Sparrowhawks

Alex90 · #1 (**permalink**) 24-10-2010, 01:46 PM

Hi all,

I was hoping i might be able to find out some further info on the behaviour of sparrowhawks in an effort to photograph them within our grounds.

Twice now in under a week i have seen a sparrowhawk fly past the front of the house and across into our woods, so my question is are they birds of habit? will they follow a similar flight path every day?

I know they nested in the our woods this year and last year but until recently havent seen them very much. i'd imagine it will become even easier as the leaves begin to fall.

Obviously they hunt small birds which we have in abundance throughout the grounds, is there a particular species they have a preference to catching?

any advice much appreciated, this is a species i'd dearly love to photograph.

Alex

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 24-10-2010, 04:12 PM

They can often use similar hunting routes but they are not restricted to these. They often hunt in several areas, it is best to check these wider areas rather early morning for activity. Early spring is a good time to see displaying birs, at the moment there are lots of birds as plenty of this years young are around. Areas which have high small/medium sized bird abundance are worth checking. They are not specific on their diet although males usually take smaller prey like sparrows, dunnocks, tits etc and females take thrushes, doves etc, this again is not always the case.

faz · #3 (**permalink**) 24-10-2010, 08:08 PM

as above they are creatures of habit so time of the hunt aswell

Alex90 · #4 (**permalink**) 25-10-2010, 05:20 PM

How about perches? are they prone to using the sam one regularly or do they just land any old place?

Reason i ask is this morning there was a sparrowhawk out the front on top of the terrace. it sat there for 5 minutes or so but as i was workingi couldnt grab the camera

faz · #5 (**permalink**) 25-10-2010, 05:23 PM

they have a favorite plucking post if you could find that you will know when you have as ther will be lots of feathers around

shenk1 · #6 (**permalink**) 25-10-2010, 05:29 PM

The one we used to get regularly used the same perch for a week or two then moved on to another.Perhaps after a while the birds get wise to it so they move to outsmart them

Brocakat · #7 (**permalink**) 26-10-2010, 06:19 PM

If they get to know that a farm has a plentiful supply of "spadgers" ( & that is more likely where there is easily available grain or similar beast-fodder), I'm sure that they will remember to include that particular farm on one of their 'routes' .
Same thing in relation to a series of Gardens with handy bird-feeders etc. etc. there.

As shenk 1 relates, the predator will have to vary its route & revise it as time goes on.