This weekend... watch out for a hunter

Early autumn is a really good time to watch out for a very special bird in your garden.

Young sparrowhawks are striking out on their own into the big, wide world and we get a lot of queries about mystery birds of prey seen in gardens. Roughly 90 per cent of the time, they turn out to be sparrowhawks. If you're not sure if you've seen a sparrowhawk, check out our identification page.

Some people aren't fond of seeing these predators in their garden. As the cliche goes, nature is red in tooth (or beak) and claw and sometimes that can be a bit too close to home.

When I'm lucky enough to see a sparrowhawk, I wish it good luck. Only 10 per cent of its hunting attempts will be successful!

Being an effective hunter is never easy. And it's even more difficult if you're a young bird which doesn't have the benefit of experience. Only 34 per cent of sparrowhawks hatched this year will see their first birthday next spring, and lack of hunting know-how plays a large part in that.

Seen well, a sparrowhawk is a magnificent, beautiful bird. But all too often, this is the kind of view you get, as they whizz out of sight!

Tell us if you've had an encounter with a hunter recently - please leave a comment!

• You might have read about the birds of prey that were poisoned in Devon recently - four goshawks (the sparrowhawk's bigger cousin) and a buzzard. For some people, old-fashioned attitudes to birds of prey die hard, it seems. And a report out two days ago listed four golden eagles among birds killed in Scotland last year. If this makes you angry, please consider making a donation to our bird of prey appeal. Thankyou.