Bravo2zero_sps

if you see it from behind?

Something has just flown into the garden, grabbed a sparrow off the bird table, flung it against the patio doors, ripped the **** out of it and then flew off with the ripped to pieces sparrow in its huge talons to a big old oak tree some way off

It seemed far too big for a Sparrow Hawk which is what we've had before



What looks similar to a Sparrow Hawk but is far bigger? The Mrs said it had massive talons. As I saw it flying off the entire back of it was red/orange not just patches like on a Sparrow Hawk and it definately seemed too big for a Sparrow Hawk, it was bloody enormous! Was fecking impressive (although not for the sparrow)

Bravo2zero_sps

I thought red kite but then thought you wouldn't be finding those in Kent or in your back garden eating sparrows. However when on the phone to my parents who live about 16 miles away several red kites were released at the golf course there last summer.

Oh and the Mrs was saying wtf is that in the garden when she heard the sparrow hit the patio doors

I definitely wasn't a Goshawk or Harris Hawk. I suppose it must have been just a very big and colourful Sparrow Hawk. Don't think it could have been a Red Kite because having shown her the pics on Google she said its face wasn't white like the Red Kites although from google pics some have far whiter faces than others.

I really adore birds of prey but I hope it doesn't come back as I have tamed the collared doves in the garden including the baby to come and sit next to me whilst I put the bird seed out and I don't want them getting killed.

As for bloody google, that is a picture of a kestrel above so that will teach me to check the link actually shows what is says it is and not something else

Sparrow Hawk or Red Kite:



or



I'm going for Sparrow Hawk even though it was very orange/red and big as I just can't believe we had a Red Kite in the garden.

Now the Mrs says it looked like the bottom pic which doesn't have such a white face as the other pic I showed her of a Red Kite!

Bravo2zero_sps

Our 3 rabbits were in the garden at the time in their runs, bet it put the ***** up them having that land next to them and eat its breakfast

Bravo2zero_sps

Ah might have been a Marsh Harrier:

The RSPB: Marsh harrier

Apparently plenty of them in Kent and have the orange brown colour. Still doesn't look orange enough for what I saw flying off though.

Bravo2zero_sps

I saw this one just as it took off and flew away as the Mrs shouting at me to look frightened it off so all I saw was its back that's what was an orange colour. Thing is it was the same colour all across its wing span, I didn't notice markings or white wing tips for example but then it was one of those gobsmacked moments where you sort of just stare but don't really pay attention to detail.

Just did another google search on Sparrow Hawk and got this image, far more orange/brown colours than other pics of Sparrow Hawks i've seen plus looks a bigger bird than in other pics and the colour in this pic is just like I saw so it was a Sparrow Hawk in the garden then (if that is in fact a pic of a Sparrow Hawk!)




This is what I thought all Sparrow Hawks looked like:



You wouldn't think the two pics were of the same bird hence thinking it was something different.

Bravo2zero_sps