Crime scene

On Sunday I ventured into the kitchen midmorning. I was surprised to see a whole lot of white bits over the paved area at the end of the garage. What’s that? I thought. I went out to find out.

As I got nearer, I realised the white bits were in fact feathers, some with black in them. A massacre had clearly happened, yet there was no body. I moved on towards the compost bin. Suddenly a peregrine falcon took off from the bed a little further on, leaving a bloody carcase behind.

I thought I might as well leave it. I would tackle the carcase later, after I’d peeled the spuds which was the reason for entering the kitchen in the first place.

Having done the potatoes I went back to the compost bin with the peelings. Again the falcon took off. This time there was no sign of any carcase left behind.

Needless to say, since then, there seem to have been fewer birds, particularly small ones, around. With a bird of prey like that around it will take a while before they have the confidence to venture once more into our garden.

I still can’t quite decide what variety of bird was the prey. The feathers were pure white, except those with some black spots on them. The only birds I can think with that sort of colouring that visit us are the gulls. But a gull seem a rather large & vicious bird for the falcon to take on. It remains a mystery.