Sparrowhawks and Trucks

 

Over the last few weeks, I've done a few trips round the lanes in our truck to take mares to be covered. You tend to trundle along narrow lanes at perhaps thirty kilometres per hour, as you don't want to brake too heavily if something comes the other way.

Twice now, birds of prey, have flown in formation with the truck a couple of metres above the ground. One was directly in front of the cab and moved from one side of the road to the other, whilst the other followed alongside me on the other side of the hedge. They both flew like that for perhaps three or four hundred metres.

Obviously, the birds were hoping that the vibrations of the trucks would frighten a mouse or some other prey to reveal themselves. In both cases they were unlucky, but would they do it if it didn't work?

I mentioned this to Michael, the stud groom and he said it was common practice of sparrowhawks.

I'll take the camera next time and see if I can get a shot.