Help, please, with identification (1 Viewer)

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peckey

Peckey

• Jun 20, 2004

• #1

We often have a sparrowhawk visit our garden but last night I managed to get a photo of the attached.
The light was not very good, I'm afraid.
Is it a young sparrowhawk? It doesn't look like the adult one that I've never been able to photograph.

 

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Michael Frankis

conehead

• Jun 20, 2004

• #2

Yep, Sparrowhawk, tho' I'd say probably an adult female. If the one you saw before was orangey on the front, it was a male. The females are also quite a bit larger than the males.

Michael

 

IanF

Moderator

• Jun 20, 2004

• #3

Hi Peckey,

Congratulations on the sighting and in getting such a great photo of the Sparrowhawk. It's a while since we had one land in the garden. Of late they are doing fly-throughs or simply seen overhead. I have an almost exact same shot as yours from a couple if years back - again of a female. They are a superb bird to get as garden visitors.

 

Euan Buchan

The Edinburgh Birdwatcher

Supporter

• Jun 20, 2004

• #4

I have only had one Sparrowhawk in my garden

 

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Zulu Merula

Blackbird's Momma!

• Jun 20, 2004

• #5

Wow, I've never seen a sparrowhawk perch in my garden like this- we do have them in the area hunting though, I saw one last night just after I heard all the blackbirds doing a little whistle, which I have noticed they do to warn of danger as well as their rattling and chacking alarm calls.

 

G

goplaces

Bob D

• Jun 20, 2004

• #6

peckey said:

We often have a sparrowhawk visit our garden but last night I managed to get a photo of the attached.
The light was not very good, I'm afraid.
Is it a young sparrowhawk? It doesn't look like the adult one that I've never been able to photograph.

Click to expand...

Excellent picture Pecky, I have one that visits my garden, unfortunately it took a young great tit perched on a tree right in front of my eyes on Wednesday. Wish I could get a photo of it.

 

P

peckey

Peckey

• Jun 20, 2004

• #7

Very many thanks to all who have replied.
I have very mixed feelings about the sparrowhawk - I just wish they hadn't been programmed to take small birds.

 

pauco

Старлин&

• Jun 20, 2004

• #8

peckey said:

Very many thanks to all who have replied.
I have very mixed feelings about the sparrowhawk - I just wish they hadn't been programmed to take small birds.

Click to expand...

Peckey, just think of it this way, those small birds that survive carry stronger gene's to the next generation. And the sick & weak keep a strong raptor population, natures way.
bert.

 

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GAZ

Member

• Jul 7, 2004

• #9

Peckey

Good photo - I am doing a Open Uni course in Environmental studies and last year did an excercise on food chains which calculated what it takes to rear a clutch of sparrowhawk chicks - you know Sparrowhawks eat great tits which eat caterpillars which eat oak leaves the figures were remarkable - literraly tonnes of leaves

Food for thought - One reason you were able to get your photo was the success of the food chain and the abundancy of great tits etc you're helping this by feeding the 'little ones' - this can only be good

Gaz