Fierce

I was getting things together to head to the hospital when I noticed a bird on a neighbours roof and did a double take. There is usually a wood pigeon or two there, but this seemed different. It was grey and murky outside (it’s been a sleety day here, no lying snow), and my binoculars were in the car boot, so I took a few photographs and cropped them to see more clearly what I was looking at.

Of course, when it suddenly adopted this pose (it must be focussing intently on a small bird or birds somewhere) its outline bore absolutely no resemblance to any pigeon. It’s a male sparrowhawk. I love its fierce expression, and here it’s clearly ready to attack - but the moment passed.