Birdwatchers from all over Britain who gathered in Grimsby to catch sight of a rare American robin were horrified to see her eaten by a passing sparrowhawk.
I am convinced nature has a sense of humour. Of course, had I been watching, I'm sure I'd have been horrified too. But you can't think of a bunch of people setting up their cameras only to have something swoop down and eat their subject just as they were ready and not think, will isn't that ironic?
I've always wanted to see a British robin. Most people here don't really realise that ours are different from those of the Old World. I'm surprised the BBC chose to run a picture of a sparrowhawk (I'm also very fond of them, due in part to Ursula K. LeGuin's Wizard of Earthsea series, although I've never seen one in person) rather than, say, a comparison in robins. So here's my contribution:
American Robin [Turdus migratorius] [song]
European Robin [Erithacus rubecula] [song]
Note that the American one is quite a bit bigger, the size of a European blackbird. The European robin is about the size of our sparrow.
Oh, and by the way, what's with 'oily black wings' and the description particularly as a southern bird? They live practically everywhere in the US and spend the pretty much anywhere it's not routinely completely frigid. In Lexington, I'd say our three most populous birds are robins, starlings, and sparrows. [Aside: In the winter, starlings come in giant flocks. I think they're pretty, but many see them as 'rats with wings' because of the mess and noise; this is what happens when a species is introduced into a new area. Someone coddled starlings across the ocean because they wanted every bird mentioned in Shakespeare in America, or so I've heard. I figure it's people's own fault for the introduction and the fact that we build cities of concrete that are warmer than the surrounding countryside, in essence inviting them to come in droves.] Yes, we have more robins in spring and summer, but we have them here all year round, puffed out. If it can survive our winters, it should be able to survive cold in Britain. Although maybe not sparrowhawks, since I'm sure it was a bit disoriented.
Incidentally, our state bird is the cardinal. Other birds in the area can be found at the Kentucky Ornithological Society's page, just in case you're interested.
Um...can you tell I love birds?
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