On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 10:09:56 +0100, Roger Tonkin
wrote:

Another pile of bluetit feathers this morning!

Whilst I accept that sparrowhawks need to eat and survive, I feel that
by feeding the tits, I am encouraging them and giving the sparrowhawk an
easy meal.

Someone told me that the way to deter the sparrowhawk is to get a model
owl into the garden - anyone tried this, and does it work!

A large model owl could perhaps work as the sparrowhawk may perceive
it as a threat to its own safety. The problem is that it would
probably have the same or a more marked effect on the smaller birds
that you wish to attract to your garden.

Various deterrents have been tried at game bird rearing pens such as
dangling CDs or similar to produce flashing reflections, flashing
lights and particularly for sparrowhawks, tall canes that will
interfere with their fast low-level approach. These sort of measures
are however undoubtedly OTT for a domestic garden.

It is worth bearing in mind that the supply of small birds is, as a
rule, more than enough to keep pace with predation by raptors and that
losses through other causes are far more significant. Having watched
our local male sparrowhawk leisurely dismember a fledgling blackbird
on our rear lawn on Wednesday I appreciate that the evidence of a
raptor strike is more remarkable than the frequent disappearances due
to cats, magpies, disease, starvation etc..

rbel