Hedge Hunter

Saturday 16th March 2002, West Yorkshire

A large brown female sparrowhawk sits on the hedge. To our surprise she flies down to the ground, hops back up again, looks down again then flies down and disappears behind clump of bluebell leaves, emerging about 30 seconds later at the other end of the clump, then flying off.

She wasn't clutching prey. There was no sign of any prey that she'd dropped. Perhaps she had spotted voles at the foot of the hedge?

frogs

We appreciate this morning's warmth and sunshine all the more in contrast to the day of wind followed by a day of cool wet weather that preceded it. The frogs appreciate it too, I hear them croaking again. I walk down to the pond and count 14 of them arranged around the edges waiting for the females to come to lay their spawn. A friend in Wakefield reported frogspawn in his garden pond two weeks ago. We've yet to have our first clump.

Richard Bell,
wildlife illustrator
E-mail; 'richard@willowisland.co.uk'

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