My Little Urban Assassin

[alan behenna]

In an urban area here, but there are "some" trees and "some" grassed areas, not much in the way of wildlife though, there has been the (very) rare Hedgehog spotted on the front lawn a time or two.

Bird life seems to be all the wrong kind, Seagulls, Crows, Wood-pigeon' and the occasional Ringed Dove. Small birds are almost non-existent, the cat from hell lives just next door.

At the start of the long (three months ) drought here, two large seed feeders were hung from the back fence, filled with seed and the front bird bath was kept full. For the entire drought period no small birds were seen on the feeders and the seed levels never moved.

Last week I noticed the seed levels were suddenly reducing and then discovered they were being visited by a motely' crew of 6/8 house sparrows, never staying long but getting stuck in.

Progress of a kind then, but no other small birds seen.

Well, it appears I was not the only one who had picked up on the sparrows! Last Friday, the sparrows hit the feeders for their "daily", in the early half light this time. It all happened in a split second, suddenly they "exploded" in a panic of a starburst, there was a fast blur of motion along the side of the garage wall and a small Sparrow Hawk braked hard at the feeders and talons out for a sparrow grab. Missed the strike though, the flight path is restricted and it had to go under a wash line to brake/flare at the feeders.

The sparrows ain't been seen returning as yet. I don't see them leaving full feeders all winter though. Maybe Al ought to take that washing line/flight path obstruction down.

Good to know what "can" be around you on occasion!

[Mike J]

Coincidently 'my' sparrows were visited by a male sparrowhawk yesterday evening while we where having dinner.
As normal the gang of sparrows had gone to roost in the my ivy clad hedge, first sprwk dived in from the opposite side then looped over the top and dissapeared into the side face us, much scrabbling and shaking and out it came with supper!

For the past two years I have my feeder positioned where it is overhung by a rose covered pergola, this allows the gang to disappear within the rose briars in a flash when sprawky arrives, so he has adapted his tactics to these smash and grab twilight attacks.
Sprawy is a male, the smaller of the pair, his lady is larger and feeds from my neighbours dove cote or the wild population of collared doves.

Also have a pet hedgehog (Hedgie) that drinks from my bird bath, the silly thing blundered into my squirrel trap the other day, released into a big cardboard box it spent a while eating a handful of worms from my wormery, had a couple of drinks then went to sleep before being released in the cool of the evening, it lives under a habitat pile in the corner of the garden along with a colony of stag beetles.