I think we have to understand the interaction of species, and not try to anthropomorphize them. Deer are beautiful creatures - but need to be kept in check. In an area near Dulverton in Somerset, an area was decreed as being "off limits" for deer to be culled. The result was over-population and agonising health issues in the herd. Sometimes, it seems, you have to be what appears to be cruel to be kind. (And we are less judgemental when it comes to the less cute and cuddly, it would seem. Adders and rats anyone?)
In our last house, on the edge of town , we were a five minute walk away from a lake area. As a consequence we had alot of wildlife around. Urban foxes, Swans walking down the streets and Ducks in our gardens. The rabbits were in the fields beyond that. But we had few hedgehog.
Now 9 miles outside of town in a village we have hogs visiting the garden, more variety of birds ( like four varieties of Tits) , but no foxes and very few rabbits ( only one seen as road kill this year none in the fields) We see more Hares than rabbits in spring, and few of them. You would think a rural area would have more wildlife, but it's not the case.
If you do feed the birds and are unfortunate enough to have a sparrowhawk just move the feeders to different parts of the garden every so often as you find they swoop onto the feeders from under cover till the last moment. We had a male sparrowhawk for about 2 years which was a nuisance then one morning I woke up to find a white bird in the garden on the lawn. Upon me opening the curtains properly it was a goshawk and it's prey on the lawn, the sparrowhawk 😌😌 the goshawk still comes every now and again to take a woodpigeon
We get sparrow hawks in the garden frequently, they take song birds from the feeders as their food, we know it is part of nature but wish they would take birds from outside the garden, we do have a spiny berberis bush alongside the feeders and most of the tits are safe as they don't graze, they dash out and take seed then dash back into the bush it is sparrows and goldfinches that tend to stay at the feeders that get eaten, now and again collared doves, and a few weeks back a wood pigeon, shame but that is nature, and they are pretty birds.
We get sparrow hawks in the garden frequently, they take song birds from the feeders as their food, we know it is part of nature but wish they would take birds from outside the garden, we do have a spiny berberis bush alongside the feeders and most of the tits are safe as they don't graze, they dash out and take seed then dash back into the bush it is sparrows and goldfinches that tend to stay at the feeders that get eaten, now and again collared doves, and a few weeks back a wood pigeon, shame but that is nature, and they are pretty birds.
Goshawks are indeed the apex predator of their habitat. Whenever one takes to the air, everything else vanishes. The T-Rex of the bird world. That said on the continent they are themselves predated by the European Eagle Owl.
No one "needs" any particular species of bird in their garden. I'd suggest we should all be grateful for the birds we DO get and accept their natural behaviour . After all, they are a damn sight better behaved than the human species
Goshawks are indeed the apex predator of their habitat. Whenever one takes to the air, everything else vanishes. The T-Rex of the bird world. That said on the continent they are themselves predated by the European Eagle Owl.
Not necessarily true Marc, especially when the owl attacks a roosting goshawk under cover of darkness. We used to keep European eagle owls, they are immense. Talons like sickles and yet so gentle when taking a dead rat from the glove.
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Now 9 miles outside of town in a village we have hogs visiting the garden, more variety of birds ( like four varieties of Tits) , but no foxes and very few rabbits ( only one seen as road kill this year none in the fields) We see more Hares than rabbits in spring, and few of them. You would think a rural area would have more wildlife, but it's not the case.