"Keith (Dorset)" wrote in message
...

Hi Mike,

I sympathise, we have had a female sparrowhawk here hunting very actively
(along with the resident Peregrines and Kestrels) since early last autumn.

Having said that, when we were kids they had become so relatively scarce,
due to pesticides, that I try to remind myself that we are all the richer
now.

Whenever I see a sparrowhawk kill I remind myself of the main reason for
'so few' garden birds nowadays - seven million domestic cats in Britain.

In my garden the main reason for the lack of birds, is the damned tree rat,
as far as I'm aware cats are not so good at climbing trees as tree rats.

So don't go blaming the cats.

Alan