Country diary: Never have I seen a sparrowhawk so long or so well | Mark Cocker

Holt, Norfolk: After 50 years of glimpses, I thought I knew how they looked. Then one arrived at a friend's bird tableAnyone who feeds garden birds will know that it takes time to habituate local populations to the supplies. My friend owns a wood with a raised bird table the size of most urban lawns. Adjacent is a hide with one-way glass, and the action unfolds at what seems touching distance.To lure in his most prized visitor involved the kind of patience that only the most gifted photographers possess. Getting tits or woodpeckers to your nuts takes a matter of weeks, but to entice sparrowhawks to feed at the same spot involved three years of trial and error. Continue reading...