Regularly reported throughout the recording area in all habitats and competes with Kestrel as the most commonly seen raptor in the BOG area. Many pairs will have bred and evidence of successful breeding came from Middleton Woods, Weston, Farnley and St Ives. In April up to six were displaying at Barden while Sunnydale Reservoir also hosted the same number in the same month.

This continues to be an extremely widespread resident in all types of urban and rural habitats.
Displaying birds were noted in the Barden area in early February, with up to five displaying there in May. Indications were that at least two pairs attempted to breed in this area. Elsewhere, breeding was proved at Beamsley, Farnley, Middleton Woods, Denton, St Ives and Otley Chevin. Birds were also seen carrying food at Ben Rhydding, Farnhill and Langbar.

At one location, birds were seen to mob ringtail Hen Harrier and Goshawk, and at another, one tried to kill a young Kestrel.

This species attracted the remarkable number of 320 records, although it should be stressed that 175 of these came from the particularly well-watched and assiduously recorded Barden area. Surprisingly, there were very few urban reports.

Multiple sightings were widely reported, but, here again, Barden Scale led the way, with a maximum of seven birds there in June. Pre-breeding display activity was also most frequently witnessed at Barden, mostly from late March to early May, but with some activity there to as late as 21st June. In contrast, the first displaying record was of a male and two females over Spring Wood, Esholt, on New Year’s Day. Display flights were also seen at Blubberhouses, Norwood Edge, Oxenhope, and the Washburn Valley.

Despite these many reports, there was comparatively little definite proof of breeding. This came from five locations. Two young were ringed at Howgill Wood, one at Weston (where there were four young in all), and three at a private site. Birds also bred at Middleton Woods and St. Ives, in addition to which there were several sightings of adults carrying prey into the woods around Barden. Clearly, this aspect is somewhat under-recorded.

As ever, Sparrowhawk was well-recorded, and some 270 reports came from 75 widespread locations, including a rather larger number from urban and suburban areas than has been the case in recent years.

Barden Scale watchpoint produced 40% of the records, and the biggest numbers, of between two and five birds, were seen there on many dates, and the year’s highest count of six on 5th May. Many of these sightings coincided with display flights, noted on 24 occasions between March and early July, but also once on the late date of 8th November. However, even later display was observed at Stockbridge on 3rd December, and on the penultimate day of the year at Sunnydale. This activity was also seen in spring at Lindley Wood, Blubberhouses and Hirst Wood.

The likelihood is that breeding took place at several of these places, but it was proved only at locations elsewhere: Denton, Weston, Menston, Middleton Woods, Howgill, Bingley Moor, and a private woodland. In total, at least 17 young fledged. Behaviour also indicated possible breeding at Oxenhope and Shipley Glen, but it wasn’t proved.

The species is nowadays seen increasingly in gardens, lured by the availability of prey species at garden-feeders. In 2006, birds were seen to enter gardens at Ben Rhydding (on several occasions), Queensbury, Bingley and two different locations in Baildon, and were seen in the general vicinity of others at Sconce Lane, Otley, Keighley and Cononley. Prey items or intended victims here and elsewhere included Blackbird, Lapwing, Willow Warbler, Swallow, Greenfinch, Meadow Pipit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Collared Dove and Redwing. Less usually, a bird was seen at Barden carrying a large pheasant poult, and at Norwood Lane one repeatedly and unsuccessfully attacked a young hare.

The status of Sparrowhawk appears largely unchanged, though, from a similar number of records as in 2006, the 58 locations are down, and there seem to be fewer urban and suburban sightings. This is confirmed by only a handful of reports of birds in gardens: at Gilstead, Ben Rhydding, Thornton, Otley, Burley and Baildon.

A disproportionately large number of records came from Barden Scale, where four and five birds were seen on a few occasions, but the majority of the sightings were, like most of the reports from elsewhere, of ones and twos. Barden also had nearly all the observations of displaying birds prior to breeding, the exceptions during this period being single sightings at Baildon and Shipley Glen, but post-breeding territorial display was noted at Otley Wetland in November.

There was actually no direct evidence of any breeding attempt at any of these sites, though the presence of juveniles or food-carrying adults indicated this probability in the Barden area, and similar evidence came from Stockbridge and Paul Clough. Reports of successful or attempted breeding came only from Howgill Wood, Farnley, Alder Carr Wood, St. Ives, Middleton Woods, Weston and Askwith, but bad weather caused failure at the last three.