mikfoz
It's not a competition. Watch the birdy!
Well I don't reckon you can get a much closer encounter than this. I was out in the garden actually not really birding at all as such. I was actually trying to get some decent insect shots with mixed success when I saw a few Bluetits hopping about in the tree about 8 feet away. I was just lazily watching them when something large flew in from my right and landed in the tree I was watching, just missing one of the Bluetits. I couldn't believe my eyes: It was a male Sparrowhawk.
Needless to say, the Bluetits scarpered like lightning. The Sparrowhawk sat in frustration for a few moments before hopping into my apple tree before I could hastily gather up my camera and unhook it from the tripod. There was no chance of getting a good shot of it in the apple tree as the foliage was too dense. Meanwhile the alarm call frenzy was getting into full swing with every bird within a hundred feet going nuts. About 30 seconds later it was off, the game being well and truly up.
I don't know if he had fence-hopped on the off chance or had been silently perching and watching the garden behind me for a while with me unaware of him, but either way it was pretty exciting to see. He certainly didn't seem bothered at all by my presence.
Needless to say, the Bluetits scarpered like lightning. The Sparrowhawk sat in frustration for a few moments before hopping into my apple tree before I could hastily gather up my camera and unhook it from the tripod. There was no chance of getting a good shot of it in the apple tree as the foliage was too dense. Meanwhile the alarm call frenzy was getting into full swing with every bird within a hundred feet going nuts. About 30 seconds later it was off, the game being well and truly up.
I don't know if he had fence-hopped on the off chance or had been silently perching and watching the garden behind me for a while with me unaware of him, but either way it was pretty exciting to see. He certainly didn't seem bothered at all by my presence.
