Hunter in the Heart of the City

Yesterday lunchtime, when we were walking through Newcastle beside the Ouseburn, there was a sudden commotion in the trees and a crow hurtled into view, chased by this ferocious sparrowhawk. The chase lasted for about twenty seconds and at one point the pursuer managed to stretch out a talon and almost grip the crow, but it escaped and the sparrowhawk landed in the tree nearby. It's hard to see what prompted this display of aggression because there was plenty of easier prey around - there's no shortage of urban pigeons to keep this raptor well fed. 


The lower stretches of the Ouseburn, once notorious for industrial pollution and dereliction, are rapidly being cleaned up and turned into a fashionable location in the city. The old derelict Maynard's toffee works has now become a desirable suite of hi-tech offices (check out this series of pictures that shows the remarkable transformation), there's a smart riverside footpath, good pubs, live music, an urban farm, artist's studios - and constantly evolving urban wildlife habitat. In the leafier parts of the lower valley, this sparrowhawk is currently the top predator and the terror of the neigourhood.