Sparrowhawk

[JIMCCS]

This is becoming a regular visitor to the garden.....
[attachimg=1]
Sorry for the crap picture but it`s taken from behind a window.

[Fishtales]

Going by the feathers she has had a successful hunt.

[Otter Spotter]

Nice one Jim. I got one flicking about my garden in suburbia too!
If thats a regular stopping spot for her you have a great opportunity for some cracking pictures. Good to see that you are finding your way around the new camera 

[Fishtales]

Aye, I think we`re unintentionally feeding her by way of the bird feeders in the garden.

Move the feeders so that they are in or near a bit of cover. We have a couple that try in our garden but the only birds I've seen them get are the pigeons, although one nearly had a blackie if it hadn't dropped between the fence and the conservatory. They sit on the roof of the flats on the other side of the road watching between our house and next doors at the feeders in the trees in our back garden. They normally hunt along the backs just above the fences hoping to catch an unwary bird. I have watched them fly over and cast an eye over the place and then just carry on. As I see it we are supplying a feeding station and they are using it as such

[Highlander]

My garden, seems to be on a feeding run for a local Sparrow Hawk. We are part of a long line of semi detached houses with similar sized gardens at the rear. It has had at least three birds that I know of in the last few years & yes there is a bird table.
First one was a Blackbird then a Starling right off my roof hut & lastly a Magpie which my son saw out the bedroom window. The last was as big as the Sparrow Hawk. Now I have three but must have been more than a few more that I have not seen. You know when it is around as the local birds go mental & I have seen the crows mobbing it.
Tight Lines
PS: Would you belive it, just as we are talking about & it visits my garden this afternoon. No kill this time & was seen off by two crows. One thing I did notice was that the Sparrows & Starlings simply just disappeared.

[corsican dave]

nice shot Jim!

our bird table's a bit different: attracts the local squirrels:[attachimg=1]

problem with that is it attracts a different kind of predator! squirrel kebab, anyone?
i know there are pine martens in the immediate area, but i've not seen one yet. could this be?

[hopper]

I may have attached this photo before from last year but as we are discussing sparrowhawks and lunch.

[attachimg=1]

Ahh breakfast
[attachimg=2]

Taken from the bird feeder below the flowering cherry tree, I haven't seen it all winter until this week when I saw it sitting in the hedge eyeing things up. We all have to eat

[Wildfisher]

That's one woodpecker who has pecked his last. 

[Inchlaggan]

Dave- if you are putting peanuts on an open bird table I would have expected that to attract pine martens and that you would have seen them there.
Or you could follow Lord Burton's example and blame red kites-

http://news.stv.tv/north/132294-lord-claims-red-kites-are-killing-red-squirrels/

[Wildfisher]

Or you could follow Lord Burton's example and blame red kites-

I'm surprised raptors have any time to kill red squirrels  being that they are preoccupied with carrying off and devouring small children most of the time