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An individual, of no great importance, who is unable to see the natural world as a place for competition. I catch fish, watch birds, derive immense pleasure from simply looking at butterflies, moths, bumble-bees, etc - without the need for rules! I am Dylan and this is my blog - if my opinions offend? Don't bother logging on again - simple!

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Sunday 21 February 2016

Murder in the suburbs

It was getting on for 16.00 hrs, yesterday afternoon, and I was preparing to load the car with my gear for another session out on the marsh. Standing in the kitchen, talking with Bev, I spotted a commotion going on down by my aviary as a large female Sparrowhawk was dispatching a hapless victim. She then proceeded to devour her prize, perched on my flight - much to the amusement of my Canary and the total panic of the Java Sparrow flock. I quickly grabbed my camera and fitted my 1.4x  converter to the 500mm lens and took a series of images through the window. ISO 1600 with 1/320th sec exposure - seems to have done the trick?


5 comments:

  1. Beautiful birds but a pain in the arse at times when you have an aviary flight as we do. I actually had one pull a canary through the wire netting.
    What do you breed. I breed Gloster canaries and last year I was also successful with Goldfinch x Canary mules and a Siskin x Canary mule

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    1. Just Java Sparrows I'm afraid - easy and enjoyable none the less

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  2. Nice opportunist shot there Dyl. I've come across Sparrowhawks at the 'kill' more than once. One of those occasions; as I spooked the Spa, the prey escaped. The Spa wasn't having that and swung around mid flight and recaptured the victim.
    Reminds me, on one of Gav's posts. He put up a picture which a non birder had taken of a big white bird eating a pigeon in their back garden? yes, it was one of those 'Common all garden' Gyr Falcons.

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    1. It no longer surprises me what turns up in people's gardens. I've seen photos of Honey Buzzards perched on picnic benches and Corncrakes in flower beds - both on Thanet! My own garden has a very enviable list of visitors (not sightings from) which includes Ortolan, Dartford Warbler, Tree Sparrow (those were the days?), both Redstarts, Waxwing and Woodcock. Yes; I'd love to see a Gyr - but I wouldn't swap my patch stuff for anything that required me to "twitch"! Maybe I'll have to be a little more adventurous in my choice of holiday destinations - then I can find my own. Now that would be sweet! Dyl

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  3. Ortolan in the garden! Get in there! I think the best bird through my garden was a Common Whitethroat.
    Out birding today around my local patch. In the distance I spotted a solitary girl of around 20 years of age out birding too. However, by the time I regained consciousness, she had gone.

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