hawked again

If a hen sparrow hawk weighed........say 235 grams I recon her head would weigh 17 grams. Can anyone confirm this or am I miles out??

My hen sparrow hawk didn't go onto her nest untill the second week in May last year, two weeks later than normal.

A single to Inverness, please.

http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Bubo&species=bubo I gave copy of the Eagle Owl cd to my whole club last year, no one used it. The neighbours would go mental and want rid of the doos. Letting the birds out at different times of the day has not helped me in the slightest. Last year the only way to exercise my birds was to put them in the basket and head east. This was great for three days then she started ambushing them as they returned to the loft. The sparrow hawk hedge hops so someone suggested mono filament just above the tops of fences and hedges but with the wind we get up here even in the summer the doos when returning from training or racing sometimes clear my hedge by just a few inches so that’s that idea out the window as well. There is no legal answer to the sparrow hawk. There are reports of BOP found poisoned in the Highlands every month, whether it’s true or just made up by the RSBP, I don’t know, but if it is true, the RSPB could stop it instantly by allowing problem BOPs to be trapped or shot. This way only one bird is harmed and not the whole food chain. These jokers haven’t not got a clue. The report by DEFRA, RSPA and SNH said that the BOPs had no affect on racing pigeons but at the same time suggested a second loft with less valuable birds to feed the hawks. Do these people even know what they are saying? If hawks don’t bother the doos then what’s this thing I keep seeing ripping mine to bits? The sad thing is the public believe them so we haven’t got a hope in H*ll.

John: If you are going to get one, get it sooner rather than later, that way you can try it on Sh*t eggs to get the hang of things like, temperature, humidity and turning them. If the turning is not automatic just mark one side so you know which ones have been turned. The first time I tried pheasant eggs I struck luck and they all hatched but I had been told by a few people that I would not get many to hatch until I knew what I was doing. You could do it a few times this summer to get the hang of it. Best of luck!

Been trying the lemon juice on my own wet feeders for a couple of days and can defo say.............it was a waste of time!

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-6z4m6d Any of the North of Scotland Fed members intrested in helping out here? It's just doon the road. You can maybe collect my rings for me.

40 years ago it would be not only possible but quite common, no chance now with so many BOP.

Copper pipe washer (olive) on a thread. Hold it over their backs. Cocks swing head to tail, hens in a circle. It’s about 90% accurate. Try it first on your old birds whose sex has been proven, it's 100% accurate on old birds.

Should have pulled it's neck!

I read in the BHW a year or two ago (think it was Bilco) put a splash of lemon juice in the water for wet feeders.

Used to get them out as soon as possible. Last four years, kept them in till the sparrowhawk is on her nest. I have six foot by six foot and three foot high aviaries on legs. Birds are in there as soon as possible and stay in till the end of April, they also get used to going in and out the sputnik. Thought that I would have a lot of flyaways the first year, had two I think. Last year the first ones were born in Februay but the hawk didn't sit till the second week in May. Had my first flyaways off the loft after they had been to Elgin (30 miles) two or three times. Missing out on flying ASAP does not seem to affect their racing either as long as they do get a good bit training after they have been out for a wee while. My birds did not range away from the loft at all last year so I just had to put them in the crate and take them on their first toss to Elgin. I got them all back. The first batch was home in one hour the second in one and a half hours with two missing but home the next day.

It also said that “there was no evidence that birds of pray cause major losses of racing pigeons at lofts or during racesâ€. They should come and see what happens around my loft; I can hardly let my birds out now. Up to about four years ago, unless there was thick fog, my birds were out every day of the year apart from Christmas day and New Year’s Day. They are locked up all winter now, from the last young bird race to the start of April. This year I had 27 cocks without mates so I tried letting them out about 3 weeks ago. They have been out maybe 5 times and the hen sparrow hawk has had 7 of them, that’s more than 25% and they are trying to tell us “there was no evidence that birds of pray cause major losses of racing pigeons at lofts or during racesâ€. These people either haven’t got a clue or don’t want to have a clue. So: Can we all get together and lobby the Edinburgh Parliament. Ask them, under the supervision of the RSPB, SNH and the SHU, we set up a small loft that can be closely monitored by these three bodies. We could all chip in to set things up, donate youngsters (this could turn into a one loft race) and pay for feed. A nursing home or a school would be a fantastic site, it may give folk a reason to get up in the morning or give the bairns something to keep them out of trouble. We would need doo folk with plenty spare time on their hands to set things up and put the birds out every day, use all the methods recommended to keep hawks away apart from Eagle owl recordings. All my neighbours love to see the doos out flying but if I played the owl recording they would soon change their views, the noise is horrendous. The three bodies could keep a good eye on what’s happening around the loft and put a report into the Edinburgh Parliament that shows a true picture of what happens around a loft and how the birds that manage to escape come home from the racing ripped to bits. I only did seven old bird races last year, as far as Rotherham, but I had six birds home all slashed up. How did so many manage to escape? Are the hawks fighting over them? What do you all think then? Is it worth a try? I will make a cash donation to help set up the loft and supply some youngsters next year if it’s a goer.

Hi Paul, It was one of your latebreds that I lost to the sparrowhawk yesterday. The big blue fellow. To make things worse, my best two breeding pairs came off their nests, lucky I had floated an egg from each nest the day before. Jim.

I'd love to be able to tell you the weight of a hen sparrowhawk's head, in grams, but I haven't a clue. Does anybody know?

Aye we're all in the same boat. I lost another one to the hen sparrowhawk today. Builders working two doors down rescued the doo but thought it was better to kill the doo quickly than leave it to suffer any longer. That's 7 she's had in about 3 weeks.

There's nae shame in gettin beaten by Bob Cormack

I think the whole Moray coast is crawling with them now. Paul's gettin nae peace in Forres and I'm gettin hammered in Inverness. We lost our one a week past Tuesday then she wis back again yesterday. Jist when we thought it wis safe. Somebody said on here they dont hunt in the rain. The one that was on my aviary yesterday was drippin wet. It was beltin doon way wet snaw but she wis still huntin.

Av'e no seen the sparrowhawk since last Tuesday. Is it no too early for her to be on her nest? She didn't go until the second week in (in Inverness) May last year. Maybe she has been relocated, chance would be a fine thing, I'll bet she's back tomorrow, it's beyond a joke now, I can't see me racing much longer, can't even let the birds out without a visit. Two o the boys in Inverness have had visitors in the night now as well, taking eggs and killing youngsters, pine martin maybe. I had a visit from a ferret last year, it was tame though so we got a good home for him, it wis stinkin.

round are way we have BABY mice that BIG

Saw magpies take the head off a doo in the Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, that was away back in the 60's.

Funny how it was hot enough to melt girders but they still managed to find an Arab passport unburnt?

Aye!

The planes that hit the towers were no civvy planes. How do I upload a photy fae ma desktop?

This was on the BBC site Thursday or Friday. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12634698 At least it's not all one sides. RSPB think that sparrowhawks are in decline again. Aye right!