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Sparrowhawks in gardens

Ruby bitd
25/04/2023 21:45

I’ve just joined and would like to find out if anyone has any thoughts on the following please: I was in my daughters house yesterday when I looked up and saw a female sparrow hawk perched on the garden fence a few feet from her bird feeders. Obviously the siskins and goldfinches were long gone! The bird sat for probably 10 minutes, allowing the whole family to watch and take some good photos, and seemed utterly unconcerned by us freaking out on the other side of the window. My friend thinks this behaviour indicates the hawk is sick with bird flu because it’s not swooping in and catching birds on the feeder. It didn’t look sick. It’s also the second time I’ve seen this behaviour  in this garden, ( same thing happened a year ago with the bird perching on the children’s sandpit. Only  last time I was alone, and I think everyone thought I’d taken leave of my senses when I told them what I’d seen. Anyone else observed this high speed predator hanging about just watching like this?

  • 25/04/2023 22:34
    Welcome to the forum Ruby...always exciting times when you see a Sparrowhawk show up in the garden..I have had both male and female visit my garden for years...from sitting on the fence to sitting in the pond , to flying right passed my head to catching, plucking and eating another bird. I don't think your sprawk has birdflu just because it sat on the fence for 10 minutes...its very tiring for them swooping in and out trying to catch dinner..perhaps it already swooped and caught and ate its meal next door and was just sitting on the fence digesting it's food..

    We put up feeders which in turn creates like a fly thru McDonalds for Sparrowhawks .

    (Pardon the Scottish Accent)

  • 27/04/2023 18:57
    i guess its free food and no need to use energy
  • 27/04/2023 19:18
    Hello!
    I am from a school from Germany an I need to do a presentation about Barrow Island. For the presentation I want to do an interview with somebody from Barrow Island. (The interview would be Anonymous)
    Have a good day!