Hi Sabine
This is great news, thanks for sharing 🙂 Two of my team came across a sparrowhawk nest in
a pine tree to the right of the wetlands bridge (our side).
No, we haven't seen any flycatchers either this year. What we are getting at the
moment are several dead female blackcaps which are flying into windows. We lost one on
the DiNA windows and one this morning had hit the glass walkway on the EBi main building.
Very sad 🙁
Thanks again for sharing
Kind regards
Lee
________________________________
From: Sabine Eckert <se3(a)sanger.ac.uk>
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2025 11:46
To: wetlandscommittee(a)wellcomegenomecampus.org
<wetlandscommittee(a)wellcomegenomecampus.org>rg>; Christopher Adamson
<ca14(a)sanger.ac.uk>uk>; Carla Stark <cs52(a)sanger.ac.uk>uk>;
Iain.Webb(a)wildlifebcn.org <Iain.Webb(a)wildlifebcn.org>rg>; Lee Outhwaite
<Lee.Outhwaite(a)wellcomegenomecampus.com>om>; Neil Rawlings
<neil.rawlings(a)outlook.com>
Subject: Sparrowhawks!
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Hello All,
I just walked along the path near the bridge to the wetlands (52.078072, 0.180483), and
came across five sparrowhawks. Three of them were obviously youngsters, huddled together
on the ground, practising flying, and falling over a lot. Two birds were hovering around
low in the surrounding trees - either more competent youngsters, or more likely the
adults. There was also some begging going on, one youngster was faffing with something on
the ground (prey?). They eventually moved off along the river towards the bridge. The
location is very close to the big beech where they bred last year. I have a number of
grainy pictures and videos I can send.
On the downside, I have not seen any spotted flycatchers since 18/6/2025, nor heard them
calling this year. I now suspect that only one of the birds came back, the one I saw
between 3/6 and 18/6, prepared the nest, and its mate didn’t show up. I think this was the
only pair around this year.
Thanks,
Sabine
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