I have mentioned the sparrow hawk a couple of times, on earlier threads.I was woken by the planes again this morning and tripped down to make a cup of tea, to see a hawk on the lawn. Our garden backs on to other gardens so from a birds point of view it must, from the air, look like a small park. For several years until last year we used to have a small group of ducks stop off for a swim (in the bird bath), some food (bag of duck food by the back door) and then a couple of hours kip, in the shade under a tree, before flying on somewhere else. They used to arrive at around 1pm and leave around 4pm.The bird this morning had its back toward me and didn't look like the sparrow hawk - slightly larger and much greyer. At first I thought it was a pigeon but pigeons don't sit so still and with their head hunched. When it eventually turned his head it was clear he was a hawk of some kind. The sparrow hawk I normally see has less grey and is slightly smaller.I read in a newspaper article that sparrow hawks don't usually feed off the ground. The other sparrow hawk is pretty partial to pigeons (Ken would be proud) and frequently nabs a London pigeon from the ground. We aren't so happy when he takes out a sparrow, or a starling.Recently I had been watching a sparrow in the bird bath, happily splashing away. As he flew on to the lower branches of a tree (we still have a few of those around here) the hawk, who must have been watching his breakfast preening himself, flew out of another tree and grabbed him. Hawk has also tried to take out our canary by flying directly at the glass in the window, talons first. You know how a cat sits, all casually unconcerned, as they watch their prey, and then they pounce again? - just like that. He tried several times, each time retreating to the back of a garden seat to try and work out why his chosen dinner was so near but so far…Last week hubby saw the Sparrow hawk land on a starling munching some insect delicacy, on the ground. Hawk grabbed it by the throat and sat there. As the starling started to struggle Hawk spread its wings out over the top of its prey so should the starling escape, it would be held down by the wingspan above it.The parakeet’s (which this year number around 60) watch where the small birds have found bird feeders (they don't appear to want to seek out feeders which are not in the open) and follow behind them. The parakeet flock has a small group of London Pigeons following along behind them because the parakeets are messy eaters and don't pick up their dropped food. I have only seen one parakeet on the ground, once, last summer when one landed to drink from the bird bath. The pigeons have worked out an easy meal is to be had if they follow the trail of the parakeets.When the sparrow hawk took out the starling he had 2 Magpies in hot pursuit. As hubby watched they tried to take the Hawk off his food - in mugging formation. One Magpie was creating a diversion by 'pulling' at the Sparrow hawks tail feathers while the other sat at the side of him ready to nab the starling from the Hawks inside pocket. Fagin would have been proud.
Sarah Felstead ● 7228d