Goshawk and sparrow hawk

[fredpuli47]

I think I've seen a goshawk, here on the farm in South Cambridgeshire. How much larger do they look than a sparrow hawk? Also, in the last few days, I've found the feathers, and little else remaining, of a pheasant, a woodpigeon and a corvid, apparently a crow, in the meadow where I saw the hawk flying.Are these too big for a sparrow hawk to take ? Would a sparrow hawk be flying in a meadow (albeit one adjacent to woodland) ?

Can't think it's any other hawk. What others are there in rural South Cambs/ East Anglia ?

[burnhal]

A female sparrowhawk is similar in colouring and markings to a male goshawk. SIzewise a female sparrowhawk approaches the size of a male goshawk. Both could have been seen in the habitat you describe and both are resident in the region you live in! Have seen sparrowhawks take up to pigeon size and thats about their limit of capability. Goshawks will take crows so looks like you have a Goshawk!! Good sighting!!
Other hawks in your patch this time of year will be merlins and peregrines- both too small! You will likely see the odd Harrier as well.

[carrust]

If the local game-keepers find out there's a Goshawk in the area, then it wont last long! I'd try & keep mum on your sighting.

[fredpuli47]

Thanks carrust. Never thought of that. How big a territory do goshawks have?Can't think one's in danger here:as far as I'm concerned it can take as many pheasants and partridge as it can catch, because , whilst those birds are 'mine' in a legal sense,as wild game,I leave them to get on with breeding and living (and dying) as nature allows.

In fact, none of the farms around here employ gamekeepers or raise game: we are farmers, not caterers to City stockbrokers who think they're shots for a day ,LOL Could be we've got lucky goshawks around here !

[carrust]

I think you'll find that the bird you have is a winter migrant. They breed on high moorland, such as the Peak District, which is quite near to where I live.
We've had no end of problems with game-keepers & egg collectors raiding their nests. In the breeding season there has to be a warden or cctv cameras to protect them. The gamekeepers are such a problem that they've even put a camera on a buzzards nest!
I hope that you get to see the Goshawk again, they are truly an impressive sight.
BTW, pigeon fanciers aren't that keen on birds of prey also.

[burnhal]

I beg to differ. Goshawks build a nest at the top of a high tree in forested areas, in areas such as Devon, the new forest, in areas of east anglia and as far north as yorkshire. Yes they do also breed in the Peak District and are present in Wales in larger numbers. Numbers are some 300 pairs countrywide currently and appear to be descended from birds released by falconers. They dont migrate- they tend to remain in the breeding territory though of course there is dispersion at the end of the breeding season as juveniles seek their own territory

[LoftyLottie]

Oh Fred, you are lucky. Where do you live? I live in Norfolk and unfortunately the estate I live on is farmed by a huge farming company which breeds game birds for those city stockbrokers you talk about to come up for the day and take shots at for their pleasure, with a lacky loading their guns for them!!!!

They are hoping to reintroduce sea eagles to our coastline, but the farmers and countryside alliance (who I hate) are already having protest meetings!!

The gamekeepers round here are happy to shoot birds of prey whenever they can get away with it. Do you remember the uproar about the Princes at Sandringham when a dead hawk was found on the estate!!

We have Marsh Harriers flying over quite regularly and I really fear for them.

[fredpuli47]

Agree about the Countryside Alliance, Lofty. I farm about 8 miles south of Cambridge.I think you are very lucky to have marsh harriers ! (Don't think it's worth my while to flood a few fields and hope for some! ) I think raising pheasants is daft.What gets shot is wasted.Maybe with the credit crunch we'll hear less of these shoots.My late father used to go out and shoot the occasional pheasant, as did other local farmers, but that was for their family to eat, as and when.He got told, by my mother, to shoot on other farms, because she'd got pheasants that had bred in the grounds here, and she didn't want 'ours' shot.It got so that whenever the guns went off, seemingly every pheasant around took sanctuary at our place, until peace reigned again. (I expect the truth was that they were all hatched there and returned to familiar cover, forgetting any territorial boundaries for the while).

[LoftyLottie]

That's how shooting should be Fred. Shooting to feed family and friends.

We too are a refuge during the shooting season. I get quite attached to 'my' pheasants, just like your wife!!

We have a Nature Reserve on our doorstep and the Marsh Harriers have now increased greatly.

You sound like the sort of farmer that I like - keen on wildlife, lover of nature (and your own pets). Wish I could say the same for the Eestate I live on!!

[Dezo]

Only just seen this. I'm interested in goshawks and would be keen to know where you are. I work for the RSPB. If you want to email me my address is [email protected] many thank. Conor