Sparrowhawks are small birds of prey. They’re adapted for hunting birds in confined spaces like dense woodland, so gardens are ideal hunting grounds for them. The sparrowhawk is the bird of prey you’re most likely to see in your garden. They are sometimes confused with kestrels (which have dark eyes), merlins (which are birds of open country) and goshawks (which are far rarer and very shy).
This was in Dad’s garden and had just killed (probably) a sparrow – it’s quite hard to tell from the remains what it was. He took this photo.
The whooper swan is a large white swan, bigger than a Bewick’s swan. It has a long thin neck, which it usually holds erect, and black legs. Its black bill has a large triangular patch of yellow on it. This one was chillin’ at Leeds Castle.
I do like a Robin. A lot of people’s favourite I reckon…
The wood warbler gets its name from the trilling song performed by the male with gusto, head raised, bright yellow throat puffed out and body all aquiver. The scientific name ‘sibilatrix’ means the whistler. It is the largest leaf warbler in Europe and is easily confused with other leaf warblers such as the chiffchaff and the willow warbler.
I don’t really fancy pigeons, but this one was handsome.
Raided the archives just because I can. Taken at Kearsney Abbey, where I proposed. We ate chicken.