I have a male Sparrowhawk that occasionally will kill a Sparrow or Starling and pluck it on my garden bin, which is just outside the window I am sitting at creating this post.
On Christmas Eve while I was filming around 12 Tree Sparrows through the window everything flushed, I looked up and a female Sparrowhawk grabbed a Feral Pigeon from the top of a bush 2 metres away. The pigeon was brought to the ground and the photos and video here give a graphic account of what nature in the raw looks like.
At first I had hold the camera at the window without standing up but once the pigeon died the Sparrowhawk took it to a dark corner at the top of the garden. I was then able to fetch my tripod and film some videos through the space in the vertical blinds. All of the photos and videos were taken from inside the house except for one photo which is better quality but it was taken through a gap blocked with by my trailer. Once the rain stops I'll be clearing the garden for future filming.
Sparrowhawk - the kill, click here for video Sparrowhawk video, plucked while alive (5 minutes) Sparrowhawk feeding, close zoom, graphic
Female Sparrowhawk
with the still alive Feral Pigeon
The scene at the top of my garden
It definitely could see me in the house, but once on a kill they are loath to move and struggle to fly off with a complete carcass. The last one I documented returned to a pigeon into a third day before it carried it away. This one was likely taken by one of my Foxes overnight, Xmas distractions meant I didn't have a camera on it...
Using its formidable talon to pick feathers from its beak
In this shot you can see a pigeon feather that had become stuck on the hawk's left leg. It had a few attempts to pick it off but didn't manage
The only photo not through double glazing
Peace on earth at Arbroath Harbour where most boats were moored away from the breakwater, and gear stowed safely out of harms way if there was a storm over the holiday. This I reckon is the same Rock Pipit I photographed before, then in good light, this time not
I assume this is the same Grey Seal I posted before, and again it surfaced without warning, immediately in front of me near the outer harbour slipway
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