mystery

[Guest spin cycle]

i'm loosing an old bird a week off the loft ( more than i am racing ) . i thought it was hawks but no bodies also they're mostly dk.chs with odd bl. ch. i thought hawks preffered whites ( which i have )...anyone any ideas ?

[Guest peter.j]

moggies

 

[Guest]

Could well be moggies. The county of Norfolk is rife with feral cats. Only last week I overheard a conversation in a pub where to blokes were talking about eliminating 34 of them in one night.

[Guest spin cycle]

moggies

 

could be....never see them about though. we lost one of own cats last year perhaps she was keeping them away

[Guest Freebird]

Hawk.

[the pigeon_milker]

i would say cats aswell but could be mink or some other predator you need to find out what it is first before you can sovle your problem (hawks are happy to eat any color prey) good look

[pjc]

Percy or Gosshawk will take the birds away to eat, sparrowhawk will knock to the ground to kill and eat.

[Guest spin cycle]

Hawk.

 

i lost a yb fortnight ago hawked but found body...but the rest disapeared

[gooner]

i would say hawks i have 4 white ybs and the only yb to be attacked by the hawk was a cheq

[THE FIFER]

I have white birds as well but its not them the hawks go for

[Guest spin cycle]

I have white birds as well but its not them the hawks go for

 

i thought hawks preffered whites

[Okitsme]

Do you have any open chimneys nearby? I have lost a few down chimneys!! :-/

[Guest peter.j]

i would say cats aswell but could be mink or some other predator you need to find out what it is first before you can sovle your problem (hawks are happy to eat any color prey) good look

 

surely if mink where about the birds would be spooked and they evil buggers would rather get in loft and slaughter the lot

[Guest 67ghirl]

If it was cats or other 'ground' animals there would be either feathers or blood near/in the loft surely

[Guest spin cycle]

Do you have any open chimneys nearby? I have lost a few down chimneys!! :-/

 

don't think so .....few empty ones but lots netted .jackdaws nab rest...lot of jakdaws this year they mob the hawks

[Guest spin cycle]

 

surely if mink where about the birds would be spooked and they evil buggers would rather get in loft and slaughter the lot

 

i think you're right mink/ferret would slaughter lot...perhaps i should look on brightside

[Guest peter.j]

or an over zealous hunter/ kid with airgun possibilities are endless, hope you get it sorted

[Guest Freebird]

What do you mean by "off the loft" and if it is off the loft then you would know exactly what it was? Is it a bird a week during flight?

[Guest spin cycle]

or an over zealous hunter/ kid with airgun possibilities are endless, hope you get it sorted

 

don't think so...round here once april comes all shooting more or less stops because of pheasants nesting and oilseed rape no longer needs protecting. thanks everybody for the replies

[Guest puresoontjen]

if its none of the above then its a ghost

[Guest spin cycle]

What do you mean by "off the loft" and if it is off the loft then you would know exactly what it was? Is it a bird a week during flight?

 

i fly 'open hole' mornings...close traps lunchtime...'flag' in the evening. 'off the loft' is an expression , i thought, for a loss of a bird from home as in ' i lost 2ybs off the loft'. given what i'm doing it probably is hawks...but no bodies...which probably means percy/goshawk as pjc suggests....i did stop open hole...but the birds wouldn't excersize properly mornings so i switched back...it also gives some protection for my ybs against sparrowhawks.

[Guest Freebird]

 

i fly 'open hole' mornings...close traps lunchtime...'flag' in the evening. 'off the loft' is an expression , i thought, for a loss of a bird from home as in ' i lost 2ybs off the loft'. given what i'm doing it probably is hawks...but no bodies...which probably means percy/goshawk as pjc suggests....i did stop open hole...but the birds wouldn't excersize properly mornings so i switched back...it also gives some protection for my ybs against sparrowhawks.

Ahh now see. I think it is more than likely a hawk. Hope you can resolve the situation.

 

 

[THE FIFER]

sounds to me like the hawk, or crows

[pigeonpete]

 

i thought hawks preffered whites

 

dont think so, i have whites, and have rarely had a white taken, there not natural for the hawk! but they will take what ever is the easiest target! hope you sort it out mate, im plagued by the buggers aswell!

[blackdog]

hawks mate, and they take any colours believe me.