Sparrowhawk attack WOW (1 Viewer)

My garden's tiny, 30 ftx16ft.So not alot of excitment. Had a few female Sparrowhawks visit in the winter, just perched there enduring the drizzle.BUT today wow, as Simon Barnes would say.
I've only ever seen a Sparrowhawk attack at Slimbridge 6 yrs ago.
Today I saw one in my tiny plot and I'm chuffed to ...........bits.
Watching out the kitchen window feeding our new baby when I start yelling "Male Sparrowhawk,wow, male sparrowhawk!"
Wife Kim says "Calm down,calm down."
Baby William goes, slurp,slurp.
Why do I find this so exciting when everyone else I tell feels sorry for the prey species? After all no-one feels sorry for a worm or a caterpillar.
I'm so happy after all the years of watchng out the window some real action. :bounce:

Nothing like the thrill of a kill!! Sparrowhawks are good but they'll never rival Peregrine attacks!!
Plant a good blackthorn in your garden...that'll protect the little buggers!
That's what I did...40 or 50 sparrows sitting in the depths of it laughing at the Sparrowhawk....ahhh, entertainment!

Regards,

It certainly is an awesome sight. I watched a female sparrowhawk eating a collared dove once in the garden. Also seen one whizz past my window literally just a couple of feet in front of me going after a wood pigeon. Another good sight was watching a peregrine down in Devon eating its kill.

Sparrowhawks are frequent visitors to our garden. One about just now. Their aerial agility in confined areas is stunning.

http://rafikiphoto.fotopic.net/p6728272.html (warning: some may find this one upsetting)

http://rafikiphoto.fotopic.net/p7706846.html (This one's ok)

Lovely photos rafiki,had a quick look just now. I'll have a good browse later tonight when little 'uns are all tucked up in bed.
Another chase I enjoyed was in Fuerteventura in 2000.Watching a Great Grey Shrike* chasing after a Berthelot's Pipit. Didn't see the outcome of that one.

*it was probably a Southern Grey Shrike, but at the time I called them all Great greys cos it didn't matter to me about splitting species & all that. I just like to enjoy the spectacle.

I keep misssing out here, the best one was Pigeon taken out right behind me as I was watering the garden, the neighbours saw it, but a couple of weeks later it tried for a chaffinch but ended up tangled up with the bird table, turned around after spotting me and scarpered up and away over the house. The doves and woodies seem to be their favourite food supply, and I have yet to see success in this garden, but then I do have the Blackthorn and Hawthorn that have been clipped to form a very dense thicket, and I have seen the spudgies thumbing their beaks at him!

What a coincidence, the same just happened to me this morning. I went upstairs to tell my wife, who would normally be quite excited..."nice" was all I got back.

How they negotiate all the garden clutter, swing, trees, washing line, brilliant!

Am taking the swing down this winter, will give a lot more space to everyone. Next spring I MUST move my shed and dig out the pond I want.


Rob