MORNING WALK INTO YEOVIL AND AFTERNOON GARDEN WATCH
WEATHER: dull and overcast, lots of rain with ocassional dry spells. Temp 12C
After yesterday's long birding day I decided to give it a rest today, the only birding done was whilst I walked into Yeovil and a few minutes in the garden when I got back.
My walk into Yeovil was via Barwick House and Ninesprings Country Park, none of which produced anything exciting. It was good to see the family parties of Moorhens, Little Grebes and Mallards on the lake at Barwick and I saw my first Dameselfly of the year when a male Beautiful Demiselle Damselfly flew along a hedge near the lake.
dramatic dark clouds looming over Barwick, I think it might rain.
It started to rain as I got into Ninesprings which curtailed any planned birding, I just walked staright through and into town. The bank was closed due a techinal on-line problem so I had wasted a journey, luckily Dawn was in town too and she gave me a lift home.
I had some drama back at home in the garden when I got back. I was brushing the path when aa loud commotion came from the Blackbirds, I looked up and saw a male Sparrowhawk on the path with a yound Blackbird in its talons!!
The parents and one of its siblings were dashing around the Hawk and making daring swoops at it, trying to free the poor ill-fated fledgling.
The Sparrowhwk took no notice and flew off into the hedge with the bird and ate it. It was a dramtic incident that left me in two minds, should I have rescued the bird? After all, I have watched this family of Blackbirds for the last few weeks now, the parents have worked very hard to keep raise three chicks to almost adult size. Or should I have let nature take its course (which I did)?
What would you have done?
the male Sparrowhawk standing on the unfortunate Blackbird
eating the Blackbird in the hedge
Anyway I am one Blackbird less in the garden and I had wonderful, close up, views of the Sparrowhawk which I don't noramlly get. I did take a video of most of the action if you would like to see it then click this link.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1393525689228345345