Cyn's Nature Notes: Kestrels and Sparrowhawks

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Kestrels and Sparrowhawks

Whilst travelling on our way to Cambridge via the M11, I saw a rare sight --- a kestrel ! He was hovering over the verge and seeing him gave me a happy rush. Kestrels used to be such a common sight, not only over motorways, but also over fields and gardens.

Where have they all gone? I expect when I research it, the cause will be a breakdown in the food chain, started in the beginning by herbicides and/or pesticides, thereby killing plants and insects at the bottom of the chain. Thankfully we now have set asides and more awareness of the problem. Hopefully as people become more aware gardens will be managed differently and this will help the problem.

We have lived here since 1987 and have never used herbicides or pesticides. The garden benefits from constant mulching of our own homemade compost, and is rich in plant and animal life.

For many years we had kestrels in this garden, it is true they took smaller birds, but they needed to survive as a species, and although I didn't like it I did think it was part of life's rich tapestry. Our garden kestrels nested in the oak tree the other side of the paddock, at the bottom of the garden. According to an elderly gentleman who was born and grew up in the village, kestrels had nested in the same oak tree for over 100 years, he knew this because his father had also grown up here and they had discussed it. At this time we have none in the near vicinity, the same with sparrowhawks who have now been absent for over a year.

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About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.