It is a good job this chap didn't turn up last weekend during my RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, otherwise I might have seen only one bird. This winter's sparrowhawk hasn't sat around much until the last few days although I think he comes to the garden quite often. I suspect he is quite an efficient hunter and if he catches something straight away he probably takes it off somewhere to eat in peace. Yesterday I saw two attacks and one fly-over. Two days ago he was sat on the "sparrowhawk perch" for a couple of hours on and off, spending a lot of time preening and looking as though he had already eaten his breakfast.
One moment he is all fluffed up.
And the next he is sleeked down ready for action.
Here he is having a good scratch and giving his feathers a thorough sorting out - photos from two days ago.
This morning I saw one attack by the feeders outside the kitchen window, apparently unsuccessful, and a little while later he was back on the perch, sitting with his tail spread. When I saw tail fanning last winter it was a signal of dominance from the adult bird to a juvenile who was watching from a nearby tree. I haven't seen a juvenile in the garden this winter and I don't know if there was another sparrowhawk around.
If the sparrowhawk is going to make more use of the perch now that we have colder weather it will brighten up the lockdown.
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