Carnage out front

For over a year now a flock of mostly white doves have been settling and feeding on the roofs at the end of our close. And mostly they have seemed to be safe from predators. Only until yesterday.

This melée of white feathers lies on the grass verge at the side of our driveway. It would be nicer to show you shots of the cowslips that are blooming bravely a couple of metres away but white feathers it is.

Len said he had heard a commotion outside the previous early evening. The dove had been whining piteously. Since the predator had torn open the breast of the dove to get at its stomach, heart and liver, we assumed it must have been a sparrowhawk that was the killer. No sign of it about, but sparrowhawks are stealthy.

George popped in for about half an hour for a chat and a cuppa.