Our woodland enclave is the natural habitat for a sparrowhawk. Tonight an impressive young female was spotted, through binoculars, perching high on a telegraph pole taking a breather. Larger than her male counterpart, she is distinguished by a pale grey line over the eye just below her slate skull cap. She has a barred grey and white breast. Famed for their dexterity & manoeuvrability in tight spaces, they are impressive predators. A few weeks ago, relaxing by the birdtable with a cup of coffee, we witnessed a sparrowhawk hunting at close range. Swooping low from the telephone wire; flipping diagonally onto the wing, like Maverick in 'Top Gun', the sparrowhawk brazenly abducted a baby cole tit from the bird table just two metres away. The speed and focus were breathtaking. Now that's a hunter in his prime!
Our other close encounter was with a young, female green woodpecker. Inspecting the veg in an old walled garden, we were alerted by indignant squarks to the plight of a bright woodpecker trapped under the strawberry netting. Tempted by a supper of strawberries the bird had crawled under the net to feast on the fruit. Protesting wildly, she allowed us to pick her up and painstakingly release her wing, feet and claws from the tangle. Free from her shackles she swooped upwards to perch on the bough of an apple tree. Dishevelled and weary she called across the garden for her mother. Her shrill song filled the air as it bounced, in descending order, over the notes.
