by Sean Ashton
Good weather was forecast and the fog that hung in the Loxley Valley would surely burn off quickly. With that in mind an early morning trip to Wardsend Cemetery seemed a very good idea. We heard a Dipper on the river a Livesey Street but the river was swollen after yesterday’s rain. Ten minutes watching the river from the bridge didn’t produce anything else although a Song Thrush was in full voice from a nearby tree (see image above). Moving on, the puddles on the path up to White’s tip were full-blown ponds but it was worth the walk to hear Dunnock’s singing from the arching brambles.
Heading back down to the cemetery we could hear Crows and Magpies making a dreadful din along the path next to the railway. We circled round to the path and startled a female Sparrowhawk just about to tuck into Magpie for breakfast. The hawk flew off into the woods but presumably not far as the Magpies kept up their clamour. The Magpie that was on the menu hopped off but its left wing was trailing slightly and it didn’t seem able to fly far. It crossed the railway tracks and climbed on the bank behind a tree – it was still there 30 minutes later with its eyes closed. I suspected the Sparrowhawk would be back.
Wardsend Cemetery Heritage park 