Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weeks
www.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Charlie Pridham wrote:
Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and
posed for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has
eaten all the male blackbirds over the last two weeks
www.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm
Wow!! So majestic....beautiful
--
Pete C
London UK

On 16/4/08 21:10, in article , "Pete C"
wrote:

Charlie Pridham wrote:
Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and
posed for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has
eaten all the male blackbirds over the last two weeks
www.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm
Wow!! So majestic....beautiful

And a damned nuisance too. But yes, very, very beautiful.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:29:54 +0100, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weeks
www.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm


Do they go for bigger things than blackbirds too? We've got some of
those collared dove things and I saw a speeding blur steal tail
fathers from a CD on the bid table - and a burst of feathers as the CD
escaped. I've not spotted anything that looks capable of eating one
though.
--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weeks
www.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

That's worth two in the bush )

Wally

On 16 Apr, 22:45, Mogga wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:29:54 +0100, Charlie Pridham

wrote:
Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weeks
www.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm

Do they go for bigger things than blackbirds *too? We've got some of
those collared dove things and I saw a speeding blur steal tail
fathers from a CD on the bid table - and a burst of feathers as the CD
escaped. I've not spotted anything that looks capable of eating one
though.

Yes, they do. I had one devour an entire pigeon in my back garden a
while back.

On 16/4/08 22:45, in article ,
"Mogga" wrote:

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:29:54 +0100, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weeks
www.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm


Do they go for bigger things than blackbirds too? We've got some of
those collared dove things and I saw a speeding blur steal tail
fathers from a CD on the bid table - and a burst of feathers as the CD
escaped. I've not spotted anything that looks capable of eating one
though.

They definitely do! We had white doves here at one time and a sparrowhawk
was treating them as a sort of meals on wheels. In the end we took the
remaining birds back to the original supplier. I couldn't bear to think
that even while enjoying their beauty, we were condemning them to certain
death. We get quite a lot of collared doves here and all too often we find
a puff of feathers somewhere in the garden. They seem to draw the line at
wood pigeons, though.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

In article ,
says...
On 16/4/08 22:45, in article ,
"Mogga" wrote:

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:29:54 +0100, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weeks
www.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm


Do they go for bigger things than blackbirds too? We've got some of
those collared dove things and I saw a speeding blur steal tail
fathers from a CD on the bid table - and a burst of feathers as the CD
escaped. I've not spotted anything that looks capable of eating one
though.

They definitely do! We had white doves here at one time and a sparrowhawk
was treating them as a sort of meals on wheels. In the end we took the
remaining birds back to the original supplier. I couldn't bear to think
that even while enjoying their beauty, we were condemning them to certain
death. We get quite a lot of collared doves here and all too often we find
a puff of feathers somewhere in the garden. They seem to draw the line at
wood pigeons, though.

I was just surprised at how small and light it was, not much bigger than
the blackbirds and certainly not as large as the jackdaws which we have
also seen evidence of it eating. I have seen plenty of these around but
this was the first time one has let me pick it up (I think it was feeling
a bit down being stuck in the green house as it did not struggle at all)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:14:59 +0100, Sacha
wrote:


They definitely do! We had white doves here at one time and a sparrowhawk
was treating them as a sort of meals on wheels. In the end we took the
remaining birds back to the original supplier. I couldn't bear to think
that even while enjoying their beauty, we were condemning them to certain
death. We get quite a lot of collared doves here and all too often we find
a puff of feathers somewhere in the garden. They seem to draw the line at
wood pigeons, though.

We came home on Saturday to a fluff of feathers again - so perhaps
it's time to put the CCTV on bird table so we can see exactly what's
doing it.
I don't mind the dovey things - i think they're quite cute but they
eat shedloads and if they're getting eating I should probably
discourage them.

The wood pigeons are too scary looking with their huge beaks. I'd
leave them alone.
--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

On 17/4/08 09:42, in article ,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

In article ,
says...
On 16/4/08 22:45, in article ,
"Mogga" wrote:

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:29:54 +0100, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weeks
www.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm


Do they go for bigger things than blackbirds too? We've got some of
those collared dove things and I saw a speeding blur steal tail
fathers from a CD on the bid table - and a burst of feathers as the CD
escaped. I've not spotted anything that looks capable of eating one
though.

They definitely do! We had white doves here at one time and a sparrowhawk
was treating them as a sort of meals on wheels. In the end we took the
remaining birds back to the original supplier. I couldn't bear to think
that even while enjoying their beauty, we were condemning them to certain
death. We get quite a lot of collared doves here and all too often we find
a puff of feathers somewhere in the garden. They seem to draw the line at
wood pigeons, though.

I was just surprised at how small and light it was, not much bigger than
the blackbirds and certainly not as large as the jackdaws which we have
also seen evidence of it eating. I have seen plenty of these around but
this was the first time one has let me pick it up (I think it was feeling
a bit down being stuck in the green house as it did not struggle at all)

Maybe it was hungry! We have had one in the big double greenhouse a couple
of times. A lot of other birds go in there to feed from all sorts of bits
and pieces, as well as the feeders we put up. At the back of that house we
have a deepish ledge with rows of stock plant Pelargoniums on it. Sparrows
love foraging in there and last time a sparrowhawk was in there it had
followed them in like a bullet, only to look most confused as they
disappeared into the Pelargoniums and then out through a gap in the glass at
the back! But the biggest thrill was going into the small double with Ray
one morning to see a Tawny Owl sitting on a cross beam glaring at us because
it had come in during the night and couldn't find its way out again!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 17/4/08 11:13, in article ,
"Mogga" wrote:

On Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:14:59 +0100, Sacha
wrote:


They definitely do! We had white doves here at one time and a sparrowhawk
was treating them as a sort of meals on wheels. In the end we took the
remaining birds back to the original supplier. I couldn't bear to think
that even while enjoying their beauty, we were condemning them to certain
death. We get quite a lot of collared doves here and all too often we find
a puff of feathers somewhere in the garden. They seem to draw the line at
wood pigeons, though.

We came home on Saturday to a fluff of feathers again - so perhaps
it's time to put the CCTV on bird table so we can see exactly what's
doing it.
I don't mind the dovey things - i think they're quite cute but they
eat shedloads and if they're getting eating I should probably
discourage them.

The wood pigeons are too scary looking with their huge beaks. I'd
leave them alone.

I'd rather like to put a nightcam out on the field and/or in the garden to
see what patrols through during darkness. Sometimes the dogs wake up going
mad and barking like maniacs so we suspect foxes or badgers crossing the
lawn.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On Apr 16, 8:29 pm, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weekswww.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Is that a Merlin?

Des

On Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:26 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

On 17/4/08 11:13, in article ,
"Mogga" wrote:

On Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:14:59 +0100, Sacha
wrote:


They definitely do! We had white doves here at one time and a sparrowhawk
was treating them as a sort of meals on wheels. In the end we took the
remaining birds back to the original supplier. I couldn't bear to think
that even while enjoying their beauty, we were condemning them to certain
death. We get quite a lot of collared doves here and all too often we find
a puff of feathers somewhere in the garden. They seem to draw the line at
wood pigeons, though.

We came home on Saturday to a fluff of feathers again - so perhaps
it's time to put the CCTV on bird table so we can see exactly what's
doing it.
I don't mind the dovey things - i think they're quite cute but they
eat shedloads and if they're getting eating I should probably
discourage them.

The wood pigeons are too scary looking with their huge beaks. I'd
leave them alone.

I'd rather like to put a nightcam out on the field and/or in the garden to
see what patrols through during darkness. Sometimes the dogs wake up going
mad and barking like maniacs so we suspect foxes or badgers crossing the
lawn.


We have CCTV but not of the bird table - and see cats and foxes
wandering through.
--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

In article 69719b09-0c12-433a-a490-
,
says...
On Apr 16, 8:29 pm, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weekswww.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Is that a Merlin?

Des

I thought it was a sparrow hawk, but I am no expert, we only realy see
Merlins at the coast, but I think they are bigger
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On Apr 17, 1:23 pm, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
In article 69719b09-0c12-433a-a490-
,
says... On Apr 16, 8:29 pm, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
Found this beauty in my greenhouse today, it let me pick it up and posed
for this before releasing. Should have been cross as it has eaten all the
male blackbirds over the last two weekswww.roselandhouse.co.uk/visitor.htm
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Is that a Merlin?

Des

I thought it was a sparrow hawk, but I am no expert, we only realy see
Merlins at the coast, but I think they are bigger
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

I have never seen either that close so I cannot tell the difference
from that view :-). Merlins are smaller that Sparrowhawks and do eat
birds. Sparrowhawks are much commoner though and you had the thing in
your hand so I will not argue that.
The small looking size made me think Merlin.

Des