Het relaas van een moederziel alleen sperwerjong Accipiter nisus

A visit to the nest of a Sparrowhawk in Musselkanaal, province of Groningen, on 20 June revealed just a single chick, a female of 13 days old (maximum wing chord 85 mm, body mass 175 g). The absence of an adult was ominous. The visit was used to place a trap camera (Reconyx, HyperFire 2), programmed to take a picture followed by 10 sec of film upon movement on the nest. Analysis of the images showed that indeed the female of this nest had disappeared, and that provisioning of prey was carried out by a male of >2nd calender-year old. Between 20 June and 1 July (the latter date equating with the day upon which the chick died), the male daily brought at least 1-3 preys to the nest, twice feeding itself on the nest but never attempting to feed the chick. The latter was recorded feeding itself on most days, at first rather clumsily and with varying success: full crops were noted, but also apparent hunger (begging calls, even at night), dirty and untidy plumage and legs (apparent neglect, despite preening bouts) and the presence of Calliphoridae. Nevertheless, the plumage of the chick showed clear signs of progress, with sprouting body feathers and feathers emerging from the shafts of the remiges. At an age of 16 days the chick was seen standing for the first time, when it also wing-practiced. Sleeping was performed in a lying position. Although the chick seemed to cope without being fed and sheltered by a parent, it eventually died after a prolonged rain shower in the windy night of 30 June/1 July.