Sparrowhawk

[RobinOfTheHood]

One just flew past the front of the house, and over my shed/garage/thing.
Aren't they amazingly fast and agile?
I never seem to be able to get a good look at it, I just seem to catch a glimpse of it in the corner of my eye, then it's gone.
We didn't have anything like that round our way for a lot of years, the only birds of prey were kestrels (I live between Barnsley and Doncaster) but of late I've seen red kites and buzzards.
And we still have lots of blackbirds and thrushes, so they can't be having too much of an ill effect.

[RobinOfTheHood]

[Anne Robertson]

I go (try) on a nightly 3 mile walk each weekday evening and nearly always a sparow hawk or two, trouble is I get so engrossed in watching them that I nearly get run over.
I also regularly see a fox and loads of rabbits

[lilylover]

I managed to see my first one ever a couple of months ago. It was chasing some smaller birds through my garden, which isn't big and has lots of obstacles, and managed to crash land in a bush next to the pond  ;D  After a quick ruffle and shake he was off again probably hoping no one had seen him, like you do  ;D

[chriszog]

We had a sparrowhawk regularly visit last year. One day it captured a greenfinch mid air and landed in the garden. My wive managed to capture some video footage of this amazing spectacle.
Regards

[Carol]

They are amazing and handsome birds but not at all welcome in most gardens cos they are killers.  I have the sparrowhawk most days sitting on a silver birch tree branch watching for his next feed.  I usually make some sort of noise when he is around to chase the little birds away.  Nar, he or she is not at all welcome.  Same one, lifted the male blue tit last summer whilst feeding its young.  The female tit managed to keep up the feeds by herself and the young left the nest in once piece.  Lost numerous blackbirds, collared doves, thrush even a jackdaw.  But I suppose it is nature and the bird has got to feed, NOT IN MY BACK YARD.

??? ???

[Gadfium]

Last year I got a frantic phone call from my sister to say that a bird had knocked itself out on the windowpane & what did she do next. I did my standard 'concussed bird' spiel, then asked what kind it was. She said brown. I said 'yes?'. She said 'Blackbird. I've picked it up & I'll put it in a cardboard box, seems to be coming around'... and then added, 'oh yes, it's got claws'

:o

I said 'What! Get your fingers away from the feet...'

She said 'It's alright, I've... ' (gurgles, exclamations, etc). Then silence.

I said 'Are you alright?'

She said 'It's flown in the house. It's gone upstairs. (pause). How long is it going to take for you to get here?'

Thirty minutes later I retrieved an exasperated, but unharmed, sparrowhawk from her bedroom.

[RobinOfTheHood]

Looked out the window ths morning, there it was, perched on the fence.
So I ran to get the camera.
Turned it on, aimed, beep beep.
Flat batteries.

Needless to say, by the time I changed 'em, it had gone  ::).

Never mind, it was good to at least see it properly for once...