Raptor Watch - Beware Pigeons, Falcon(id) about!

Tue 14 May, 14:48 (last edited on Tue 14 May, 14:51)

Definitely not a Sparrowhawk although we've had a few and the most commonly seen bird of prey we've spotted from this house and its back prospect. Not counting the Kite pair that fly over our garden many times a day.

We had a Sparrowhawk once resident nearby, a number of times seen probable passagers,  and they'd frequently beat up and down the twitten ambushing little birds and a couple of times taking down a Pigeon in the twitten, found on way to school and neatly plucked they were, on the path - and not by a cat. But this resident was some time back when youngest still at the School.

With those pointed, narrow-chord wings, that's why I mentioned a Falcon family or whatever they are called. But being flying up The Slade some distance off could have been anything from a Kestrel up to a Gyr Falcon as couldn't get a sense of its size as it flew vigorously passing from left (south) to north past the Rookery and trees some Pigeons are nesting in.

We're in a particularly good position with the upstairs. view above the hedge over nearby favoured ambush terrain and the hunting beat along the Slade around the Rookery. I've toyed yesterday with an idea of setting up a camera/s to capture anything flying past as have seen a number of unusual beasts along the flight tracks raptors seem to be quite often using. Maybe an AI surveillance application may be able to "sense" the characteristic shape and flight of the exotics, and appropriately record and notify so one doesn't have to manually watch the whole film of dawn to dusk activity (oh, and we do get a lot of Owls too - the chimney of the nearbours' immediately behind us is a favoured spot for the local pair of Tawneys to take break at night, wonderful sight on a moonlit night but can get a mite noisy!

Tue 14 May, 13:50

Sparrowhawk?

Tue 14 May, 09:43

Charlie, they may well be as there is a large colony in The Parks in Oxford , I'll await the screeching cry's !

Tue 14 May, 09:10

Probably ring necked parakeets. They are moving north and west from London suburbs and decimating our bird numbers and fruit trees.

Mon 13 May, 20:33

18.33h saw a flight of a point-winged bird of prey fly over in front of the Chestnut trees on the corner of Enstone Road and The Slade. Couldn't make out any details apart from Falcone-type pointy wings. Might have been just a knave's Kestrel but maybe more rare than that.

Cue explosive flight of numerous Wood Pigeons and Rooks and then nary a sight for 4-5 minutes. Keep an eye out in case the bird hangs about for a bit.

If you were something exciting like a Peregrine, the only place can think of for a nest would be on the Church tower... Falcons are increasing in number, apparently, maybe, perhaps, wish for, a nest some day!