Look what was in my garden! A peregrine falcon!

[minkymoo]

I couldn't believe it! I'm sorry about the video quality, we videoed it with the camera, but I got so impatient with the lack of speed of my OH putting it on the computer etc, I filmed it off the telly with my phone.

http://youtu.be/bfeARYcIcpI

It had caught a pigeon and was a truly stunning bird. I'm just amazed as I have never seen one so close!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

wow you are honoured I haven't seen a wild one that close either truly magnificent bird well done thanx for sharing

 

[cremedemonthe]

My cousin round the corner from me had one in her garden last year, it took out one of the many pigeons that feeds in her garden. We have kites and buzzards too.Wish they'd eat the blasted numerous noisy & destructive ring neck parakeets which fly around in numbers.

 

[ruscara]

It's beautiful and well captured. But it's a Sparrowhawk, not a Peregrine. Peregrines have dark eyes, not yellow ones. I made the same mistake myself earlier this year (proudly announcing the visit of a Peregrine Falcon) and was put right Gorgeous bird, all the same.

 

[AmyMay]

Beautiful bird.

Ruscara is right it is a Sparrow Hawk.

 

[Oberon]

We had a nest of peregrines in the field last year. The cry they made was amazing - like a sword and sorcery movie!

We had twitchers in the field watching them and I had the honour of seeing them every day.

Sadly they didn't return this year.

 

[bumblelion]

We get a lot of red kites and buzzards come here, but never get that close!! Yeah it is a sparrowhawk, amazing birds! Did you see countryfile? Where they're releasing sea eagles back in Scotland.

 

[Crazydancer]

Oooo we had one a while back, and like yours, it struggled to actually carry off the pidgeon.

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[jazkhali]

Oh wow how lucky. I love birds of prey. I have only just about 10 mins ago seen a buzzard really low soar over my house. I was amazed at that. I live in a housing estate and although there are many a few miles away ive never seen one near my house! I would have been overjoyed to have seen what you have seen!

 

[Ladylina83]

Thanks for sharing this - I am slightly obsessed by the big birds around us in Cheshire and caught sight of a kite in North wales at the weekend too

 

[stencilface]

I have a sparrowhawk that hunts around my bird feeder, only seen it twice, but as I am at work all day, I'm sure it visits more than that!

We have lots of red kites near me, and buzzards - think both nested in the woods next to our field this year. The red kites are v nosy and fly v low over the stables - they are awesome!

 

[Dobiegirl]

I agree it a sparrowhawk, quite a few years ago a friend rang and told me she had a young Buzzard on her roof and did we want to come up and see it. We did and I told her it was a Peregrine and she rang the local Hawk & owl trust, the main man was at a dinner party and was so excited he came over. As he came up the drive the bird flew away but as my friend had videoed it he was able to identify it as a Peregrine.

We get lots of sparrowhawks at the bird table opposite my kitchen window and they will fly down and try to flush out the birds in the hedge, Ive opened the window and shouted at them but they dont take a lot of notice once they have homed in on a bird.

 

[minkymoo]

Yes, it was a sparrow hawk the colour it was didn't match those on google as they were brown and this was grey.

Still pretty cool though!!

 

[flyingfeet]

Gorgeous sparrow hawk - I wish ours would eat the doves and pigeons rather than my mum's corn fed sparrows!!

 

[Suechoccy]

Gorgeous.

Sparrowhawks.

Males are grey (like the one in the video).

Females (and juveniles I think) are brown (like the one in the still photo on top of the collared dove).