Rob Pearson, from Pulborough, photographed the sparrowhawk after it landed in his garden, clutching a smaller bird in its talons.
Mr Pearson said he was looking out of his window to observe waterlogged floodplains nearby, when he spotted the bird of prey on his garden fence.
He said: “There was no time to go searching for my camera, so I grabbed my phone, zoomed in and took four shots.
“Once transferred to my desktop I was able clearly to see what I had photographed: a small hawk eating its prey.
“The hawk stayed for about ten minutes and was a strange visitor to our garden.
“We normally see only blackbirds and thrushes, but I guess with its usual hunting ground turned into a sea, it needed somewhere dry to have its breakfast.”
Mr Pearson added that he occasionally sees birds of prey while walking through the nearby Pulborough Brooks, but it was unusual to see one so close to home.
Pulborough is one of a number of places in Sussex that has recently been impacted by flooding, with dramatic pictures recently showing floodwater encroaching on homes following weeks of rain.
According to the Wildlife Trust, sparrowhawks are excellent bird hunters, and often visit gardens to catch small species of birds like finches, sparrows, and tits.
The birds were once considered endangered in the UK, with numbers plummeting in the 1950s and 60s due to the use of pesticides.
They have since seen a significant resurgence, although still feature on the Birds of Conservation Concern Amber List.
Comments are closed.