Just witnessed nature at its worst!

[Mrs. Jingle]

I have just been down the yard to sort out the herdlet. I was walking my mare in and suddenly a huge shadow flew over us, she panicked and went up in the air and went to gallop off. Remembering that 2 years ago trying to hang on in a similar gateway scenario knocked me clean out and has cost me my mobility and not a great chance of riding again, I am ashamed to say I just threw the rope over her back and let her go. My bad! ?

Anyway, I digress. In the meantime above my head in a huge old beech tree, it sounded like the banshee herself had come for me. I saw the very large (not even sure what it was to be honest) bird of prey swoop down to the ground with a small bird in its claws. It was clawing and pecking away at it, the poor little bird was screeching in terror as it was being torn apart. ? I rushed at it and stamped my foot (I know useless thing to try and do anything to stop nature from doing its thing) but it flew straight off with the poor little bird flapping and screeching.

The two donkeys just stood and watched this all totally unphased, it took me 20 minutes to calm Dolly down enough to catch her and bring her in, snorting and rolling her eyes like the damn bird had tried to take off with her, not the poor little birdie. I think I am getting soft I found it very distressing and it shook me a bit, I would never normally find anything like this that distressing. I wonder is it an indicator of my fragile emotional well being this past few weeks?

Sorry pretty pointless post, but I love living in such an isolated area and very close up with nature and not the first kill I have witnessed but all a bit too close for my liking today!

 

[Barton Bounty]

I have just been down the yard to sort out the herdlet. I was walking my mare in and suddenly a huge shadow flew over us, she panicked and went up in the air and went to gallop off. Remembering that 2 years ago trying to hang on in a similar gateway scenario knocked me clean out and has cost me my mobility and not a great chance of riding again, I am ashamed to say I just threw the rope over her back and let her go. My bad! ?

Anyway, I digress. In the meantime above my head in a huge old beech tree, it sounded like the banshee herself had come for me. I saw the very large (not even sure what it was to be honest) bird of prey swoop down to the ground with a small bird in its claws. It was clawing and pecking away at it, the poor little bird was screeching in terror as it was being torn apart. ? I rushed at it and stamped my foot (I know useless thing to try and do anything to stop nature from doing its thing) but it flew straight off with the poor little bird flapping and screeching.

The two donkeys just stood and watched this all totally unphased, it took me 20 minutes to calm Dolly down enough to catch her and bring her in, snorting and rolling her eyes like the damn bird had tried to take off with her, not the poor little birdie. I think I am getting soft I found it very distressing and it shook me a bit, I would never normally find anything like this that distressing. I wonder is it an indicator of my fragile emotional well being this past few weeks?

Sorry pretty pointless post, but I love living in such an isolated area and very close up with nature and not the first kill I have witnessed but all a bit too close for my liking today!

Im the same that kind of thing terrifies me, and doesnt help when folk say ‘its the food chain’ ??‍

 

[SashaBabe]

I witnessed something similar a few years ago. I was cutting the grass when I heard a screeching noise overhead. A crow(?) had a small bird in its claws. It then proceeded to drop the tiny bird, which landed a couple of feet away from me. The poor wee thing was still alive, but half it's back was ripped out. I had to get my husband to put it out of its misery.

 

[Rokele55]

Nature red in tooth and claw. I watched a wildlife documentary with hyenas and wildebeest. I won't go into details and I am not aqueamish but it was nasty. Something is always killing something else outside my door (not lions, thankfully), fortunately it doesn't frighten the horses. I find the interaction between crows and buzzards fascinating

 

[Sparky Lily]

A few years ago, one of the cats caught a baby rabbit and was bringing it home across the field. The poor thing was still very much alive and wriggling, and the cat dropped it. As it ran off, 2 black backed gulls swooped down, and both got hold of the baby, ripping it apart as they flew up. The scream lives still in my memory.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

A few years ago, one of the cats caught a baby rabbit and was bringing it home across the field. The poor thing was still very much alive and wriggling, and the cat dropped it. As it ran off, 2 black backed gulls swooped down, and both got hold of the baby, ripping it apart as they flew up. The scream lives still in my memory.

Oh my goodness I cant possibly like that post if you know what I mean? That poor bunny it's day had definitely come hadn't it?

 

[CrunchieBoi]

Probably a female sparrowhawk, they are pretty bold when it comes to making a kill. We find the odd "wood pigeon explosion" round our way and it's nearly always them. They are incredibly agile although I've also seen a buzzard take out a wood pigeon in woodland.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I despise crows.. the things they do to our new lambs is horrific at times, very much upset me as a youngster.

 

[Gloi]

Out on a ride the other day I heard a terrible screaming and a large rabbit ran across the lane with a weasel hanging from its throat.

 

[TinseLeneHorse]

It is possibly the memory of being flattened by your horse previously that has shaken you up in addition to witnessing the cruelty of nature? I speak from experience having been flattened by my mare last November in a bringing in from the field incident. I sometimes walk past the spot where it happened and have flashbacks to lying in the mud with blood spurting out of my head! It does leave you feeling vulnerable.

 

[Bernster]

I’m getting more emotional as I get older! Hate seeing it even though it’s ‘nature’. I try to rescue mice from our cat and saw off a load of magpies picking on another magpie the other day.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I tell me cat off for catching little birds. She can have her fill of pigeons, mice, voles, moles, rabbits etc but I draw the line at little birds.

I accidentally caught a kestrel once. It must have followed the pigeon into an enclosed space with a low down hatch way but couldn't figure out how to get back out. I only know there was a pigeon in the picture because of the feathers covering the pen! I opened the big gate to let the bird out, it took a few minutes before it figured out the new exit. At least it was well fed on its overnight stay in accidental captivity!

 

[Rumtytum]

Years ago a blackbird landed in my chicken run. The hens descended on it like a shoal of piranhas and before I could get in to rescue it was ripped apart and eaten. Horrible.

 

[irishdraft]

A couple of years ago we had a thrush nesting in a tree near the house so we would see them all the time feeding the babies. Then one day a racket was going on and a carrion crow had a fledgling in it's beak next minute the partner crow was also attacking the nest. The poor thrushes were doing their best but every chick was killed.

 

[Haniki]

We had a sparrow hawk kill a small bird just outside our kitchen window last week. It happens from time to time, we live in a rural area.

 

[SEL]

Are you in red kite country? They do a good job with crow and magpie chicks. When mobbed by the parents they drop the terminally damaged baby and come back to finish it off when the parents give up.

A half dead baby magpie on my head whilst poo picking a month ago.

Has also taken cat food straight out of the bowl

 

[oldie48]

I was going to suggest red kite, we have them and I watched one circling above me yesterday. Our paddocks are littered with feathers ATM and our local wood pigeon population is being hammered but we can't have diversity unless we accept that there is a food chain and small birds and animals tend to be near the bottom. My garden is over run with rabbits and I have too many squirrels tormenting my border terrier (how he'd love to catch one! TBH I sometimes think I tend my garden just to feed the local wildlife.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Are you in red kite country?

No never seen them around this area I think they are more likely in the Wicklow area further south than we are. I think this was almost certainly a sparrow hawk, but cant swear to it as all over very quickly plus I didnthave my glasses on lol!

It is possibly the memory of being flattened by your horse previously that has shaken you up in addition to witnessing the cruelty of nature?

Actually that never occurred to me but I think you could be right. This was the gate were it happened and I have only in the past few months been able to use it again without shaking, so I had been walking a long way around to another gateway to avoid it. Yes I still get flash backs occasionally, but still not a full memory of what happened just a sort of jig saw of disjointed events and my son's account of when and how he found me. I think you might well have hit the nail on the head....pun....sorry I will leave now!?

 

[Spotherisk]

A few years ago I started feeding Niger seed at the bird table. It was ignored for quirpte a while then I came home from work to find a charm of goldfinch’s all over it, then Bam! A sparrowhawk nailed one. I felt as if I was accessory to the murder.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Just scrolled down to post what LeneHorse said. The flash of fear will have got mingled in with your upset for the poor little bird.

You'll probably have a bit of shock. I'd spend the evening under a blanket drinking tea and watching happy movies if I were in your shoes.

 

[misst]

It is terrifying when a horse goes up I think. I had a similar situation bring one of our big boys in years ago. As we approached the gate all hell broke loose in the bushes next to it. Banging, rustling, screeching. A magpie had a baby rabbit. The mother rabbit was stamping and running at the bird. Another bird arrived and the two of them pecked the baby rabbit and pulled it apart. Daughter managed to get horse out of field, I was useless and terrified.

 

[clinkerbuilt]

Just scrolled down to post what LeneHorse said. The flash of fear will have got mingled in with your upset for the poor little bird.

You'll probably have a bit of shock. I'd spend the evening under a blanket drinking tea and watching happy movies if I were in your shoes.

Just not Bambi ?

 

[Skib]

A bird of prey swooped down and snatched a robin from our tiny London garden. OH was extremely upset.
It must be quirte common as I think there is a Tracey Emin picture of that happening.

 

[Fieldlife]

Out on a ride the other day I heard a terrible screaming and a large rabbit ran across the lane with a weasel hanging from its throat.

A rabbit with a weasel in its mouth??

 

[Gloi]

A rabbit with a weasel in its mouth??

No ,a rabbit with a weasel biting its throat.

 

[stangs]

No ,a rabbit with a weasel biting its throat.

You have to admire their jaw strength in that situation.

 

[Gloi]

You have to admire their jaw strength in that situation.

Yes, there was no way it was going to let go despite the rabbit running and screaming.

 

[ponynutz]

I really can't cope with these sorts of things - too much of an animal lover.

 

[stangs]

I really can't cope with these sorts of things - too much of an animal lover.

You don't love the predator who's just trying to get some breakfast then?

 

[ponynutz]

You don't love the predator who's just trying to get some breakfast then?

Lol, of course I do! Won't let anyone tell me foxes are vermin Rock and a hard place comes to mind...