A small, feathered figure lands on my garden fence, brimming with a wild intensity that radiates from it like a heat haze on a hot day. Its arrival is announced by a chorus of alarm calls from a flock of long-tailed tits, and the disappearance of all the other birds. Despite the creature’s fragile-looking frame, its reputation as a fierce hunter precedes it: only a sparrowhawk could cause such commotion.
Sparrowhawks are typically elusive creatures, and it’s not every day those piercing yellow eyes fix you in their glare. So, I hold my breath, stand stone-still, and try to extend this encounter for as long as possible. Despite being secretive, they’re birds of opportunity and adaptation, thriving around farmland, in cities, and even gardens - anywhere that they might find their…
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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2024