THERE is nothing that upsets birds as much as seeing the outline of a hawk or falcon above them.
Obviously this had upset a sparrow this morning when I was passing Lloyd's garden centre at Downholland Cross.
Hovering above was the distinctive shape of a kestrel, its wings beating as it struggled to line up a potential victim in its eyeline.
And battering around it was a little sparrow!
It is common to see birds as small as sparrows or other finches mobbing a hawk as a group but you don't often see an individual bird taking on a predator.
The sparrow had the sense to keep above the windhover, though; it probably knew that it would prefer to keep its position rather than chase after the sparrow. The kestrel is not really built for high-speed aerial chases. Leave the sparrowhawk for that - and the sparrow would probably not spot it coming, either.
Bigger birds are upset by predators, too. Not too long ago I spotted a buzzard making a flog of seagulls uneasy at Greens Lane in Downholland. The gulls were on the ground but still feeling nervous of the big bird.
Mind you, gulls can be just as predatory. The other night I was looking at a field newly-mown of hay in Lathom and spotted a greater or lesser black backed gull quartering the field in the same way that a barn owl would. For 20 minutes or so it kept up this repeated pattern, obviously on the look out for something tasty that no longer had long vegetation to hide in.
Music on the Moss: This week it is an Irish folk-rock group Horslips. Long ago disbanded, they created catchy rock songs from reels and jigs, as well as playing traditional music. Their first album, Happy to meet ... sorry to part, is a brave expedition into celtic rock, paving the way for others to follow. A later album, Dancehall Sweethearts, shows a more aggressive stance, although they can still turn a ballad with the best. Stars is a good anthem while Mad Pat has a really good chorus. So, if you want your rock music tempered with some fiery electric violin and mandolin - not to mention uillean pipes and concertina - Horslips were the lads.

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