Our garden visitor.

I think this could be one reason we are getting fewer small birds at our bird table. This Sparrow Hawk has been in the area for a while, just coming and going. It was perched on a log in the bushes for a while about a week ago, but normally it only makes a very swift flying visit, usually from a great height and at amazing speed.
Today it briefly sat in the old apple tree until six magpies arrived screeching to scare it away. Magpies do have their good points, in spite of their bad reputation!