There has probably never been a better opportunity to see birds of prey, excluding owls, in the Highlands. Not since the time before the widespread and efficient persecution of hawks, falcons and eagles has there been so many of these birds to see of a variety of species. Excluding the real rarities it is possible to see no less than eleven species in the area and some of them are, surprisingly, common and relatively easy to see. There is the element of the time of year as some birds, such as the osprey, migrate south for the winter. Others such as the peregrine, merlin and the hen harrier may move south or to the coast. In contrast some birds stay where they are for the winter such as the buzzard and red kite. Golden eagles and sea eagles are occasional visitors although in the early days of the re-introduction of the sea eagle Munlochy Cliff, just north of Inverness, proved an attraction.Today the commonest bird of prey in the area is likely to be either the buzzard or the re-introduced red kite. A few years ago the greatest concentration of buzzards in the UK was reputed to be on the Black Isle although this may not be the case these days. If you now travel around the Black Isle you would be unlucky not to see one or more red kites. The chance will be boosted by the fact that a food dump in one area has been established and there was a record last week of sixteen birds being seen together at one site. A memorable sighting that is a reflection on the success of the re-introduction scheme that has now been repeated, successfully, in other parts of the UK.
The sparrow hawk is fairly common although they often go undetected as they chase their prey along woodland margins, hedgerows and gardens. The best chance to see one is when they are soaring high over their territory looking down to see the best options. The photograph of the male sparrowhawk was taken on a bird table in a garden close to Inverness. It can be identified by the grey back and reddish barred underparts that can look orange at a distance. It also lacks the white stripe over the eye that the female has and is much smaller although this is relative. The long yellow talons are conspicuous and they are thin and can spread widely and the long sharp talons aid grasping agile prey. The bird had just missed a greenfinch on a peanut feeder on a nearby fruit tree and is sat looking around, perhaps weighing up its next move.