Sparrow hawking for bees in front of hive

[viridens]

This sparrow, (or is it more than one?) is to and fro all day taking bees as they enter and leave the hive. It then pecks and bashes them on the ground a few times before swallowing them, to disable the sting I suppose. Has anyone else seen this behaviour?

Home grown competition for Asian Hornets!

 

[Murox]

excellent images. - never seen that before but of course it must happen more than we know.

 

[madasafish]

Yes : they started it at our TBH. Wire mesh in front deterred them.

No dead bees last long here: lots of wellllll fed sparrows...

 

[thedozzer]

We have Blackbirds that have taken a real fancy to drones, and there are some Great tits that do a fantastic job of clearing all the dead away from the hives.
When we had nucs on a stand with a bit of a landing board on it, and the female blackbird would stand on the edge picking the bees off until the bees started to buzz round her.

 

[ShinySideUp]

A habit that needs discouraging. Not too bad from now onward but the last thing we want is a peckish sparrow at swarming and mating time -- those queens will look mighty tasty.

 

[viridens]

It started here with sparrows picking up dead bees and crawlers. Unfortunately it/they have progressed to the current aerobatics for snatching foraging bees.
I don't think mesh would stop it since some bees are being taken quite a distance from the hives. The risk to queens bothers me too!

 

[thedozzer]

It started here with sparrows picking up dead bees and crawlers. Unfortunately it/they have progressed to the current aerobatics for snatching foraging bees.
I don't think mesh would stop it since some bees are being taken quite a distance from the hives. The risk to queens bothers me too!

Thats how the blackbird's started off, plus we stupidly put out some drone comb with grubs in from the bottom of some frames!
the crawlers are normally picked off by the great tits. but i can see how some sort of mesh would work, something we will have to get used to if the Asian hornet ever get here!!

 

[Ian123]

I may be wrong but the 2 pics look like different birds, the first looks like a youngster with short tail feathers. Looks like they are passing the trick on.....lol

 

[viridens]

Thanks Ian123.
Lol for you, P.I.A. for me, but zap for some of my poor unsuspecting little buzzers!
You may well be right. Those pics were through double glazing and drizzle. I'll try to get some clearer ones to confirm the culprits when the weather improves.

 

[Swarm]

I may be wrong but the 2 pics look like different birds, the first looks like a youngster with short tail feathers. Looks like they are passing the trick on.....lol

Disagree.

 

[deemann1]

I got some black birds and sparrows doing the same thing around a couple of my hives

 

[Antipodes]

We have lots of sparrows, starlings and blackbirds here but I've never seen them eating bees. One thing is for sure though, and that is that they wouldn't let that raspberry sit there like that!

 

[Millet]

This sparrow, (or is it more than one?) is to and fro all day taking bees as they enter and leave the hive. It then pecks and bashes them on the ground a few times before swallowing them, to disable the sting I suppose. Has anyone else seen this behaviour?

Home grown competition for Asian Hornets!

A Hen House Sparrow hell bent on feeding her brood..good on her.. i would take a loss with this situation.. but that is just thee..cracking pic's by the way..

 

[viridens]

Antipodes

I like raspberries! That hive is on a shelf about 4 ft from the ground, and that shoot was tucked up the side of the hive. But there were some strong gusts of wind today which pushed it back. I'll sort it out when it stops raining. I hope that will be tomorrow...

 

[Millet]

For the record though i would personally clear the hive entrance from Bramble/Raspberry and nettles..

 

[viridens]

A Hen House Sparrow hell bent on feeding her brood..good on her.. i would take a loss with this situation.. but that is just thee..cracking pic's by the way..

Local broods, probably more than one. were raised early this year and fledged long ago. Members of the local flock do not seem to be nesting at the moment
but are roosting in my Pyracantha hedge.
I'm not too worried. Currently, they seem to be focusing on that hive. I have others! If the whole flock learn to predate bees I may have to consider taking action.

The pics not bad considering they were taken through double glazing and drizzle. Better than I expected!