sparrow hawks!!!!!!!!!!!

[pearse1888]

let my youngings out this morning and they were flying for about 45 mins and then i seen a sparrowhawk floating across the sky circling about then he got lower and he he made a dive right into a pack of commers killing one then about 30 mins later he came back again and got another was very lucky to got my boys in but the speed of it was unreal .. it was the 1st time i really seen one in action beautiful birds but there seems to be more than the last few years hows everyone else coping do u think its they are more this season ? and training aswell everyones having bad tosses...

[ALF]

Sounds more like a peregrine pearse if it's hitting them in flight as the sparrowhawk is more of a surprise them merchant while they are on the roof of the loft

[ch pied]

Sounds more like a peregrine pearse if it's hitting them in flight as the sparrowhawk is more of a surprise them merchant while they are on the roof of the loft

yes ,  percy/sky bandit

 

[westburylofts]

one of the lads in our club has taken a beating with only 12 w / hood cocks

he has lost 6 in two weeks to the hawks.

 

ray

[Guest mikkey]

Sounds more like a peregrine pearse if it's hitting them in flight as the sparrowhawk is more of a surprise them merchant while they are on the roof of the loft

 

hiya alf i dont know whether the sparrowhawks are changing their tactics mate but the swine ive been having trouble with attacks like that as well

[DOVEScot]

let my youngings out this morning and they were flying for about 45 mins and then i seen a sparrowhawk floating across the sky circling about then he got lower and he he made a dive right into a pack of commers killing one then about 30 mins later he came back again and got another was very lucky to got my boys in but the speed of it was unreal .. it was the 1st time i really seen one in action beautiful birds but there seems to be more than the last few years hows everyone else coping do u think its they are more this season ? and training aswell everyones having bad tosses...

 

I think you are mistaken a sparrowhawk for a perigrine if they are being attacked on the wing, or maybe some captive hawk/falcon has got loose, Sparrow hawks attack when their prey are feeding or sitting and don't go for another kill, in fact they return the next day to feed on the same kill if it is still there :-/

Also you said the speed of the attack was unreal......Percy definately

[Guest mikkey]

there has been an escaped redtailed hawk knocking about for about 4 weeks maybe thats the culprit they had photos of it in local paper, it was spotted in the woods about a mile from where i live, one of my neighbours said some kind of hawk had its wings draped over one of his chickens last week.... :-/

[rabfefe]

thursday 3rd april, let my youngones out this morning 4 the first time, they had a little flutter 4 about 10 mins then a hen sparrow hawk on a killing mode skatterd them but no kill all safe and accounted for just a wee bit jumpy. i have been standin gaurd as it appears everyday. i stand with firework rockets but havent had a chance as the hawk is too fast.  

[Guest shadow]

thursday 3rd april, let my youngones out this morning 4 the first time, they had a little flutter 4 about 10 mins then a hen sparrow hawk on a killing mode skatterd them but no kill all safe and accounted for just a wee bit jumpy. i have been standin gaurd as it appears everyday. i stand with firework rockets but havent had a chance as the hawk is too fast.  

 

let your birds out a different times of the day if you can this will reduce the chances of a sparrowhawk attack as the are creatures of habit coming at the same times early morning and late afternoon when feeding young

 

 

[sue]

We had three old birds taken this time last year and an attack on the youngsters last week. Have bought a large stainless steel ball from asda as someone told me this sometimes stops the hawk attacks around the loft, hopefully this will help when we have put it up.

[Guest Vic]

 

let your birds out a different times of the day if you can this will reduce the chances of a sparrowhawk attack as the are creatures of habit coming at the same times early morning and late afternoon when feeding young

 

Sparrowhawks do not breed this time of year, they normally lay their eggs in May and after a 38 day incubation period, it is then, in June, that the sparks will fly. The cockbird (one third smaller than its mate,) will do the early feeding, as he can only catch the little uns, finches, sparrows etc. But Beware!  When the nestlings reach about 10 days old! The  Big Mother Hawk will bring the bacon (pigeon) home. Most birds , this time of year are lost in training by weather miscalculations, not hawks. Food for thought. Vic.     

 

 

[Merlin]

While not at their most extreme the female is hunting that bit more,to put on breeding condition,and weight,regarding the long incubation period,when she does most, if not all of the sitting

[rabfefe]

 

let your birds out a different times of the day if you can this will reduce the chances of a sparrowhawk attack as the are creatures of habit coming at the same times early morning and late afternoon when feeding young

 

 

i have let my birds out at different times so has my fello member he stays 100/yards from me he has lost about 6or7 i have lost 2+3hurt i have my auld birds now for a short time

[sue]

Definately a sparrowhawk attacking ours as it was on top of the young bird on our shed and my husband was hosing the garden at the time and turned the hosepipe on it then it flew off.  

[jimmy white]

While not at their most extreme the female is hunting that bit more,to put on breeding condition,and weight,regarding the long incubation period,when she does most, if not all of the sitting

 

yes , i agree ,,,,as i have had an attack     and  few of my freinds have had yb,s killed, my thoughts are they allmost know the very young birds are vulnerable ,,,,,so very worth the watching of them ,,,,if they manage to kill one,, theyll be back and wont give up

[shotgun tim]

iv had female sparrows try and take birds while flying,also a red tail wont take pigeons flying

[Guest mikkey]

in the last 2 weeks the sparrowhawks have been over my house while my birds have been out but not one attack for some strange reason, they just circle a couple of times then bugger off, yesterday same again this time it was a pair of them circled over the birds then went off, im not complaining mind i think theyre doing it to annoy me the b******s

[homebird]

Let the tipplers and tumblers out, flying around lovely showing off, just coming back to land.Then it came like a racing car from around the other side of the  house and hit the tippler from behind just over the top of the stables,feathers flew, I ran round the back and found the sparrow hawk sitting in the grass no sign of the tippler,the hawk then flew off across the field being mobbed by the crows that live in the oak trees by the house.I searched for the tippler and found it in a large bush I picked it out still alive not a mark on it .Looks like ive got a problem .You knowe its out there just waiting to come back,and the tipplers and tumblers seem to be more alert.My young racebirds have been walking out and jumping back through the open doors.

[Merlin]

On Roller Discussion Board an American site you have got a picture of a hawk attacking a young girl,in a baseball stadium,apparently it was nesting in the stadium,proper secnario would be if she sues the stadium,this might have consequences as regards overpopulation of these hawks,how long before something similar happens on this side.

[pearse1888]

once again sparrow hawk on the hunt yesterday killing another commer in next doors garden just a matter of time before he gets one of my boys hope not but

[Guest IB]

Was looking for something else, happened upon this.

 

(1) what happens to (goshawks) when the eagle owl moves into 'their' territory.

 

(2) eagle owl call

 

(3) the 'white patch on the bum' research

 

(4) something different?

 

http://www.albertaclassic.net/hawks/hawks.php

[Merlin]

Well done I.B on finding and publishing this very useful information,no problem substaniating same,my view being based on actual happenings by a pair of resident Eagle Owls,now if only we might get our act to gether and formulate a common plan among pigeon fanciers,this is where the real kernel of the B.O.P. soloution problem lies

[Johnny Bhoy]

Well just had my young birds attacked by Sparrow Hawk hen lost one cost £60 quid and lost one,fact was i appraoched the hawk whilst it was about to feast on my young bird and i felt it was ready to attack me, it was gut renching the reports of sparrow attacks are now at a totally unacceptable level,time to let the dogs loose?.How far does a hawk travel what sort of area does it cover and where would be the most likliest place for it to nest i live on the outskirts of the town plenty trees pylons around.

[Merlin]

Quarries,big and small, Rock faces,Castles,any tall decrepit old buildings,they are not usually to be found nesting in exposed trees as such,but who is  to say they dont now,with the amount about, nesting and increasing this problem

[Henrik]

Was  cleaning the loft bout ten mins ago wi Y/bs in the cage when they all dived in the trap. went outside n the Sparrowhawk was sitting on the cage.