56
Bird watching WITH JOHN ASHTON
bird-feeders. A magnificent SPARROWHAWK had swept over the hedge, snatched a hapless Long-tailed Tit from a small gang and whizzed over the opposite wall,
I
without missing a wing- beat. All that was left were a few desultory feathers floating in the wind. Little do we realise when we put out a feast for our garden- birds that we are also creating a smorgasbord of feathered treats for this dashing predator. A silently hunting Sparrowhawk flies fast and low, skimming the ground, popping over hedges,
recently glanced out at the garden and glimpsed a small explosion of feathers by the
in association with
My drawing of a female Sparrowhawk.
and threading its way between obstacles with twists and turns that exude ease and grace. They will zoom along country lanes below hedge-height and I have even seen one shoot between the bars of a 5-bar gate! The unsuspecting prey is seized in needle- talons and taken to the ground where it is plucked and eaten. The hawk spreads its wings and tail over the victim in a display called “mantling” and is loathe to
leave its quarry, even if it has ended up in the
traffic on a main road. They will take on birds twice their own size and hereabouts seem to have developed a penchant for Wood Pigeon; as demonstrated by the excellent photos from my friend Jane Parrish. Unfortunately, during the
“Mantling” ... Trying to cover a Wood Pigeon.
Portrait of a Sparrowhawk.
fervour of the chase Sparrowhawks are susceptible to crashing into windows and this was the fate that befell both the hawk and the Chaffinch it was pursuing which now grace my bookcase.
The guardian of my bird-books!
Binoculars
www.king–
print.co.uk
Binoculars, Scopes & Astronomical Telescopes Tel: (01548) 856757
www.king-print.co.uk TOP of the TOWN, Fore Street, Kingsbridge, Devon. TQ7 1PP
Plucking a Wood pigeon.
Scopes
Instore, Online or Mobile
Top of the Town, Fore Street, Kingsbridge, Devon. TQ7 1PP Photos Tel: (01548) 856757
Photos by Jane Parrish.
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