Becoming a regular visitor now

[Barbara]

Looks like this sparrowhawk is now becoming a regular visitor to my garden and I'm not impressed, I work during the week but over the past few weekends I have seen him/her on both days sometimes he lands but he also just swoops in from nowhere into the bushes at the front and to the side of my hide. I guess this is a downside to attracting birds to my garden only for them to be easy pickings for this sparrowhawk. There is plenty of cover for the birds to hide and thankfully I have never actually seen him catch one

[Alan]

Nice pic Barbara, well caught. Looks like a juvenile.

It may move on soon enough, so I'd make the most of it and get snapping!

Alan

[Ollie]

Nice photo Barbara. I suppose that is the downside of attracting the birds Barbara. As you say there is plenty of cover for the smaller birds and I doubt if it will catch many of them, it will probably stop visiting if it has many fruitless visits. This is nature though and the way I look at it is it will catch it's prey whatever, be it in your garden or elswhere, so if it does get one of the birds in your garden you have probably saved the life of one somewhere else.
Roger

[Barbara]

Originally Posted by Alan

Nice pic Barbara, well caught. Looks like a juvenile.

It may move on soon enough, so I'd make the most of it and get snapping!

Alan

Thanks Alan, Oh I do hope it does move on, it's nice to see one at first but when it keeps coming back it gets a bit worrying. You say it looks like a juvenile well it's funny you should mention that because I have some pics of the back of it's head and I can see white feathers so that may explain it. I will make the most of it while it's visiting and if it doesn't go soon then I will have give it a kick up the

[Barbara]

Originally Posted by Ollie

Nice photo Barbara. I suppose that is the downside of attracting the birds Barbara. As you say there is plenty of cover for the smaller birds and I doubt if it will catch many of them, it will probably stop visiting if it has many fruitless visits. This is nature though and the way I look at it is it will catch it's prey whatever, be it in your garden or elswhere, so if it does get one of the birds in your garden you have probably saved the life of one somewhere else.
Roger

Thanks Roger, you have a good point there Roger, I hadn't thought of that and I suppose it does have to eat

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Barbara

You say it looks like a juvenile well it's funny you should mention that because I have some pics of the back of it's head and I can see white feathers so that may explain it. I will make the most of it while it's visiting and if it doesn't go soon then I will have give it a kick up the

It's often hard to tell the sexes apart at the 1st year juvenile stage, as both sexes are have brownish streaking. On the whole though, males are a lot more rufous than females, so this one is probably a male. Never can be sure unless you have a good idea of size though..

If you can catch it to give it a kick-up.. you must be a quick'un

[Barbara]

Originally Posted by Alan

It's often hard to tell the sexes apart at the 1st year juvenile stage, as both sexes are have brownish streaking. On the whole though, males are a lot more rufous than females, so this one is probably a male. Never can be sure unless you have a good idea of size though..

If you can catch it to give it a kick-up.. you must be a quick'un

Ha ha well I always wear my trainers when I'm in the hide so I will just have to run at it screaming but then I'll probably scare it and the others garden visitors off as well

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

It's funny how different people have differing attitudes towards birds of prey, to me having a regular Sparrowhawk visitor is a great thing i'm sure we do, but i'm not hear all that often to see them although i see them at work a fair bit.

I'm a great believer that all Birds have there place, and the Sparrowhawk mopping up old/slow/stupid birds is what they are put on the planet for

[Barbara]

Originally Posted by Lincs Yellowbelly

It's funny how different people have differing attitudes towards birds of prey, to me having a regular Sparrowhawk visitor is a great thing i'm sure we do, but i'm not hear all that often to see them although i see them at work a fair bit.

Well you are quite welcome to mine with pleasure Lincs Yellowbelly I do love birds of prey and love to see them when I am out and about, but I prefer to see them away from my garden. I attracted birds to my garden and then later they brought their young I hate to think that the Sparrowhawk may catch them for food, I know it's nature. I was quite taken aback when it first appeared I thought it was great and kept looking out of the patio doors for it but then I thought of the consequences of it returning regularly

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Originally Posted by Barbara

Well you are quite welcome to mine with pleasure Lincs Yellowbelly I do love birds of prey and love to see them when I am out and about, but I prefer to see them away from my garden. I attracted birds to my garden and then later they brought their young I hate to think that the Sparrowhawk may catch them for food, I know it's nature. I was quite taken aback when it first appeared I thought it was great and kept looking out of the patio doors for it but then I thought of the consequences of it returning regularly

Try to look at it this way, Blue Tits for example have an average of 5-7 young a year, now there are 3.5M pairs of Blue tits according to the RSPB. If every youngster and adult survied that would make around 15M Blue tits, something has got to happen to reduce the number back to a good average. Obviously the cold weather takes its fair share but the Sparrowhawk is also there to help maintain the population

Like i say everyone has there own views, it certainly wont dent the numbers of birds coming to your garden

P.S, sorry if that sounds like a lesson

[Barbara]

Originally Posted by Lincs Yellowbelly

Try to look at it this way, Blue Tits for example have an average of 5-7 young a year, now there are 3.5M pairs of Blue tits according to the RSPB. If every youngster and adult survied that would make around 15M Blue tits, something has got to happen to reduce the number back to a good average. Obviously the cold weather takes its fair share but the Sparrowhawk is also there to help maintain the population

Like i say everyone has there own views, it certainly wont dent the numbers of birds coming to your garden

P.S, sorry if that sounds like a lesson

I'll let you off, your trying to convert me aren't you alright I hear what you say, but look at it this way, if a Sparrowhawk came and picked off the birds one by one from your garden, birds which you had fed everyday and took a lot of pleasure in feeding, watering, watched preening and squabbling, wouldn't you feel a little twinge of sadness

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Originally Posted by Barbara

I'll let you off, your trying to convert me aren't you alright I hear what you say, but look at it this way, if a Sparrowhawk came and picked off the birds one by one from your garden, birds which you had fed everyday and took a lot of pleasure in feeding, watering, watched preening and squabbling, wouldn't you feel a little twinge of sadness

Yes, obviously everyone would feel a little sad, but then i'd feel happy knowing that the Sparrowhawk had eaten

I think i just love the creatures that people seem not to, Sparrowhawks, Magpie, Starling etc

[Barbara]

Originally Posted by Lincs Yellowbelly

Yes, obviously everyone would feel a little sad, but then i'd feel happy knowing that the Sparrowhawk had eaten

I think i just love the creatures that people seem not to, Sparrowhawks, Magpie, Starling etc

Each to their own, I don't have a problem with that, okay then, shall we agree to disagree and remain friends

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Originally Posted by Barbara

Each to their own, I don't have a problem with that, okay then, shall we agree to disagree and remain friends

Sounds good to me

[mrs fish]

I could send you our local gulls, they will not let the sparrowhawk into the area
I don't really understand why not, it's not like they eat the same?

[Wolfhill]

We had a Sparrowhawk in our garden every day for about 2 months in the summer. It was a male that visited several times a day, and seemed to catch its fair share of Sparrows. I see where Barbara is coming from as it is sad when you see the birds you are feeding getting caught by a Sparrowhawk before your own eyes. On the other hand I also felt priveledged to have such a magnificent bird in my garden. When it was hunthing in my garden it wouldn't always catch something when a sparrow got away, I would think yes!! then I would think ohh poor Sparrowhawk is going hungry lol. In then end I made the most of it by setting up a hide in my back garden(which I spent hours in lol) photographing this beautiful bird on my rowan tree covered in berries. In the end it did stop coming, it must have moved on to somewhere else where there were easier pickings.

[Boddie]

Originally Posted by Barbara

Looks like this sparrowhawk is now becoming a regular visitor to my garden and I'm not impressed, I work during the week but over the past few weekends I have seen him/her on both days sometimes he lands but he also just swoops in from nowhere into the bushes at the front and to the side of my hide. I guess this is a downside to attracting birds to my garden only for them to be easy pickings for this sparrowhawk. There is plenty of cover for the birds to hide and thankfully I have never actually seen him catch one

I would swap your sparrowhawk for all of the squirrels I get here. There are far too many of them and I feel they keep the birds away to some extent, and usually demolish any food I leave out for the birds. A sparrowhawk would be a welcome change

[Wolfhill]

Now there's me saying that I haven't seen the Sparrowhawk in my garden in months, so I go downstairs and what do I see out the kitchen window the male Sparrowhawk twice in 30 mins. If it has a large white mark on the back of it's head does this mean it is probably a 1st year juvenile?

[Barbara]

Originally Posted by Boddie

I would swap your sparrowhawk for all of the squirrels I get here. There are far too many of them and I feel they keep the birds away to some extent, and usually demolish any food I leave out for the birds. A sparrowhawk would be a welcome change

Oh well it looks like I am becoming converted. I have taken all the comments on board and agree it's nature and the Sparrowhawk has to eat to survive, be it from my garden or someone elses.

As for the squirrels, I watch as they practice their acrobatics in the large trees at the back of the garden then do it for real once they arrive at my feeders. I'm forever having to rebuild my perches and yes I agree with you Andrew they do scare the birds off. I have also noticed that when the Sparrowhawk is around the squirrels play a game of statues until the danger has passed. I was wondering would the Sparrowhawk ever attempt to catch a squirrel?

[Barbara]

Originally Posted by Wolfhill

Now there's me saying that I haven't seen the Sparrowhawk in my garden in months, so I go downstairs and what do I see out the kitchen window the male Sparrowhawk twice in 30 mins. If it has a large white mark on the back of it's head does this mean it is probably a 1st year juvenile?

Wow isn't that wierd Fergus after not seeing one for months. The one in my garden has a large white mark at the back of it's head too, perhaps it is the same one . It must have read my first comment on this thread, took offence and took flight

[scholesy]

Barbara, you should be pleased you have a sparrowhawk vising and hunting around your garden. Its telling you that you are doing a good job, with regards your feeding of the other garden birds. Your garden is a healthy one.

A sparrowhawk is a beautiful bird too, perfect hunter. I have seen one in my garden a 2 occasions perched in a tree and was thrilled, although those shightings were last winter. An attemped swoop for a collard dove a while ago was the last time I saw one in my garden. It was a failed attempt. I often see one around the area, up high circling.

[Barbara]

Originally Posted by scholesy

Barbara, you should be pleased you have a sparrowhawk vising and hunting around your garden. Its telling you that you are doing a good job, with regards your feeding of the other garden birds. Your garden is a healthy one.

A sparrowhawk is a beautiful bird too, perfect hunter. I have seen one in my garden a 2 occasions perched in a tree and was thrilled, although those shightings were last winter. An attemped swoop for a collard dove a while ago was the last time I saw one in my garden. It was a failed attempt. I often see one around the area, up high circling.

I realise that now scholesy and yes I agree it is a beautiful bird and one which I should appreciate while I can. and thankyou for your kind words about my garden