Birds Juvenile Sparrowhawk in the Garden

[Tim Mayo]

It has been a few months since we've spotted a sparrowhawk in the garden so I was very happy to see this juvenile yesterday. I'd only just setup the mossy log perch as well which I'd found down our local brook earlier in the day. I'm not sure if it's male or female so if you think you know please do tell Unfortunately I had to shoot this through a closed window which has definitely taken away some of the detail.

• Canon EOS R5
• RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
• 500.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/80 sec
• ISO 400

 

[Archibald]

Gorgeous bird portrait. I don't see any effect of the window glass.

 

[Tim Mayo]

Gorgeous bird portrait. I don't see any effect of the window glass.

Cheers Ed! Luckily I cleaned the windows a few days ago

 

[David Stallard]

Jealous now - living where we do we are lucky to see starlings / sparrows. One day ;-)

 

[KD_Reno]

Nice shot, even through the window. I'm in the US, but I have a copy of the Collins Bird Guide. I don't think you can tell gender in juveniles, except perhaps by size. Females are larger in most raptors, but it varies with species and I have zero experience with this one.

 

[Tim Mayo]

Jealous now - living where we do we are lucky to see starlings / sparrows. One day ;-)

We were overrun with starlings a few weeks back, they eat everything in seconds and bully the little birds. I made it more difficult for them to get to the feeders and they soon got the message.

 

[Tim Mayo]

Nice shot, even through the window. I'm in the US, but I have a copy of the Collins Bird Guide. I don't think you can tell gender in juveniles, except perhaps by size. Females are larger in most raptors, but it varies with species and I have zero experience with this one.

I also posted it into a bird id group and most say it's hard to tel the gender but believe it to be female. Female sparrowhawks are larger than the males and can take larger prey like pigeons when they are fully grown. The males have to make do with tit bits

 

[Hali]

Love this Tim! Great shot, even through a window!

 

[Tim Mayo]

Love this Tim! Great shot, even through a window!

Thank you very much Hali Sometimes I can sneak the window open without spooking them but I'll always shoot through first just to make sure I've got a shot. This time they didn't hang around long enough for me to try.

 

[Arbarthisti]

Lovely image Tim, shooting through glass is quite easy, just keep them clean.