Not much news really, but an opportunity to share a few more photos. The sparrowhawk has been here a lot in the past two or three weeks and has spent more time sitting on the perch.
I am still unsure how many sparrowhawks are visiting the garden but, especially having seen the tail-fanning display a couple of weeks ago, I do think there may be more than one. A few days ago this bird was here early.
At lunchtime on the same day this one was here. Judging by the scratch marks on its upper mandible and the white patches on the cere (the waxy yellow structure at the base of the mandible) it is probably the same bird.
But late that afternoon I saw this one. The front edge of the cere looks different and the scratches on the beak are not there. It also has more pinkish colouring between the eyes and less pink on the breast, although feathers move around and can look different.
Two days later this bird in late afternoon, with a different appearance to the cere again.
Two days later again this one in early morning which I think is back to the first, including the scratch marks.
It may be that these are all the same bird but to me they look different. I enjoy which ever one turns up, even if it is all the same one. When he was here yesterday I was able to photograph his tail feathers, showing the retained juvenile feathers with frayed edges as well as new feathers from his first moult last summer, which I first noticed during the tail-fanning. This may be another way of distinguishing individuals. I'll look out for it at each opportunity.
Here are a few more recent photos, possibly not all of the same bird.
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