ML321787771

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Without a shadow of a doubt, the highlight of this constitutional, and perhaps all this years constitutionals so far, came at the Property Limits... and it certainly answers why the Sparrowhawk a week ago was attacking the Goshawk so fiercely!! I was photographing a Currawong across the field when, out of a big Native Cherry, out shot a long, lean little Hawk, dashing towards me on quickly beating wings!! It glided up to land just a short distance away; I haven't backtracked around the trees quite so quietly or quickly in a very long time... and there it was!!! Even before I checked the toes, I knew what I was looking at; the rigidly upright posture... the bulging eye... the tiny beak that recalled a Parrot more than a Goshawk... the astonishingly rich chestnut on the back and front scallops that really strongly reminded me of a Songthrush, rather than the ratty, darker grey-brown of its near relations at a similar age... it was absolutely without a doubt a very young SPARROWHAWK!!! It was extremely cautious as it sat rigidly to attention, its head swivelling this way and that remarkably as it glanced between me and the bizarrely unfazed Currawongs... and then... then it did about the last thing I'd expected; it hurled itself forward into a long, loping lunge, and with an audible click of talons grabbed at the back of the nearest Currawong on the lawns, a bird at least twice its size, before it finally vanished amongst the trees!! Given all the Currawongs total and utter unconcern, especially that one which got swooped, this young Sparrowhawk was without a doubt practising its diving and grabbing for when the time for much smaller, nimbler prey comes; what a privilege it was to see a top predator in training!!!

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P610

ISO

400

Focal length

309.6 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/200 sec

Dimensions

1600 pixels x 1200 pixels

Original file size

1.08 MB