BW #2: Sparrowhawk Spinney
The cache, a small camo-taped sample tube, is hidden in a quiet shady spot just off a small trail leading from Burley Woodhead to Burley-in-Wharfedale village via Hag Farm Road.
To reach the cache location: park in the lay-by @ N 53 54.045 W 1 46.051 and head up toward the old pub. Cross the northern end of the pub car-park and follow the public footpath down past the house, into the fields and down to the cache location.
When returning, you can take an alternative route back. Head back up the field to the stile @ N 53 54.013 W 1 45.923 cross it and follow this part of the Menston-Ilkley section of the Dales Way Link to join Rose Garth, a short lane leading back up to the main road and your parked cachemobile.
The cache trail descends steeply across grassy fields before passing down a narrow wooded section shaded by huge trees then through Rough Hole, a spinney and marshy area, crossing a footbridge over a small beck then re-entering fields to access the road.
The spinney and the several large isolated trees in the adjacent fields is the domain of a pair of these wonderful small hunting birds which had revealed their presence to me by their repeated distinctive call (listen here).
The (Eurasian or Northern) sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Though it is a predator specialising in catching woodland birds, it is found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings, but are capable of killing birds weighing 500g.
Its hunting behaviour has brought it into conflict with humans for 100s of years, particularly racing pigeon owners and people rearing poultry and gamebirds. It has also been blamed for decreases in passerine populations. Increases in its population coincide with the decline in house sparrows.
But studies of racing pigeon deaths found that sparrowhawks were responsible for less than 1%. Falconers have utilised it since at least the 16th century; although the species has a reputation for being difficult to train, it is also praised for its courage. It features in Teutonic mythology and is mentioned in works by writers including William Shakespeare, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Ted Hughes.
The sparrowhawk is only mentioned once by Shakespeare, and this could easily be overlooked by any one 
not knowing the language of falconry. In the Merry Wives of Windsor, Mrs. Ford addresses Falstaff’s page . . . 'How now, my eyas-musket?'. Musket was the old name given by falconers to the male sparrowhawk and 'eyas' or 'eyess' signifies a nestling, or young bird from the eyrie or nest. In the above speech, Mrs. Ford probably means 'a perky little fellow.'
The above info was found in a fascinating free ebook The Ornithology Of Shakespeare by James Edmund Harting (2013).
See here for comprehensive & detailed information on this wonderful bird, including its 7 modes of hunting and relationship with humans - conflict, falconry and culture.
Some QI facts . . .
1. Over 120 bird species have been recorded as prey, ranging in size from goldcrest to pheasant. Many of their victims are plucked and eaten while still alive. Despite this preference for feathered prey, they have been recorded taking a wide variety of small mammals, including bats captured in flight.
2. They often fall prey themselves to goshawks, who will not tolerate the smaller birds in their territory. Tawny owls are also major predators of young sparrowhawks.
3. Females are 25% larger than males, but often twice as heavy - one of the greatest size differences between the sexes in any bird species. Because of this, males court the females with caution, as she can (and sometimes does) kill her suitor!
4. After nest-building and mating, the female depends on extra food brought by the male to produce sufficient fat to allow her to lay 4-5 heavily blotched and speckled eggs. Chicks hatch after 33 days and fledge 24-28 days later.
5. Only 34% of juveniles survive the 1st year then 69% of adults survive from one year to the next. Mortality 
in young males is greater than that of young females. Males do well to live to 7-8, but females may reach 10 or 11. However a typical lifespan is only 4 years. The longest lived wild sparrowhawk was found dead in Denmark some 20 years 3 months after ringing.
6. Contrary to popular belief, they do not control the numbers of their prey, but the numbers of prey control their number. They do however ensure that the populations of their prey are healthy by weeding out the sick and unwary.
7. In medieval falconry, it was deemed to be a bird for a priest. In falconry the male spar has long been known as the musket. The name was later used for the small handgun used by soldiers (hence musketeers).
8. They hunt by surprise, but often crash into windows when pursuing their prey, usually with fatal results.
9. Like all birds of prey, they are vulnerable to pesticide poisoning. The species was virtually wiped out in Eastern England in the 1960s due to DDT either killing them or rendering them infertile.
10. During its absence, no obvious increase appeared in songbird breeding numbers, nor was there an obvious decline when hawk numbers recovered.
11. Most young breed within 20km of where they were raised. Birds using the same nesting territory in successive years usually also have the same mate.
12. UK birds are largely resident, but migrants from northern Europe both pass through and winter here.
13. A male can survive 2-3 days without food, but the larger female can last up to 6 days.
14. They gained full protection in Britain in 1961.
See some great short videos here (15 minute trailer for the wonderful Secret Life of the Sparrowhawk with 
Chris Packham), here (BBC Life in the Air - with an amazing hunting sequence in slow motion), here (catching a starling), here (catching a jay) and here (training a young falcon - and young falconer).
See here for a fine blog page on the sparrowhawk with photos.
Finally, don't forget to check the Gallery for some fine sparrowhawk photos and paintings.