Hawk swoops on rare bird visitor

The swallow was spotted briefly before it was eaten.

Birdwatchers who gathered to see a rare swallow on the Angus coast were horrified when they saw it being snatched and eaten by a hungry hawk.

Twitchers headed for Lunan Bay as word spread that enthusiasts had discovered a bird so unusual that it was last seen in the area 20 years ago.

However, the red-rumped swallow, which is usually to be found in the southern Mediterranean, did not last long.

A sparrowhawk swooped and snatched the swallow from the roof of a building.

Mike Sawyer, a member of a Dundee group comprising RSPB members, said: "We were absolutely horrified. That's life I suppose."

An RSPB spokesman added: "It's very unfortunate that it was devoured after such a short space of time, and before more people had seen it.

"Sparrowhawks do feed on small birds, and this one was probably not a great student of what is rare and what is not.

"Sadly, it is just one of those things."