Are sparrowhawks boring?
As I wander around the reserve in the early morning, preparing the site for the day, I get the privilege of seeing all sorts of amazing wildlife. A highlight is the female sparrowhawk that like clockwork, zips in front of the Peter Scott Observatory and disappears into the wooded area past the swan funnel when I go to feed the birds their breakfast on the Whooper Pond.
Almost every day I see it here and have been told that it then goes past the Folly Pond, sometimes making a stop on the wall by the car park. In the afternoon, we often see her perched on the fence near the entrance to the Peter Scott Trail.
But what does this mean? Why is she travelling around her territory at such regular times of day? How do these routes play to her strengths?
Is she just a really boring bird with not much going on between her ears who lacks enough creativity to do something new or different?
These questions have been preying on me for a while and so when I got a chance to, I sat down to do some research.
Frustratingly I didn’t actually find answers to my burning questions but did find some interesting stuff out about how they hunt, confirming some suspicions I already had.
Sparrowhawks tend to camp out in a tree or bush, sitting and watching and waiting, swooping in to catch their prey. They utilise their camouflage, going for speed and surprise. By striking with their talons first, they ensure death on impact.
So my thoughts are that as they hunt mostly in the early morning and late afternoon as birds are coming in and out of roosts, sparrowhawks go regularly to their best hunting places. These have dense trees and bushes that they can sit in and they move between these places along familiar routes, travelling from A to B the most direct path (and with the most cover!).
To be honest, even though I didn’t come away with a concrete answer to my question, the feeling of being inspired after noticing something in nature is brilliant and I will keep seeking it out even if I can’t also seek out answers. It encourages me to stay curious and keep asking questions.
Words by Jake Goodwin
Fetaure image of a sparrowhawk in a tree taken by Brain Taylor
