Wildlife Cambridge 2021

The glossy ibis is still here!

It is very showy recently, and has been hanging out in the flooded fields by the A14 for the past two weeks. I managed to get much better images of it than before. When the lockdown began I used my exercise time to see wildlife. Currently on the priority list is a place where a goosander's been seen, and a place where very recently a tawny owl has been calling in the city. I treid to search for the goosander but didn't find it. However, as I was returning past a library a bird began moving in the hedges and a brown tail appeared into view. I thought it was a pheasant, but what it really was caused me to swerve off the pavement in surprise. I quickly went over to the other side of the street to give it some space. It was a female sparrowhawk sitting on a pigeon it had killed.

I observed it for some time as it plucked its victim right on the ground, but I have forgotten my memory card and was only able to take five images. During this time the sparrowhawk didn't budge as a car rode past, but suddenly got agitated and flappy as I watched as a family went past. It tried to lift off, still carrying the pigeon, but failed to fly up more than about half a meter. Undeterred, it sped around the corner and down a small alleyway. It chose a compost heap as its perch as I moved to view it. 

This was incredibly surprising. Usually I see birds of prey from hundreds, minimum tens of meters away when it involves the city peregrine pair which live above a traffic light. But briefly the distance between me and the hawk was less than a meter until it seemed both of us surprised each other. I would ahve never have noticed it in the hedges had it not moved its tail off the pavement into the bushes!