Sparrowhawk vs. starling

I'll post one more bird photo, because I don't want to end the blogging day with a photo of J.D. Vance at the top of the blog column.  This image was one of the winners in the British Wildlife Photography Awards for 2026, from a gallery in The Atlantic.

Nemesis. Winner, Animal Behavior. Parker: “Because the sparrowhawk had never gone to ground before on previous visits to the garden, and not knowing how long it would stay, I just wanted to get an image to record the event before then concentrating on my settings. The story I think the image portrays is evident in the eye contact between the two subjects and the vicelike grip they have on each other, however, the eye contact and grip of the juvenile starling is out of pure fear while that of its nemesis is one of dominance and relief in finally catching a much-needed meal.”