Another Sparrowhawk kill
22nd January 2011
On Thursday this week I found more evidence of a Sparrowhawk kill in my garden, in amongst the plucked feathers were some small yellow feathers, possibly from a Goldfinch. While I waited in the hide on Friday three G S Woodpeckers were around the garden, while one was eating peanuts from a feeder the Sparrowhawk zoomed in and made an attempt to snatch him off the feeder. I have never seen any bird more terrorised in my life, it flew away screaming and I could still see it flying, flat out, about 500 yards away.
I've studied the Sparrowhawk's Modus Operandi, it alters very little; he never flies high up, he uses the lane where my house is as a conduit, he glides down the lane and at a specific point he sweeps up over the Hazel hedge opposite the feeders and then relies on surprise and lightning reactions to snatch any bird caught out in the open.
I have managed to get another shot of him on his "plucking post" but he is facing away again, so I have decided to erect some other perches, not interfering with his flight path, that hopefully will encourage him to turn around and show what a beautiful bird he is. Two of my favourite birds were in the garden today, Long Tailed Tit and Treecreeper, please see photos in Gallery.
I've studied the Sparrowhawk's Modus Operandi, it alters very little; he never flies high up, he uses the lane where my house is as a conduit, he glides down the lane and at a specific point he sweeps up over the Hazel hedge opposite the feeders and then relies on surprise and lightning reactions to snatch any bird caught out in the open.
I have managed to get another shot of him on his "plucking post" but he is facing away again, so I have decided to erect some other perches, not interfering with his flight path, that hopefully will encourage him to turn around and show what a beautiful bird he is. Two of my favourite birds were in the garden today, Long Tailed Tit and Treecreeper, please see photos in Gallery.