Sparrowhawk vs Yellowhammer

Each winter I try to catch and ring small birds in the garden. Almost all of these are caught in small portable traps, baited with sunflower seeds. Today (6th February 2012), a Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella (N=gulspurv) went into one of the traps, with an adult female Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus (N=spurvehauk) in hot pursuit. The Sparrowhawk killed it's prey, but could not find it's way out of the trap. The Sparrowhawk was ringed prior to release.

Sparrowhawk after being ringed and prior to release

 

 

Yellowhammer killed by Sparrowhawk