Crime scene
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These woods are not used for shooting. In all the years we have frequented them, we have heard gunshots only once, so it is pretty certain that it was not a gundog that caused the feathers to fly, so to speak. Gundogs, particularly young ones, dislike picking up wood pigeons because the birds have loose feathers that can fill a dog’s mouth and put them off retrieving. Someone said that the dog looks as though a pillow has exploded in its mouth! With careful training, the reluctance can be overcome.
So, who was the culprit? It may have been a fox or a sparrowhawk or possibly an enthusiastic dog. We will never know, but I, for one, am glad that there was no corpse. Nature may be red in tooth and claw but I prefer not to see too much evidence of that.
Yes, I know it happens too but I sleep a lot better if I don't actually see it ...
ReplyDeleteBlood belongs inside animals, not outside!
DeleteIt's a sad sight to see, but it's nature, the circle of life. When a hawk visits the garden I hold my breath and hope it doesn't catch anything, yet at the same time I marvel in its beauty and know that, to survive, it needs to hunt and kill.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to watch, yet mesmerising.
DeleteMaybe a rat? Apparently they've gotten big and scary.
ReplyDeleteI had never thought about a rat.
DeleteA massacre by the look of it. Yes, good that there wasn't a body.
ReplyDeleteWe don't often see corpses - I guess they are cleared up pretty quickly by scavengers.
DeleteHow interesting about loose feathers on a wood pigeon. Never heard that before. Nobby agrees one wouldn't want a mouthful!
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's an escape mechanism.
DeleteI've plucked a few pigeons in my time and yes the feathers come off very easily! Not so easy to do the rest of the prep though!
ReplyDeleteQuite a small area to work in, I suppose.
DeleteI've seen a few piles of feathers around here, the roaming cats get the mourning doves.
ReplyDeleteEverything has to live, and sometimes it's at the expense of others, sadly.
DeleteIt made me feel sad
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to see, but we don't see it very often, fortunately.
DeleteSame here in our garden. We know when the local sparrowhawk has had a pigeon breakfast.
ReplyDeleteSuch skilful hunters and they have young to feed, too.
DeleteMy money would be on a Sparrowhawk. We watched as one attacked a pigeon in our garden, last year. That’s nature, no matter how sad.
ReplyDeleteYou have to admire the precision of birds of prey.
DeleteI'm always curious about wildlife when I find something like your photos. I wonder if our hawks had a good meal, or a fox. But we have so many feral cats around, most likely they needed a meal.
ReplyDeleteEverything has to eat to live. Sad about feral cats, though - it seems such a lonely life.
DeleteSimilar scene in our backyard the other morning - likewise no corpse. I had assumed fox, but your readers might be right about sparrow hawk. We used to have one visit regularly, but I would have assumed that a wood pigeon would be too big for it. Interesting about the loose feathers.
ReplyDeleteOur crows have taken to leaving a single flight feather on our door mat to be discovered in the morning. It makes me wonder what they are doing inspecting the patio doors during the light early hours .
I wonder what message your crows are sending you - maybe a thank you for the food?
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about the loose feathers either, I get sad about the nature red in tooth and claw thing too, especially at this time of year when magpies rob the occasional egg or chick from a nest. Apparently woodpeckers also join the ranks of garden predators, although I've no seen that in our garden yet and we have a large family of woodpeckers -
ReplyDeleteperhaps we feed them enough.
Alison in Wales x
It's awful to see young birds being killed by bigger birds, but they do it from necessity, not pleasure. Keep feeding your woodpeckers:-)
DeleteI didn't know guns could still be legal in the UK?
ReplyDeleteRifles and shotguns for shooting game or vermin have to be licensed for use, and kept in locked gun cupboards. Most handguns are banned. Gun ownership is not common in UK.
DeleteIt's sad but also a part of life. We have a bald eagle that we can see occasionally, living in walking distance of a river. One time it swooped down so close (but safely far away from us) that we could see its majestic body and head and even the feet extended to grab a meal. They eat mainly fish and small rodents, so no piles of feathers, but we also have hawks and other hunters of the sky.
ReplyDeleteWhat a privilege to see such magnificent birds.
DeleteI wonder if the loose feathers are a defense mechanism, so a bird can escape? Maybe this one did. I often find little heaps of feathers without any other evidence of a hunt.
ReplyDeleteI think it very likely it is an escape mechanism.
DeleteWe were able to adopt a stray cat this week. Our neighbor saw it several months ago but didn't want to feed it although it was plainly looking for help and friendship from her description. We never saw it until Saturday when it finally appeared in our yard. Miraculously (so it felt) I was able to crate the cat and bring him in. "Henry" is a very nice, calm brown tabby cat who is adjusting well. Cricket is fascinated with his new housemate. I'm also thankful that Henry no longer has to prey upon our wildlife to survive.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely of you. Henry has really landed on his paws.
DeleteSad to see, it's good there wasn't a body!
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
We don't see much carnage, really, just the occasional unfortunate squirrel or foolhardy fox.
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