I've been out in the garden cutting the grass this afternoon and stopped to empty the grassbox when I heard the call of some sort of hawk and the alarm call of a blackbird. I was under the trees and managed to catch a glimpse of the hawk, could have been a kestrel, chasing a blackbird. They were swerving in and out of the branches and then the hawk snatched the blackbird from the air and flew over next doors fence and away with it's meal clutched in it's talons.
It was over in a matter of seconds so I couldn't tell what sort of bird of prey it was let alone run down to the house for my camera, so no photo for Richard
Dom

We have lots of Buzzards, Kestrels and Red Kites round us, all of which go for the smaller birds, but like you say, sad but beautiful all rolled into one.
The crows are the only birds that tend to go after larger birds of prey, not sure why though. Possibly their maternal instinct kicking in to protect their young.