14 MAY 2025 – SPARROWHAWK IN THE GARDEN

I’ve observed Sparrowhawks in the garden on many occasions - indeed forty individual sightings in or from the garden since 2006 - but never like the one I witnessed today. Indeed, the only photographs I’d managed to achieve were through the kitchen window. But this time I was actually ‘on the spot’ when the Sparrowhawk flew in.

I was in the back garden spraying some unwanted weeds (around 9.40 a.m.) when suddenly I became aware of a commotion of birds’ distress calls, and stood up only to have a ‘dark’ bird literally brush my scalp, and land at the bottom of the garden beside the birdbath, with a screaming juvenile Starling clutched firmly in its claws. It was a Sparrowhawk - a male.

I rushed into the house to grab my camera, and when I got back, I was able to fire off a few shots - just for ‘insurance purposes’ - in case the Sparrowhawk flew off. But it didn’t. So, I pushed my luck and attempted to get closer and closer - with the camera and 100-400 mm telephoto lens poised accordingly - until I was within a mere few feet of the bird, with the Starling still very much alive, and flapping its wings vigorously, trying to get away from the hawk’s iron-grip.

The Sparrowhawk didn’t seem to know what to do with the Starling, and in fact it was only towards the end of the observation that the hawk began to pluck the poor Starling’s feathers; but throughout this time the poor thing was very much alive, occasionally flapping its wings vigorously in a vain attempt to escape, whilst calling distressfully. Normally, I would have assumed that the bird was maybe a first summer male, and inexperienced in dealing with prey; but it was in full summer plumage, so was very probably an adult male - so maybe it was confused because of my presence.

The hawk made several unsuccessful attempts to fly off with its prey, until eventually it managed to do so, and flew into my neighbour’s garden and into dense bush cover, and out of sight.

I was initially under the impression that the entire episode (from start to finish) lasted about 20 minutes, with sixty-five images taken, but the EXIF details on the images themselves, indicate that it was a mere 8 minutes in total. Quite unbelievable!