Unusual Garden Visitor

[greenjelly]

Can anyone help in identifying our very unusual garden visitor?

A bird of prey has been visiting our garden over the last few days and we would like some help in identifying it. It's a bit bigger than a wood pidgeon, has a brown speckled front and head, a brown back with big white splotches, yellow eyes and legs, it's tail is short.

It has been hunting the colony of sparrows that live in our shrubbery and perches in the trees in our garden and our neighbours. It hunts by making short, swift flights very low to the ground, not diving like a kestral.

We live in Leicestershire with farmland, water meadows, marsh land on one side and a busy road on the other side.

The bird books I've looked at suggest it could be a merlin or a female sparrowhawk.

Greenjelly

[Two_Sheds]

Most likely a sparrowhawk

[Jeanied]

The sparrowhawk has a light eyebrow if you get another look.

[mothhawk]

I, too live in Leicestershire, and a female sparrowhawk raids my garden about once a month. She is persistent, and will continue strafing the garden every day until she is sucessful at catching a bird in, or nearby the garden. Then she does not revisit for a month or so.

For a week or two after she has been around, the wood pigeons and collared doves that flatten seedlings and small plants in my small garden tend to visit less.

(It's not nice of me but I'm far happier to see her take a pigeon than one of the little dunnocks or a blackbird).

[Two_Sheds]

I've seen "our" sparrowhawk only twice since we moved in 3 years ago, but she's a daring, thrilling hunter: first time she just plopped down on the lawn not 4ft from where we were sitting, 2nd time I saw her she burst into a large tree opposite and erupted again a minute later clutching something small & brown & fluffy

Mother's one sat on her garden wall while I was weeding below. Stunning bird, I don't begrudge it a few birdies, I'd just rather she took the fat grey greedy ones

[greenjelly]

Thank you all who replied. We now have binoculars in the kitchrn and the living room to get a closer look.

I hope she gets those fat woodpidgeon that nibble on my cabbage!

[Two_Sheds]

Nah, you'd need a pelican for that job

[veggiechicken]

That is so horrible to watch. I kept hoping it would escape. I know its ridiculous but it feels as if I have something stuck in my throat. Perhaps I need a drink?

[pauco]

Hi Greenjelly, from your description the bird sounds like a Female Sparrowhawk-(Accipiter nisus).


paul.

[binley100]

I can always tell when the buzzards are out at the lottie , the wood pigeons all run away very quick and hide ........