Birdwatchers who gathered to see a rare swallow on the Angus coast were horrified when they saw it being snatched and eaten by a hungry hawk.
Twitchers headed for Lunan Bay as word spread that enthusiasts had discovered a bird so unusual that it was last seen in the area 20 years ago.
However, the red-rumped swallow, which is usually to be found in the southern Mediterranean, did not last long.
A sparrowhawk swooped and snatched the swallow from the roof of a building.
Mike Sawyer, a member of a Dundee group comprising RSPB members, said: "We were absolutely horrified. That's life I suppose."
An RSPB spokesman added: "It's very unfortunate that it was devoured after such a short space of time, and before more people had seen it.
"Sparrowhawks do feed on small birds, and this one was probably not a great student of what is rare and what is not.
"Sadly, it is just one of those things."
3 comments:
I know I probably shouldn't have, but I laughed at this.
Circle of life... ha, just cracked me up the thought of them all out there with cameras and binoculars and it getting snatched up. Could have only been enhanced by a Steve Irwin narration.
oh debbie..i feel so much better..cause i burst out laughing too..for a fraction of a second i felt like a mean person for laughing, but that didn't last long..hahahahahah
I laughed when I heard this on BBC news too, that's why I posted it :)
Post a Comment