How to outwit deadly hunter of the skies

Few birds cause more controversy in gardens than the sparrowhawk.

A piercing yellow-eyed predator, it darts along, hugging the contours of the ground, using fences, hedges and house walls as cover and leaving a chilling pile of feathers as evidence.

Some people blame the sparrowhawk for the decline in song bird numbers. Although others will tell you they only take sick and injured birds.

Whatever your view, there is no doubt that the sparrowhawk is a supreme hunter. Its favoured hunting tactic is ambush and it is single-minded when intent on this method of attack.

Once, as my wife and I were having lunch outside, a sparrowhawk flew between us. We both felt a draught as it passed on its way to the bird table, its broad wings ripping through the air before it caught its prey.

Sparrowhawks rely on the advantage of surprise to catch their victims, but they are also quite capable of out-flying their quarry – their power and skill outmatches most garden birds.

Garden bird tables make a perfect target for sparrowhawks since they represent a never-ending food source. My own bird table is often hit.

More than 30 pairs of tree sparrows feed on my table, but they are rarely the sparrowhawk's victims since they dart straight into thick cover whenever a hawk approaches. They forewarn most of the other birds too.

Unfortunately it is the greenfinches that bear the brunt of the attacks here, since, instead of diving into cover, these birds tend to take to the air.

But I have seen sparrowhawks catch a great variety of birds in my garden, from doves to partridges, song thrushes to goldfinches.

One time I even saw a male sparrowhawk catch a vole which was clearing up scraps from under the bird table. The vole didn't stand a chance against those long and slender legs armed with needle-sharp black talons.

Sparrowhawks miss more than they catch, but they are a persistent bird that does not like to be outsmarted. I did see a woodpecker get the better of one once though.

It was while I was in my hide in the garden photographing a kestrel. I heard frantic alarm calls and looked up to see the small birds scatter, terrified, into the bushes.

A sparrowhawk had bombed in and I was intrigued to see how these two hunters would react to one another. But the kestrel just continued to eat a mouse casually before flying off.

As I peered out of a small hole in the hide, I saw to my horror that a sparrowhawk had another target in mind. It had captured a male great spotted woodpecker and was plucking at him. Without thinking, I frightened the hawk away.

The woodpecker escaped onto a post next to my garden hedge. I wanted to see if the woodpecker was okay, but I thought that the hawk might still be nearby so I sat tight and watched to see what would happen.

Sure enough, 10 minutes later the sparrowhawk was back and had actually landed on top of the very post where the woodpecker was.

The woodpecker froze. Having watched a sparrowhawk hunt before, I knew that it can only detect its prey by spotting movement. If the woodpecker could hold its nerve and stay completely still all would be well.

The sparrowhawk surveyed the landscape around it, but it failed to notice the woodpecker which was literally just below its feet. The sparrowhawk eventually moved on to chase other prey and the woodpecker survived to live another day.

I'm glad I sat tight. It is the second time I have witnessed a sparrowhawk attacking a woodpecker, but I didn't ever think that I would be able to get such an unusual photograph of the event.

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