Sparrow Hawks

[Diabalo]

Had a Sparrow Hawk in the garden yesterday evening, today I have seen hardly any garden birds when I normally see a lot. Are they savvy enough to keep their heads down if a Sprrow Hawk has been around? Plenty of Swifts in aerial combat tho.

 

[Figaro]

Oh yes, they know when danger is about

 

[denisejoe]

Had the same a few years ago sparrow hawk trying to get the sparrows out of a hedge and the small birds have only returned this year

 

[Figaro]

I'm surprised at that, mine usually come back half an hour after the sparrow hawk has cleared off.
It's not a regular visitor so perhaps the sparrows know when it's ok to return ?

 

[AndyPK]

Yes - after the hawk has taken a starling from our feeder, the others are back as soon as it has finished de-feathering it on the ground, and flown off with the carcass……..
Also, you can tell when a Sparrowhawk is about by the way the birds will suddenly look-up…..and then disappear!

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[Ninjabob]

The garden birds don't stand a chance!

 

[Ninjabob]

Great BBC video:

 

[Despicable]

We have a sparrow hawk, who we nickname 'Sparky', that visits our garden every 2 or 3 days. Its success rate in our garden is quite low, possibly down to the number of other birds around all keeping their eyes open for the little chap.

 

[Wanderlust]

We have female that visits our back garden and quite enjoys pigeon, especially the heart/liver tends to leave the rest.

 

[gpat]

They are more common than a lot of people think. They have made a comeback since garden birds made a comeback....which I guess makes sense.

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[Hirsch]

In our previous house I couldn't work out why I kept seeing an imprint of a pigeon on the windows. That is until I saw the kill.

Very impressive.

I used to see one where we are now but not so much lately and this is undoubtedly the best year of 6 for attracting garden birds to feed.

 

[makems]

Had a Sparrow Hawk in the garden yesterday evening, today I have seen hardly any garden birds when I normally see a lot. Are they savvy enough to keep their heads down if a Sprrow Hawk has been around? Plenty of Swifts in aerial combat tho.

Other birds do know when sparrow hawks are about. Our next door neighbour breeds fancy finches and has an extensive aviary with significant protection against sparrow hawks which regularly fly over our gardens. Sparrowhawks like to investigate his aviary and sometimes sit on the roof. On a normal day we can just about hear the finches cheeping away but they shut up completely when the sparrow hawk is about.
At our last house we were sitting on our patio with our backs to the laurel hedge. All of a sudden there was an almighty kerfuffle and moments later a sparrow hawk appeared out of the laurels with a small bird in its claws. It passed only inches over our heads and set off like a rocket.

 

[hja]

Sparrow hawks are not uncommon visitors to the garden, sometimes taking a wood pigeon (yes!, I hate pigeons)
Over the last few days we have been regularly hearing a sparrow hawk so we are wondering if there is a nest not too far away. It took me a while to work out what the cry was, but between the Merlin app and rspb web site I sorted it.
A lack of birds for a day unless regularly after the sparrow hawk might be to do with the hot weather.

 

[Simon Meadwell]

Saw a sparrow hawk take a swift in flight once anazing to see . We have one occasionally but not seen for a while