23/05/2026
For years we had a Collared Sparrowhawk hunting in our neighbourhood. It was truly a fascinating bird, even if watching it devour it's freshly caught prey was a bit confronting at times. But honestly, this is the food chain in motion and I really felt honoured to be able to witness this from the comfort and convenience of our back yard.
Back in my Sony days, when I first made the leap into the more semi pro mirrorless camera + telephoto lens world, the first image I captured was the OG Collared Sparrowhawk and although the settings were way off, I managed to salvage a decent photo with some editing in post. I was blown away by the intense glowing eyes and feather detail, which was quite the miracle considering it was taken in pre dawn light.
Part of my recovery post Cancer surgery and treatment was to study and photography birds that visited our yard. It was a daily ritual, the Noisy Mynas would sound the alarm, announcing the arrival of the Hawk. This gave me a wonderful distraction in these difficult times. As time progressed and healing followed I continued to enjoy the presence of this almost spiritual creature.
I don't know what happened but for a long while this stunning bird of prey disappeared. It's absence really had an impact on me. I didn't know if it had died, or moved to another hunting patch.
Yesterday a different bird settled into our Silky Oak tree and I was lucky enough to capture a few images of this beauty, before a pair of bossy Currawongs flew in and chased it away.
I really hope it's the beginning of a new residency, how fortunate to have this happen in suburbia. 🥰
