Male Sparrowhawk in the garden 29 October.

Sparrowhawks are regular visitors to my Watton garden, and indeed are frequently seen overhead, including displaying in spring.

On the 20th October a male Sparrowhawk entered our garden and took a House Sparrow.  The raptor began to strip its prize of its feathers and then proceeded t consume the Sparrow either in small pieces, or sometimes in larger pieces which were thrown back and eventually swallowed.  After its feed, the Sparrowhawk proceeded to wipe its bill clean on the damp grass, this was followed by the bird sitting still for some time to digest its meal.

The male Sparrowhawk is somewhat smaller than the female of the species, what it lacks in size it makes up in plumage colours.  The upperparts are blue-grey, this contrasts with the reddish barring on the breast and underparts.  The iris is yellow, the cere is yellow as are the long, thin legs.  The vent and undertail feathers are pure white.