Sparrowhawk in my garden!

It isn't always planned field trips or chance encounters whilst out exploring the countryside that makes for a worthy blog post. Today a brief moment viewed from my kitchen window is more than enough to have me here writing and posting pics!
   Sparrowhawks have long been one of my favourite birds. Often only viewed  for a second or 2 as one passes swiftly on a hunt, or seen swirling on the thermals, sometimes so high up that they are little more than a dot in the sky. It's rare that you get the chance for a close detailed view of this beautiful bird of prey, and even rarer the chance to photograph one close up!
    I was making a cup of tea when my other half, Nicola, suddenly exclaimed 'There's a Sparrowhawk in the garden!'
  Sure enough, just 10 feet away on a branch of our Bird Cherry, sat the Sparrowhawk, which I think was a female. I quickly grabbed my camera, as on the handful of other occasions that one has landed in our garden it always disappears again pretty soon after!
   The bird posed quite nicely for a couple of minutes before flying off suddenly. A Woodpigeon sat on a neighbouring branch was unconcerned by it's presence.
   The light was poor and I was shooting at an angle through the kitchen window, but I'm quite happy with the shots, certainly the best I've ever managed of a Sparrowhawk!
A thrilling moment in an otherwise typical Autumn day!