Once in a Lifetime : Patience and Repetition

Queen Mary's Park is a small area of mixed woods and open space located at the very edge of Carshalton, on the site of a former children's hospital. At first glance it is quite unassuming. Head down, you could march from one end of the park to another in a mere handful of minutes. I know, I've done this many times. I used to see the place as a stepping stone of green on the way to and from work.

More recently, my movement through this space has slowed, and the frequency of visits increased. As this happens, nature cautiously reveals itself to me. Stop for a minute or two - and see what happens. A Nuthatch on a silver birch just metres away. One, two, three Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the trees. Blackcaps singing while they ghost in and out of view. In the summer, Marbled Whites and Common Blue butterflies can be seen moving beautifully through the grass.

Male Blackcap in Queen Mary’s Park

There is always something going on. Often, when that something relates to birds, these happenings are led by sound, followed by curiosity. The other day I was craning my neck, looking up into a tall tree which has recently burst into leaf. The call of a greenfinch could clearly be heard - but the bird itself was invisible. Two people passed by and asked what I was looking for. I pointed out the distinctive call and we chatted for a minute or two, while the bird remained unseen.

I walked on, and as I crossed the park, I heard Blue Tits chattering loudly, urgently. I followed the sound and came to a small tree. The birds sounded distressed, and as I stood there, a peripheral movement caught my eye. Just to the right of the tree, a Sparrowhawk, partly obscured by branches and shadow. I thought it would fly off as soon as we made eye contact, but no. I then realised the hawk was eating a small bird, and though I was quite close by - a thicket between me and the hawk’s tree provided a sufficiently robust defence, preventing me from getting any closer. The Sparrowhawk continued to eat, keeping an occasional eye on me. We spent over fifteen minutes in each other's company before I moved on.

Male Sparrowhawk in Queen Mary’s Park

Nature is happening all the time, yet it has taken me fifty nine and a half years to find myself in this place, with this bird. Chances are I'll never get to experience such a close encounter with a hawk again. And yet, I keep wandering, and wondering.