July 2019 A Sparrowhawk Season

There is something familiar when watching a particular bird through the breeding season.  The aspects of life seem to go through most species and you can even see this in humans.  The male at the beginning of the season has to be in his prime condition to attract a female, and hold on to a territory.

A Smart male Sparrowhawk in his prime

He must find and get accepted by a female.  In this species there is a large difference in size between the sexes.  The female is a lot bigger than the male.

Female Sparrowhawk

The male does a large part of the nest building.  For weeks he was breaking off twigs and building a nest. Then half way through they abandoned this effort and began building a new one.

Looking for the perfect twigs

 It was great to watch this male in his efforts.  While I was watching he always broke off branches from trees rather than collecting them from the ground.
Before the eggs were laid the male brings the female offerings of food.  This also helps the female to have the energy to lay the eggs.  I guess this also demonstrates what a good provider for the young he is going to be, and also cements the bond between them.

Looking satisfied after providing a tasty meal

With all the attention, helping, and showing all the right abilities and traits love is soon in the air

Love is in the air

There is a quiet period where the eggs are incubated by the female.
The young when hatched stay low in the nest but they soon grow and can be seen over the edge of the nest.

Growing and waiting for food to be delivered

In mid July they are getting more active and stretching their wings in readiness to leave the nest.
At first they don't go far and hang around near to the nest awaiting for the two hunting parents to provide for them.

Brancher

At this stage they are called branchers and develop very quickly.  They chase around to get their share of the incoming food.  They will very soon be independent and have to go and get there own territory.  This was a very successful pair with at least four youngsters fledging.
They were also great entertainment and I thoroughly enjoyed my early morning encounters.