danw 1,748 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 My guess would be Buzzard or Sparrowhawk yes your probably right I would say goshawk as adult pheasants normaly a bit big and strong for sparrowhawk and buzzard this time of year Hen Sparrowhawk would be quite capable of killing, but not carrying off. That was my thoughts when it appeared the birds were left where they were, and there's not that much seems to have been eaten. If thats a mature hen pheasant then its not a spar......Probably been a buzzard? Normally start on the breast in my experiance....?....Its a mystery... Got a Sparrowhawk taking them now. Doing exact same thing as looks like in the pic, dropping on them, keeping hold and starting eating from the rear while they're still alive well mate if your seeing it then I won't disagree but you must be the unluckiest keeper 'in' the world that gets full grown birds taken by a spar.....:-( I don't think it's that common for Sparrowhawks to kill mature Pheasants, but this isn't the first time it's happened, and once one gets the hang of it, well that's it . Once it gets to this time of year all the kills have been the smaller Hens. I don't see how they manage to "get the hang off it"???... You hear me dan?.... Lol LOL am baby sitting misses has gone to get the beaters stuff from bookers and the kids have fried me head :laugh: Quote Link to post
Millet 4,497 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I don't see how they manage to "get the hang off it"???... You hear me dan?.... Lol If they is plenty of small hen's about a big spar could get the hang of it with practice..im sure they would sharp learn to grab them by the head and disable them. Quote Link to post
Lab 10,979 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Kenny..... Seems like you must be buying some shite birds mate...... I could give you the number of a top quality game farm if you like?... Lol..:-) Quote Link to post
kenny14 656 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Kenny..... Seems like you must be buying some shite birds mate...... I could give you the number of a top quality game farm if you like?... Lol..:-) Wouldn't happen to be somewhere north of the border would it?? Wouldn't matter where the birds came from anyway, in the words of a post in a recent topic........the Sparrowhawks are 'as hard as feck up here' 1 Quote Link to post
Lab 10,979 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Kenny..... Seems like you must be buying some shite birds mate...... I could give you the number of a top quality game farm if you like?... Lol..:-) Wouldn't happen to be somewhere north of the border would it?? Wouldn't matter where the birds came from anyway, in the words of a post in a recent topic........the Sparrowhawks are 'as hard as feck up here' Yes....Fife to be precise... 100% guarenteed Spar killers if they f**k with them........... 1 Quote Link to post
moley 115 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 i once saw a hen sparowhawk carry a full grow hen pheasant over the pen wire ,many years ago Quote Link to post
poacher3161 1,766 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Any great black backed gulls in the area ? Quote Link to post
Mooch. 177 Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Any great black backed gulls in the area ? No gulls but we do have sparrowhawks and plenty of buzzards. I don't know if the two are connected but I spotted a mystery BOP earlier in the day not far from the scene of the crime. It was a reddish brown colour, wing shape similar to a kestrel but easily twice as large. Quote Link to post
stewie 3,387 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 defo a spar Quote Link to post
Millet 4,497 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 I don't know if the two are connected but I spotted a mystery BOP earlier in the day not far from the scene of the crime. It was a reddish brown colour, wing shape similar to a kestrel but easily twice as large. Red Kite maybe.. Quote Link to post
Mooch. 177 Posted November 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 I don't know if the two are connected but I spotted a mystery BOP earlier in the day not far from the scene of the crime. It was a reddish brown colour, wing shape similar to a kestrel but easily twice as large. Red Kite maybe.. Quite possibly, we do get one or two pass through here every year. Could it be responsible for the crime though? Quote Link to post
Millet 4,497 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Im not sure mate as im led to believe they are carrion feeder's mostly.. Quote Link to post
Parabuteos lad 878 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 i know a trained sparrow-hawk could not kill numerous pheasants safely and this would lead e to believe it is a gos, buzzard etc. but i also know, to take a pigeon with a trained spar is quite a hard task, but wild spars seem to take quite a few. if it is not a mature pheasent then i know of a few sparrowhawks that have taken young pheasents. but in my opinion, a spar could not take a full grown pheasent Quote Link to post
kenny14 656 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Kenny..... Seems like you must be buying some shite birds mate...... I could give you the number of a top quality game farm if you like?... Lol..:-) Wouldn't happen to be somewhere north of the border would it?? Wouldn't matter where the birds came from anyway, in the words of a post in a recent topic........the Sparrowhawks are 'as hard as feck up here' Yes....Fife to be precise... 100% guarenteed Spar killers if they f**k with them........... I like the sound of em! .....Though we might need a couple of bull x's when picking up, do deal with any runners lol Quote Link to post
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.