Nature Notes

Sparrowhawks - readers' sightings

FOLLOWING my article on the sparrowhawk I have been contacted by Robert James of Lee, near Ilfracombe and Richard Huxtable, of Beaford.

• A sparrowhawk photographed by Beaford resident Richard Huxtable

• A sparrowhawk in a garden at Lee, Ilfracombe. By Robert James

Robert tells me his garden is often 'inspected' by these swift-flying fearless raptors. And well they might, for his doubtless large garden draws in a large and rich variety of birds,including - and he has sent me photos to prove it - yellow hammers! He regularly feeds visiting foxes and, recently, five badgers. Photos of these to follow he says ...

Richard Huxtable has also seen some sparrow hawks and said:

"We are regularly seeing Sparrowhawks circling the village and making off with small birds, even plucking them on a garden tree nearby. "

"Recently the female has been seen sitting on my garden fence. Last Friday she daringly flew down the back of our terrace, which ends in my garage wall, making a right angle turn with washing lines and kids toys everywhere to capture a collared dove with a soft 'Floomp' easily heard indoors. I managed to get a few shots before she took to the air with the dispatched prey swinging gently in one hand."

"Also this afternoon a juvenile Tiercel has turned up!"

Well thank you both for sharing your encounters with our fearless raptor whose catastrophic mid-twentieth century population collapse now seems distant indeed.

• Stewart’s anthology An Exaltation of Skylarks, now with four colour plates added, is published by SMH Books ISBN 978-0-9512619-7-2. It can be ordered from all good bookshops, or directly from www.smh-books.co.uk