WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT
A SCOTS photographer has managed to capture the moment a sparrowhawk savagely feasted on its prey.
Charlie Davidson heard a loud squealing noise coming from his back garden on Saturday and was shocked to find the bird of prey devouring a starling.
The oil and gas engineer from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire grabbed his camera and ran outside to capture the ravenous hawk in action.
One photo shows the powerful sparrowhawk towering over the helpless starling with its yellow talons grasped around poor bird’s head.
The hawk’s striking beady, yellow eyes can be seen while it stands over the defenseless bird.
In another image the starling can be seen crying for help in its last moments of life as the hawk stares sternly down down the camera lens.
The sparrowhawk was captured viciously tearing into the sparrow’s chest with it’s blood soaked beak as it prepared to eat its prey.
Speaking today, Charlie, 51, said: “I’d been out really early on Saturday morning photographing a pair of dippers on my local river.
“I’d just got home and was in the kitchen making a cup of tea when I started hearing a loud squealing.
“I knew when I heard the noise it was either a cat or a sparrowhawk killing a bird.
“I grabbed my camera, which was still on the kitchen table, and ran out into the back garden to find the sparrowhawk which had caught the starling.
“It stayed there eating the starling for about three to four minutes then it flew off taking the remainder of the starling with it.
“I’ve stayed in this house for 20 years, I’ve seen a sparrowhawk flying over the area a couple of times, but had never seen one in my garden before.”
Charlie posted his incredible photos to Facebook on Saturday afternoon, writing: “So I was in the kitchen this morning and I started to hear a loud squealing.
“I grabbed my camera and ran out into the back garden to find this sparrowhawk which had caught a starling.”
Facebook users were impressed by Charlies pictures but also shocked by the harshness of mother nature.
One user wrote: “ Fantastic photos! Nature doing what nature does.”
Whilst another said: “Great photos, but nature can be so cruel.
One member commented: “You definitely made best use of the light and opportunity to get those wonderful images. Bravo.”
Another member commented: “Fab images… Both lovely birds, nature takes no prisoners.”
Another user wrote: “Awesome photos.”
