The Sparrowhawk & The Yellowhammer

[cjay]

Both the Sparrowhawk & The Yellowhammer are in my part of Suffolk (The North east) relatively scarce. The Sparrowhawk is becoming more common & one may feel that by reading our county reports that large flocks of Yellowhammers are present especially in Winter. As a Farmland breeding bird they seem to have plummeted.

So a visit to my friend in Flixton near Lowestoft this morning produced a rather ironic situation. Whilst enjoying breakfast in the conservatory, Colin was pleased to tell me that he now had three Yellowhammers visiting his garden. As we wiped the last of the fried egg from our plates with our bread we saw a Sparrowhawk fly low over the garden & pick up a squarking Yellowhammer & zoom off to the wood in the distance.

We both sat there exasperated.

That was not the end of the encounter as the sparrowhawk then returned & perched on the fence awaiting another meal!!

Today I do not like Sparrowhawks.

CJ

[Andrew]

I do not like Great Grey Shrikes at the mo cos I saw a pic recently with one having decapitated a Goldcrest wiht the victim still perching headless on the twig!

[cjay]

Interesting. Nature is very cruel. luckily we do not see much of this in the wild It may put us off some birds for life.

[Medlock44]

Unhappy news. Sparrowhawks we have in plenty, but very few Yellow hammers.

[mikial]

Not too fond of Sparrowhawks this morning myself, about 6:30 a.m. after refilling a sunflower feeder I saw a small group consisting of Glodfinch, Yellowhammer and Great Tit , some groundfeeding, some perched on the feeder, looked away too see if "my " two Swallows were around , out of the corner of my vision saw a swooping shape plunge and strike . It was over so swiftly I wasn`t convinced I`d seen it but I`m pretty sure that B.O.P. had taken a Great Tit.