How can one.....?

• ..... see more sparrowhawks and kingfishers?
• It surprises me often, that many people don't see kingfishers and sparrowhawks (in particular) more often - some people I know have never seen a kingfisher for example, but have had many walks over many years, down suitable habitats.
• I've limited this "how can one...." post to these two species, as these are two birds that many people would like to see more of, and can easily, with just a little advice.
• Sparrowhawks firstly -  I guess the best way of seeing more sparrowhawks these days is to put loads of small bird feeders up in your garden, if you have one, which will attract the tits, blackbirds, finches, woodpeckers and pigeons - which in time will almost certainly attract the hawks! Once a hawk has made a kill in a garden, it remembers - and revisits often.
• We have hawks visit the garden every day, but not often stopping (as I've stopped feeding the passerines, owing to the presence of "trich" in neighbours gardens  - something I certainly don't wish to pass on to my hens.
• I see hawks every day, circling on thermals over the garden - I've already written about identifying birds of prey in the air - but what about seeing more hunting hawks - hawks that race along hedgerows and through woods - doing what they do best - ambushing small birds whilst you may be out on a walk somewhere?
• The secret to seeing more hawks outside your garden, is before using your eyes - use your ears!
• Invariably a hunting hawk will put birds up in the air -you'll see that, but before, or as those birds scatter, there'll inevitably be a few rapid panicky wing claps of a pigeon or dove and coupled with that - a very distinct alarm call from the resident starlings.
• Pretty-well every hunting (low) hawk I've ever seen on any walk that I've taken, has been preceded by me hearing a starling or three shriek "hawk" first. I stop and train my eyes in the direction of the starlings alarm call, and almost invariably, a hawk will rush out of the hedge or copse, or bush, a few seconds later.
• Starlings, or should I say the sound of the alarmed starling is a superb way of seeing more sparrowhawks - the best way by far I'd suggest. Starlings are wonderful mimics (our local starlings take off our local red kites and woodpeckers magnificently) and have a wide vocabulary it seems. BUT- hear a starling or two shriek "hawk" and you'll not forget it - listen out for it, then stop and look and you'll soon be beating hawks off with a stick!
• Click here, to be transported to a page of starling alarm calls and listen out particularly for the very high pitched call they make during a few of the "alarm clips". Thats a starling shrieking hawk. When they see one, they'll inevitably make this high-pitched alarm very rapidly, often then mobbing the hawk whilst peeping at it, if there is safety in numbers.
• The photo I got of our female hawk below, on this page, was taken using this very technique. I stood in the garden, a couple of starlings suddenly shouted "hawk". I raised my camera and a few seconds later, in she came like a stripey rocket. I got a shot.
• Eventually, you'll be out on a walk, you'll stop, announce to whoever you're with that a hawk is coming (you'll have be warned by the starlings!), a hawk will rush by you - and whoever you're with might be quite impressed! (Just keep it a secret though eh - go all mystical on them, and wax lyrical about being at one with nature or something!)
• Thats hawks then - what about kingfishers?
• Exactly the same principle - use your ears, then your eyes.
• Rather like hawks, invariably when I've seen kingfishers when taking a wander up a river, I've heard it first. Kingfishers, like woodpeckers, are kind enough to announce their presence to interested humans nearby. Not always, but very, VERY often, they'll emit a few short-lived, very high pitched flight calls whilst bombing down a river like a tiny cobalt missile.
• Walk down a river (pretty well any river!) and listen out for this sound. Stop and scan the river in the direction of the call, but limit your scan to to more than 3 or 4 feet above the surface of the river. Invariably the kingfisher will bomb by, very possibly calling as it flies by - just to make sure you've seen it! They're very good like that, kingfishers - they seem to want to be seen by you!
• Like I say, these two species of birds can be seen more and more, by listening out for associated calls first - and I'd say that these two species are the best examples of using your ears first  -  then your eyes...