A sparrow and a tit feeding in the back garden – I’m worn out filling the feeders!
It was the screeches that told me something was wrong outside. I’ve found it hard to keep the bird feeder in the back garden filled – blue tits and sparrows empty the two feeders almost as soon as I replenish them – a pair of collared doves and a few pidgeons clean up any grain that lands on the ground below.
One evening over the weekend, it was starlings that were making the noise. I glanced out the patio door and saw the sky filled with starlings flying about chaotically, and screeching. Now, starlings make plenty of different sounds but this was the sound of distress and alarm. The sparrowhawk was back ! As I looked outside (it was about 8.30 pm), the sparrowhawk flew into the garden, flapped about a bit searching for any birds and then alighted on the very same branch on which I took his picture almost 2 years ago. After a few seconds, he flew off again, sending even more startlings wheeling into the sky.
Update (since I wrote the above bit, anyway): On Thursday night, I was refilling the bird-feeder after getting home from work. It was teeming rain, so there were no birds in sight. The sparrowhawk slowly cruised overhead, before taking evasive action as two starlings dived to intercept it, screeching madly. Twice in a week – hopefully, the hawk will show up over the weekend when I have a camera ready.