What a stunner!

Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus

We were driving up Dover House Road through the squeeze where one lane between parked cars works for both directions, when there was a terrific bang from the bus stop we were just about to pass. E spotted the source, lying eyes closed, on its back on the pavement. This Sparrowhawk had tried to take a rapid short cut out of a front garden through the bus shelter, but not realising that the hole in the middle had a plexiglass window.

I pulled over and went back to pick up the stunned bird just in time as there were people walking up the road with a dog. The hawk was thoroughly stunned, but just coming round and starting to look around as I held it and walked up the road to somewhere quiet. It was in great condition and looked unharmed by its sudden shock. I placed it on top of a wide freshly trimmed privet hedge about 5' up, where it could take in it's surroundings and hopefully fly off when it felt better. Of course, that then gave me the perfect chance to take some nice close-ups. I had to move the car which I had left on a double yellow line and when I got back it had gone.

So I saved one bird, but probably at the cost of many more sparrows in the future. Such is nature!

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