Mantling

Barbara hears an alarm amongst the birds as a female sparrowhawk swoops over the hedge at our feeder and takes her prey to the border alongside the lawn. She mantles (spreads her wings over her prey) and, after a minute or so, flies off with it towards the wood.

It was probably one of the goldfinches which are our most regular visitors to the niger seed and sunflower hearts. I feel guilty about putting the goldfinches in danger but a sparrowhawk could strike just about anywhere, at any time in the wild. I like to have the goldfinches about but I also like to see sparrowhawks and the brutal fact is that they have to eat too but any bird that they take from our bird feeder - even a humble sparrow, their nominal prey - is going to be one that I wish could have got away, just this once.

Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk