Garden spectacle

Having moved into my current home in the centre of a small village about 28 years ago, the first thing to do was create a wildlife garden. Both myself and my mum, who has since passed away, loved watching the wildlife. The garden is only small, but over the years has had many visitors. Just recently, I have noticed a drop in the number of birds attending my always-stocked feeding station and one day, I found out the reason.

The magical Sparrowhawk came down from the roof with talons outstretched straight into one of the shrubs, relieving a Blue Tit of its life. Since that day the hawk has been a regular visitor. It is always a treat to see this spectacle, but nice also to see all the other birds.

Photos included taken over the last 18 months include one of the Sparrowhawks, and my resident Hedgehog (plus some insects).

Phil Hodgkiss