Wildlife Photography across the Water: Sparrowhawk Attack

Friday, 16 April 2010

Sparrowhawk Attack

Since I bought you pictures of the juvenile female Sparrowhawk, and the mature male, I have been seeing them more and more around the patch.

I was outside on Wednesday night, working in the garden when I saw the rapidly moving shape of the male, dive through a small gap of about 2' diameter between my side gate and some shrubs, across the top of my neighbours shed, less than a foot above that, through a small gap and out of my sight. Almost immediately, I hear what can only be described as the death squeals of a bird.

Getting up to get a look at what is going on, the commotion continues, and then another grey flash as the Sparrowhawk flies anyway, and a lucky male Blackbird lives another day and flies off in a different direction.

It was dramatic, it was lightning fast, and very close to where I was sitting.

Just for good measure, here is a repeat image of the bird in earlier times, assuming it was the same Male.

Martin

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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.