It’s a long time since I had captured the Japanese sparrowhawk couple nesting close to my house. They are actually a family of five now with three cute fledgelings. This week I have been photographing them on two days.
The female is watching over the nest and chasing away any intruders to their territory while the role of the male is to go hunting and bringing food to the female and the fledgelings. Unlike the couple I photographed last year, this sparrowhawk couple is often handing the food over from male to female in mid-air, which provides a nice spectacle.
The nest is pretty well hidden and difficult to capture. Sometimes, anyhow when the female is feeding the chicks one can see a glimpse of the chicks with beautiful big eyes.
近所に巣があるツミのカップルは長い間見に行ってなかったです。実は3羽のヒナが誕生して、今五羽家族になっています。今週2回も撮影に行ってきました。
メスは巣の近くに見張り役をやっていまして、縄張りに侵入している物を追いかけたりします。オスは狩りに出かけて、家族に餌を持って来る役割をしています。１年前撮影したツミと違って、今回のカップルは餌の引き渡しは空中でやるのが多いみたいで、スリリングな光景になっています。
巣はあいに良く隠れていて、とても撮りにくいです。たまにメスがヒナに餌をやるとき、ヒナの可愛い黒目が一瞬確認出来ます。
Japanese sparrowhawk, female・ツミ、メス
Japanese sparrowhawk, female・ツミ、メス
Japanese sparrowhawk, female・ツミ、メス
Japanese sparrowhawk・ツミ
Japanese sparrowhawk・ツミ
Japanese sparrowhawk, female・ツミ、メス
Japanese sparrowhawk, female・ツミ、メス
Japanese sparrowhawk, female・ツミ、メス
Japanese sparrowhawk, male・ツミ、オス