Hello
I live in Milton Keynes, there are a number of sparrowhawks in the area, but have also now identified a group of Red Kites due to the tail, wings and the way they fly.
I am confused as there were 4 of them flying very low over all the houses and all the other birds (seagulls,pigeons, tits, blackbirds etc) were going mad, it was chaos, they all hid in the trees and the kites seemed to be going after the birds and swooping down into back gardens.
They were definitively kites, but didn't think this is normal behavior. Every time they came around, all the other birds went mad?? Do you think they thought they were Sparrowhawks?
Milton Keynes has a lot of green spaces and trees.
any ideas??
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Hi Deanne I have to say that the presence of any Bird of prey will cause upset with your garden birds because they know they might become the next meal ticket. My birds have disappeared for hours at a time when a Sparrowhawk is close to the feeders. Sparrowhawks will definitely try to catch smaller birds in your garden and they play on the fact that you have garden feeders for an easy life. Never seen a Red Kites catch smaller birds because they do not appear in my garden like Sparrowhawks do, but I have seen a Sparrowhawk catch one of my local Sparrows a few years back but out of sight though IMHO. The story about the House Sparrow. We had a Sparrowhawk sitting on our Wheely bin one day. I was watching it out of my kitchen window. All of a sudden it took off, and flew straight up towards the sky and turned to dive down straight into our box hedge and all of House Sparrows shot out in all directions. Then the Sparrowhawk chased one bird over our roof never to be seen again. What an observation (as I rub my thigh like Chris Packham) Hope this gives a insight here
Regards
Kathy and Dave