Sparrowhawk news

The new sparrowhawk is now here most days.  He is often sitting on his perch in the kitchen garden or in an oak tree above the kitchen window.  The light has been poor but the cameras can cope.

One day last week was exciting.  Looking though the kitchen window I could see a woodpecker frozen still on the feeder (an old tree trunk) and no other birds at all so I knew the sparrowhawk was about.  He flew to a branch just above the feeder and the woodpecker was inching round to the other side, trying to get out of view.  The sparrowhawk knew it was there, however, and pounced and caught it in mid air.  He wheeled around the garden and flew into the wood with his prize, pursued by a couple of crows.  I had to go out for half an hour and when I returned the sparrowhawk was sitting on the hedge at the end of the drive, obviously alert and hungry.  

He took no notice as I drove up and stopped the car.  I knew he would be spooked if I got out so I sat and watched from less than 5m away (the photos are taken through the car windscreen).

After several minutes he flew to the other side of the house so it was safe to get out of the car.  When I got to the kitchen he was outside the window again, hoping for another kill.  These photos were taken at an oblique angle through a rainy window.  You can see from the last picture that he is mostly wings and legs and tail.

So I think the woodpecker must have escaped, perhaps aided by the crows, or have been killed but then stolen by the crows because there is no way the sparrowhawk could have still been hungry if he had just eaten a woodpecker.  Also I walked around the wood a bit later (it is only 2000 m2) and could find no sign of a freshly plucked kill.  If he sticks around there will be more news to follow, I am sure.