Sparrowhawk v Woodpigeon

There was drama in the garden this afternoon.  I had been working at Wing and a Prayer and had not been home long,  I sat down at the computer with a cup of tea ready to catch up on emails etc when suddenly there was a big CRASH on the window about three feet from my head.  I jumped out of my skin and looked out to see a Sparrowhawk and a Woodpigeon locked in mortal combat. 

The Sparrowhawk got the poor Woody on the ground and proceeded to pluck him ready for dinner, there were feathers everywhere.  I find it amazing how a Sparrowhawk which is a similar size to a Woody, but more slightly built can overpower one so easily.  I know from experience that Woodys can be powerful birds, their wings are really strong yet the Sprawk can bring one down so easily.  Maybe it's like a champion wrestler taking on a large but lardy man.  Although the lardy man would have a weight advantage the wrestler is faster and has the skills to take him down.

Not wishing to have a death on the lawn I opened the window and screamed at the Sparrowhawk, telling him he was a bully and to leave the poor Woody alone.  It's lucky I don't have close neighbours really because I seem to always be hanging out of the window screaming like a fishwife at some creature or other.  More often than not though it's Butterfly the Squirrel eating the Dove's food, the greedy thing.  He runs now as soon as my window opens.  So anyway, as soon as I screamed abuse at him the Sparrowhawk dropped the Woody and flew off fast.  The poor Woody flew off in the other direction at a rate of knots and made his escape into the wood.

I took the flying off strongly as a good sign but still went out into the wood in search of the Woody because from the chunks of feathers on the grass he was obviously injured.  I couldn't find him anywhere despite searching for ages. 

I have seen Woodys and Doves survive terrible injuries at the hands (claws?) of Sparrowhawks.  The damage they can inflict is incredible, they just open the poor Woody like ripping open a tin can with an old fashioned can opener.  However I have also seen Woodys survive injuries like that.  There is one at Wing and a Prayer at the moment who had half his back torn off and his ribs exposed which was walking round the hospital as if he didn't have a care in the world.  A couple of weeks on his skin is starting to granulate and grow across the gaping hole and today we noticed new feathers starting to grow.  Mind you he had his wound cleaned and dressed and is recovering in a nice safe environment with regular food and water.  My poor Woody is taking his chances out in the wood tonight.  Unless he has the sense to come and find me that is.