Posts about sightings in your garden during the coronavirus lockdown period.
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John 24th July 2020
While topping up the bird feeders in my garden at 8:15 this morning I heard the screams of Swift behind me. Looking north towards Hungerford Road, there were 20+ screaming Swift ‘wheeling’ in a close formation. The nearest known breeding pairs are on the corner of Vincent St/Surrey St.
Colin 10th July 2020
Whilst having breakfast in the kitchen this morning there was a loud bang on the window that sounded just like a bird strike. Looking through the window I had a staring contest with a male Sparrowhawk about five metres away and looking closer, noted that it was standing on a dead Starling. I then spent the next hour finishing my breakfast watching the sparrowhawk have its breakfast. First, it plucked and ate the breast and had a rest, then made a hole into the abdominal cavity and pulled out the internal organs to eat them and had another rest, then started on the wing feathers but with not much enthusiasm – I think it was too full. After 50 minutes it was disturbed and flew away. As a matter of interest, JPG1040252 shows the nictitating membrane closed.
24th July 2020
While topping up the bird feeders in my garden at 8:15 this morning I heard the screams of Swift behind me. Looking north towards Hungerford Road, there were 20+ screaming Swift ‘wheeling’ in a close formation. The nearest known breeding pairs are on the corner of Vincent St/Surrey St.
10th July 2020
Whilst having breakfast in the kitchen this morning there was a loud bang on the window that sounded just like a bird strike. Looking through the window I had a staring contest with a male Sparrowhawk about five metres away and looking closer, noted that it was standing on a dead Starling. I then spent the next hour finishing my breakfast watching the sparrowhawk have its breakfast. First, it plucked and ate the breast and had a rest, then made a hole into the abdominal cavity and pulled out the internal organs to eat them and had another rest, then started on the wing feathers but with not much enthusiasm – I think it was too full. After 50 minutes it was disturbed and flew away. As a matter of interest, JPG1040252 shows the nictitating membrane closed.
Ed: see Colin’s pictures in our gallery http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
and his video at http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-videos/