Hawks kill to eat
From Elly Daw
Sir: I write with regard to the Spectator’s Notes of your 8 April issue. Charles Moore writes of witnessing a sparrowhawk in pursuit of a jay, a pursuit which led to both birds tumbling, ‘still fighting, into the stream’. I have been a falconer for the thick end of a decade now, having flown many different birds of prey, and I would like to point out that neither captive nor wild birds of prey will kill for the sake of killing.
The art of falconry revolves not only around a special bond between hawk and falconer, but around food intake and weight control. A hawk will not return to you purely for your company; she must be hungry enough to return for the food you offer her and hungry enough to give chase to her quarry. If she is not, she will not waste her energy flying. Wild hawks operate in much the same way. The sparrowhawk Mr Moore saw flew down its prey and, upon hitting the water, did well to hold on as long as it did. Many hawks would have released their game upon impact, as they cannot swim. After a lengthy chase and a rather wet struggle, the waterlogged hawk was probably too exhausted to carry its prey to safety. In future, kindly consider the negative spin you place on falconry and on birds of prey in general, as both need our protection.
Elly Daw By email
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