Botanics Sparrowhawks – Added Inspiration

Duncan Marquiss Search Film, 2015 (Still). Courtesy of the Artist.

Image: Duncan Marquiss, Search Film, 2015 (Film Still). Courtesy of the artists.

Despite being a quiet spell for observing Sparrowhawk activity in the garden, it is still possible from time to time to come across tell-tale signs of their continued presence. You might for instance happen to see an incongruous collection of feathers concentrated in a certain area on the lawn. This usually indicates where a sparrowhawk has had their dinner after plucking the plumage of their prey. Afterwards the foxes may have made off with the scraps leaving not much to see really but the clues are there if you know how to look for them.

I wanted to mention that I also went to a showing of “Search Film” by Duncan Marquiss at Inverleith house which had raptor recording as its subject matter. It was a particularly thought-provoking film which examined the parallels between searching for or tracking animals in the wild and the perhaps more familiar activities that we do day-to-day such as going shopping or browsing the internet. I would certainly recommend watching it. The object of enquiry in the film is goshawks and although never seen they feel tangibly present throughout.

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2 Comments

  1. We get a lot of Sparrowhawk action in our garden in Craigleith – much to my horror!
    My husband likes to take photos when he can… my poor wee sparrows!

    • Hi Tracey,
      Thanks for your comment. I can understand how you feel as I love sparrows too however I also I think that sparrowhawks are magnificent creatures. You are not alone as there are many other people who are averse to sparrowhawks. If you are interested I included some links in one of my previous posts to the RSPB website which explains that sparrowhawks have negligible impact on song bird species population numbers. I don’t know if this will help you to feel better about it but thank you for continuing to provide a good habitat for sparrowhawks in the city. If your husband would like to share any of his photos I would be very interested to see them.