NO PURPLE HERON BUT GARDEN SURPRISE

   Following reports in the last couple of days of a Purple Heron at Minsmere early this morning I was to be found sitting in the South hide on the lookout for the heron. Plenty of common Grey Herons and the odd Bittern flying but no sign of my target so I turned round to look at the scrape and pretty quickly spotted 10 Little Terns sitting on one of the small islands but they were at such a distance that there was not much chance of a photo. For the next couple of hours they moved around the scrape sometimes mixing with Common Terns and a small flock of Dunlin. Waders were quite scarce today but I did spot a couple of Bar Tailed Godwits and a few Curlew one of which I did manage to get a decent couple of flight shots.

   On the way out of the reserve I stopped and walked a little way up the bridle path where I could see in the distance a Stone Curlew but once again too far away to picture. Slightly disappointed I made my way home but later on after tea I got a bit of a surprise when looking out of the kitchen window at about 19.30 there was a Sparrow Hawk sitting under a tree in the gloom with an unlucky bird in its talons. The hawk was only about 30 feet away so I grabbed the camera and managed to get a shot through the window before it flew off with its supper; popping outside and examining the feathers I think the victim was a House Sparrow which are quite common in my garden. Here is the picture I took, not too bad considering the dirty window and the bad light.
   Note to myself: You must clean the windows!