A robber in our midst

A couple of months ago, while visiting the children here on the farm, Eryn led me to a small forest Debbie has created in the garden. There she showed me a Common Fiscal with four eggs in it. Two weeks later we visited here again. Grant and I immediately went to see if the eggs had hatched. There was no nest; no eggshells; no dead baby birds. Nothing.

What a mystery. 

Last week I noticed an African Harrier Hawk flying over the garden. It landed on an electrical pole just beyond the fence. I grabbed my camera, zoomed in and snapped away through the kitchen window. 

African Harrier-hawk

Suddenly the raptor flew off the pole and swooped in on a small tree in the forest garden. The Common Fiscal pair sitting on the top branches of a tree nearby, kicked up a huge fuss; screaming and flying at the Harrier Hawk. Unperturbed it homed in on their nest, snatched a baby bird and flew back to its post top.

To devour its meal.

Common Fiscal  (male) atop the tree with their nest 

Common fiscal (female) sitting a little way off

Although these images are distressing, I always tell myself this is nature. The African Harrier-hawk finished its meal and flew off down into the valley. It hasn't been back and we're not sorry.

I'm linking to Our World Tuesday here