David W.E. Roberts9/4/04 2:22

Hi,

about a week or so back, one morning whilst glancing out of the window from
across the room, I saw what looked like an explosion in a pigeon factory -
feathers everywhere and rising in the wind to blow over towards our garden.

By the time I got to the window for a good look, there were just a few
drifting feathers.

I assumed 'something' had got a pigeon, but probably not on the ground
because of the height of the cloud of feathers.

Today, looking out on our lawn, there is a cluster of pigeon feathers but no
pigeon.

They weren't there about an hour ago.

That's a dead give away for a sparrow hawk - that 'explosion' as you
describe and finding nothing but feathers.
I don't know where they take their prey to consume it but I do know that a
pigeon fancier told us that they eat the bird through its body and while
it's still alive.
Jane Ransom warned me when we tried to keep white doves and she was right.
Not only will sparrow hawks take a bird in this way, they will sit close by,
waiting for an opportunity. Our local hawk perched on top of the dovecote
(which was covered with netting for several feet around to home the birds)
and pounced on one pinning it down *through* the netting.
snip
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds to email me)