Hungry Sparrowhawk Postcard by Welshpixels

Hungry Sparrowhawk Postcard by Welshpixels
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Top 10 Postcards Views October 10, 2009

This is a wild sparrowhawk. They use ambush as their method of hunting. It's a very fast, agile and nimble bird and is quite difficult to spot. I couldn't believe my luck when I came across this one, and I'm happy to say that he didn't finish his meal and the unfortunate bird did get away and survive. 

Sparrowhawk and Prey by Welshpixels

Sparrowhawk and Prey by Welshpixels
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The sparrowhawk is a secretive and solitary hunter. It favours woodland where it hunts along the woodland edges and clearings. It is highly manoeverable. It usually takes small birds such as chaffinch, yellowhammer and great tit. This is a male and has just caught a moorhen. Quarry is eaten on the ground or on a stump, the hawk standing with both feet on its victim, drooping wings to form a tent and spreading its tail as if to give support. As seen here. I'm happy to say it survived.