The driveway to our house is bordered by a high and dense, dark green and unkempt holly hedge that provides a refuge and safe roosting place for the local House Sparrows and Starlings. In the late afternoon the sparrows congregate deep in the hedge chirping loudly to themselves and the starlings come in from the surrounding fields where they have been feeding and perch in the top of the hedge to murmur and reminisce on the day.
Suddenly both sparrows and starlings fall silent and they drop deeper into the green density of the hedge. A Blue Tit's distinctive high trilling note, only ever issued when a winged predator is about, has alerted them to danger. An ornithological early warning system if you like.
It is usually a Sparrowhawk that is the threat. A skilled avian flier whose mode of hunting is a high speed attack involving supreme manoeuvrability and surprise. They can travel at speeds in excess of 30mph, often inches from the ground, using hedges, fences, houses and walls to conceal their high speed approach and Kingham, the village where I live, provides ample cover for such a strategy.
Today the Sparrowhawk comes from behind the holly hedge and hurtles over it, sweeping down the drive to seize a male Blackbird that has been too slow to heed the alarm calls. The Blackbird is encompassed in long thin, sulphur yellow toes tipped with needle sharp black claws. With its prey pinned to the ground the hawk mantles over it with outspread wings, gasping with open hooked bill, recovering breath from its exertions.
Sometimes it will eat its prey where it has struck it to the ground but today it decides to seek a more secluded spot to kill, pluck and eat the unfortunate Blackbird.
All is quiet in the hedge for some minutes after the hawk has departed and then the starlings and sparrows recommence their chattering. This daily ritual of sudden death forgotten almost as quickly as it arrived.
They are safe now until tomorrow when it will all start again.
Beautiful.
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