Predatory Birds

[julia-mag]

I know it's natures way with one species living on another, but some sort of hawk is taking so many of the collared doves from our garden, that I wondered if there was a way of deterring him/her , (in other words saying Not in my backyard! ) We caught site of it last week actually sitting in our oak tree plucking the bird and then devouring it, and we have had 3 dead and one injured one left in the garden, I presume it got disturbed. I did not recognise it, all I could see was a beautiful white fluffy underside before it scarpered.

[Avatar]

Buzzards generally take carrion and small rodents/earthworms etc, not live birds. A sparrowhawk on the otherhand, especially a female, which is larger, is much more likely to be taking dove's.
My moneys on a sparrowhawk. And I'm envious, Ive only ever seen 2 in my birdwatching time.

[julia-mag]

We have lived here for 50 years and fed the birds (all types ) every day,and with 3 water supplies we do get visited by a fairly wide variety, but this is the first time we have had a predatory bird like this, and I spend a lot of time trying to found out which strange birds visit us, and get a good laugh at the antics of the young starlings in the spring, its great past-time, (oh yes, it is time-wasting too!)

[ttfn]

Starlings - we have nicknamed them the bovver boys - they come in huge numbers each year - so many young birds too. However must say they are very dutiful parents who are willing to feed any young bird even if not their own. Had one of the resident buzzards flying very low over the garden and field beyond on Monday - magnificent to watch it but it took no prey in our sight.