Interesting Behaviour

I was waiting to cross Newport Road in Middlesbrough this morning when I spotted a Sparrowhawk perched on the edge of a building, a small flock of Feral Pigeons were feeding on the pavement below the building.

The backlog of traffic had passed so I crossed the road just in time to see the Sparrowhawk fly form the building and chase the pigeons. The pigeons obviously had no idea it was on the building above so the Sparrowhawk had the advantage of a suprise attack from above, but instead it dived over the pigeons forcing them into the air before coming back around and chasing the flock accross the road in front of oncoming buses and cars.
All the pigeons managed to escape (just), and the Sparrowhawk disappeared over the roof tops still giving chase.

What interests me is that I noticed the Sparrowhawk about five minutes before it attacked the flock so it knew the pigeons were there. It had plenty of chances to use the element of suprise but instead risked its own life to force the flock in front of live traffic.
Was this just a coinsidence or had the Sparrowhwak been watching the traffic, noticed it had stopped and waited until it moved again before trying to use the traffic as a way of killing its prey?

Has anybody seen hunting methods like this before from any bird of prey or was this just coinsidental?
I have heard of Sparrowhawks forcing birds into windows before and was wondering if this was an advance on that technique which comes from the bird living in the city centre.
The same sort of thing as Peregrines using lights at night to hunt in city centres

Also I got a text from DMcK yesterday saying that he had some Waxwings on the roundabout near his house. This morning I see somebody has seen 60 in Sainbury's car park. I was walking past there last week and spotted a few good beery trees.
I hope they stick around until Thursday at least, I haven't seen any on the patch this year.

Trill

I have once again started a train list in order to pass the time on the journey from home to Middlesbrough.
Not many species added today, I will post the new list once I update it. The highlight of this mornings journey was the stunning sunrise over the sea between Sunderland and Seaham.

As I left the train station and entered Linthorpe Road I could hear the trilling of Waxwings overhead.
I just got a glimpse of at least four as they flew NE, I think there were probably more but I can't be sure.

Train List: Week One

Since September when I started at Teesside uni I have been getting the train home for the weekend on Thursday afternoons.
It is an hour and 20 minute journey from Middlesbrough to Newcastle which goes through a large part of the north east.
Whilst on the train I have noticed that it goes past a number of different habitats and locations and so to kill the time I have decided to start a train list, the lack of proper birding is going to my head!

The first species to be added to the list was the one footed Feral pigeon which is always hanging around Middlesbrough station.

Middlesbrough:

3 Feral Pigeon
1 Magpie
2 Starling
1 Carrion Crow

Thornaby:

3 Woodpigeon
4 Black Headed Gull
1 Kestrel (hunting over the A19)

Stockton:

1 Blackbird
2 Collard Dove

Billingham:

1 Herring Gull

Just outside Billingham there is a small pond with a hide which the train passes although I am still not sure what it is called.
The pond was 80% frozen but I still managed to see 1 Mute Swan, 20+ Coot and 40+ Teal gathered in the open water in the centre.

The usual good views of the Saltholme area to the right were blocked, not just by the people sitting opposite but by heavy fog which disappeared around Hartlepool.

Seaton Carew:

20+ Rook (on the waste ground outside the tip which had hundereds of gulls circling it)
40+ Canada Geese ( on a pond in the middle of a housing estate opposite Seaton Carew station)

Hartlepool:

Nothing new there but there were four people with scopes scanning the beach

I didn't add any more species until I saw a Pied Wagtail in a flooded field outside Heworth.

The large pools outside Boldon (Boldon Falts?) were completely frozen so nothing new added there also I didn't get good views of the north sea either today.

I got home earlier than expected today so I had a walk down to Horton Burn to check for the Kingfisher again. On the way I flushed a Grey Wagtail - Patch Tick, from the side of the burn.
I met LMcD half way along who was watching 2 Redwing and a Song Thrush.
No sign of the Kingfisher but 3 Moorhen - Patch Tick, flew from the bank side at the fire station end.
Also on the way home from Newcastle on the bus I added Feral Pigeon and Rook to the patch list as they were both around Manor Walks.

40 - Feral Pigeon
41 - Rook
42 - Grey Wagtail
43 - Moorhen

I nearlly forgot, I was woken up by the hooting of the Tawny Owl outside my window last night, the first time I have heard it this year.