Murder in Bedfordshire Garden

A bit dramatic, but there was a pile of feathers on the ground below the bird feeders in our centre of town garden.  By the look of them a pigeon....

 



Then we saw the culprit, a female Sparrow Hawk.  What a beautiful bird.  It took a look at me and then flew off.



 

Investigation later found the carcass of the pigeon in the top of closely cropped holly bush and we left it there.  The carcass was gone the next day, but for a small bit of bone on a bird table, so I can only presume that the Sparrow Hawk returned and got the rest of its meal.

 

Its not the first time a Sparrow Hawk has visited our garden over the years, and are occasionally heard calling in the vicinity, or even seen flying over the walls and fences.  A number of years ago one flew over the garden clutching a live and alarm calling Blackbird. A male (I presume of the pair) was seen on the ground finishing off one of our small population of resident House Sparrows in February.  I also came across one this winter sitting on a live town pigeon in a wide alleyway into the centre of the town early one morning before dawn.  Presumably the street lighting enables it to hunt before dawn.  It must of been hungry as it let me stand there for a full minute about 6 feet from it.  I walked on leaving it to continue with the kill and feast.

 

Quality of photo not great but taken through double glazing with a small zoom.