigeons as being one i'll lose much sleep over.





    Tell that to a pigeon fancier who spends thousands on lofts,equipment,feed and birds plus all the effort of training young birds to home and trap.


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    #23
    Del.Monte
    Registered Users Posts: 12,363 ✭✭✭✭Del.Monte


    Doctors room ghost wrote: »
    Tell that to a pigeon fancier who spends thousands on lofts,equipment,feed and birds plus all the effort of training young birds to home and trap.


    Which is more natural, wild sparrowhawks or inbred racing pigeons - many of which go on to breed with the cursed feral pigeons that infest the country causing filth and health risks.

    ****



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    #24
    Tiercel Dave
    Registered Users Posts: 797 ✭✭✭Tiercel Dave


    Doctors room ghost wrote: »
    Tell that to a pigeon fancier who spends thousands on lofts,equipment,feed and birds plus all the effort of training young birds to home and trap.

    Could you proffer a solution?.....


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    #25
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    Doctors room ghost wrote: »
    Tell that to a pigeon fancier who spends thousands on lofts,equipment,feed and birds plus all the effort of training young birds to home and trap.

    That's part of the risks that you accept when you get into racing pigeons unfortunately. If the general public had to pick between a healthy raptor population and racing pigeons, they wouldn't be picking the racing pigeons...


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    #26
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    Doctors room ghost wrote: »
    Yeah attacking and killing small birds especially easy pickings at feeders etc.
    They also play havoc with racing pigeons.they kill the racers and terrify and scatter the flock.
    If the hawks hit a race aswell they destroy the pigeons with most of them never getting home due to injury and sheer panic.
    They hang around motorways a lot now too killing small mammals beside it and getting fresh road kill

    Just for clarity, they're having no population level impact on small birds at feeders. That's just something people with preconceived biases against them (e.g. pigeon racers) have convinced themselves is true.


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    #27
    Storm 10
    Registered Users Posts: 5,875 ✭✭✭Storm 10


    In relation to small birds at feeders I have a regular Magpie coming in and the Finches are used to him now and he never bothers them walks around the garden eating spilt seed and worms.


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    #28
    TedR
    Registered Users Posts: 439 ✭✭TedR


    Doctors room ghost wrote: »
    Yeah attacking and killing small birds especially easy pickings at feeders etc.
    They also play havoc with racing pigeons.they kill the racers and terrify and scatter the flock.
    If the hawks hit a race aswell they destroy the pigeons with most of them never getting home due to injury and sheer panic.
    They hang around motorways a lot now too killing small mammals beside it and getting fresh road kill

    Mod: Attack the post, not the poster.<<SNIP>>

    Sparrowhawks causing 'havoc'? Its like something from a nature column in the Daily Mail, if they had one


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