birds of prey

[chubs]

I've flown birds of prey & kept pigeons for years, peoples comments on this thread before they were deleted were a bit stupid on an open forum to say the least. A lot of the facts & figures are way out & very misinformed, such as how much a spar can consume in a day, i know this as i've owned & flown three, i've also flown 2 peregrine hybrids & believe me pigeons are way down on the list of prey! they are extremely hard for a bird of prey to catch & these being wild birds that conserve energy as matter of survival will always go or easy option.

 

I also believe that birds of prey especially the spar has reached saturation point, i'm not against culling them or poss trapping & moving on problem birds but try & get that allowed by rspca etc.

 

yours in sport james.

[Merlin]

Raptor like yourself I would not harm anything for the sake of harming it,its not in my nature,as Sakar says without prey,breeding is affected,racing pigeons are directly responsible for an estimated 95% of falcons reared in the last ten years,especially in this side of the world,an amount of top class protein available all during breeding,at very little effort,racing pigeons/flocks/strange terrain/ very little survival traits/consequently all falcons good and poor hunters rearing large clutches.due to protein on demand,withdraw this feeding bowl for one season,now whats the consequences.

[SakerSam]

 

think as a lover of pigeons along with the majority on here it was a good statement ,this is a site for pigeons not rodents of the air that take our pigeons and if that is what this site is comming to for members then i for one will not be here

 

 

I think your statement just goes to show how shallow 'some' pigeon people really are.

Pigeons are the ones that are classed by our government and DEFRA as vermin, NOT raptors.

If you people were to lock up your coups when you go out or like falconers, build flights that are covered, then the Spars wont visit your gardens and take your birds..........if you wish to leave your coups open then expect not only raptors but corvids and if close to fences etc. foxes and rats to get in and cause mayhem. Also if the HN51 does take hold on our shores, chances are your birds would be destroyed long before the falconers, as most have covered enclosures, so unless our birds phisically caught an infected bird, ours would be last to get culled ;D 8)

 

We should be sticking together and not fighting against each other. IF shooting, fishing, falconry etc. ever gets banned, the RSPCA etc. and other animal rights activists will need to go onto something else..............................most probably you lot.

 

[raptor]

 

think as a lover of pigeons along with the majority on here it was a good statement ,this is a site for pigeons not rodents of the air that take our pigeons and if that is what this site is comming to for members then i for one will not be here

 

Look at it the other way then.................. pigeons carry frounce................ falconers wish all pigeons dead because of the threat to their raptors.................you wouldn't like that would you?

 

To make a sweeping statement like Tammy made will just turn all falconers against you  and cause a total divide.............we actually think that some issues that concern the fancy are valid............... look at it in an adult way instead of a vindictive way...........

 

 

[sammy]

hunting with dogs was banned and i dont see why  hunting with birds of prey should be allowed any one who takes joy in watching another bird tear another bird or creature apart in my mind is capable of doing the same to a human

[raptor]

Raptor like yourself I would not harm anything for the sake of harming it,its not in my nature,as Sakar says without prey,breeding is affected,racing pigeons are directly responsible for an estimated 95% of falcons reared in the last ten years,especially in this side of the world,an amount of top class protein available all during breeding,at very little effort,racing pigeons/flocks/strange terrain/ very little survival traits/consequently all falcons good and poor hunters rearing large clutches.due to protein on demand,withdraw this feeding bowl for one season,now whats the consequences.

 

 

Nature would take over though................ peres will just take what is on offer.............

 

How do you come up with the figure of 95% ?................... in the southwest on a certain part of the coast 2 peres nest and having watched them over the breeding season for the last 3 years they have a main diet of gull and songbird and very little pigeon

 

[Guest TAMMY_1]

 

 

I think your statement just goes to show how shallow 'some' pigeon people really are.

Pigeons are the ones that are classed by our government and DEFRA as vermin, NOT raptors.

If you people were to lock up your coups when you go out or like falconers, build flights that are covered, then the Spars wont visit your gardens and take your birds..........if you wish to leave your coups open then expect not only raptors but corvids and if close to fences etc. foxes and rats to get in and cause mayhem. Also if the HN51 does take hold on our shores, chances are your birds would be destroyed long before the falconers, as most have covered enclosures, so unless our birds phisically caught an infected bird, ours would be last to get culled ;D 8)

 

We should be sticking together and not fighting against each other. IF shooting, fishing, falconry etc. ever gets banned, the RSPCA etc. and other animal rights activists will need to go onto something else..............................most probably you lot.

 

 

are you not being shallow by classing pigeon fanciers as" us lot " ? or is there a divide you can see already ?

 

[Merlin]

Just on equestion for you Raptor how much energy expended killing gulls and wild birds remembering these are in the main wild birds with full survival instincts

also how many of these killed would equal protein amount contained in one racing pigeon.

I observed a breeding pair of peregrines in 07 season,one day I counted EIGHT pigeons being taken to plucking post by the Tiercel and his hen EIGHT, three youngsters being fed, she was away hunting following morning at 8- 20

[Guest TAMMY_1]

 

Look at it the other way then.................. pigeons carry frounce................ falconers wish all pigeons dead because of the threat to their raptors.................you wouldn't like that would you?

 

To make a sweeping statement like Tammy made will just turn all falconers against you  and cause a total divide.............we actually think that some issues that concern the fancy are valid............... look at it in an adult way instead of a vindictive way...........

 

 

do any racing pigeons kill any raptors ? wake up and smell the coffee

 

 

[SakerSam]

hunting with dogs was banned and i dont see why  hunting with birds of prey should be allowed any one who takes joy in watching another bird tear another bird or creature apart in my mind is capable of doing the same to a human

 

 

That's the difference, we as falconers don't allow our quarry to be torn apart or suffer. As and when our birds make a kill, we make in and dispatch the quarry quickly and humanely. A falcon when it makes a strike, it has what is called a tomial tooth, which it breaks the neck of its intended prey and kills it instantly; this is how God made them.

Would you like to see big cats wiped out as when they kill, they suffocate and choke their prey and they are not as quick to dispatch their food. An eagle owl has tremendous power in its feet and would crush the skull of a rabbit almost instantly.

 

[raptor]

hunting with dogs was banned and i dont see why  hunting with birds of prey should be allowed any one who takes joy in watching another bird tear another bird or creature apart in my mind is capable of doing the same to a human

 

???............... who takes pleasure?.............. that is such a small minded statement............  Raptors are hunters...we train them in captivity as the parent role........ once realeased it is nature against nature........... they don't kill everytime nor would I want them too...............  I would say that deliberately poisoning birds is much more sick and cruel as if it kills the parent bird first as it often does then the young starve to death in a slow manner or is that ok with you?

Most good falconers are animal lovers through and through.

 

Hunting with birds of prey is the most natural thing in the world............. it is not man made like a gun.................

 

A lot of fanciers moan about their pigeons being killed by raptors but ........... every year without fail I get at least 6...10 racing pigeons land here and feed alongside my doves........ Last year I rang the owners of 5 birds I caught up to let them no the bird was here.............. what answer did I get.............it went along these lines..........

 

" oh just knock it on the head it isn't any good now"...............  I didn't 5 are still here

 

now don't dare tell me that is right??

 

Only 2 fanciers in 3 years have collected their birds from here.

 

 

[Guest TAMMY_1]

 

 

That's the difference, we as falconers don't allow our quarry to be torn apart or suffer. As and when our birds make a kill, we make in and dispatch the quarry quickly and humanely. A falcon when it makes a strike, it has what is called a tomial tooth, which it breaks the neck of its intended prey and kills it instantly; this is how God made them.

Would you like to see big cats wiped out as when they kill, they suffocate and choke their prey and they are not as quick to dispatch their food. An eagle owl has tremendous power in its feet and would crush the skull of a rabbit almost instantly.

 

aye and apparently they can kill other raptors just as easy

, and the more  eagle owls that breed in the uk the better

 

[Parabuteo]

 

think as a lover of pigeons along with the majority on here it was a good statement ,this is a site for pigeons not rodents of the air that take our pigeons and if that is what this site is comming to for members then i for one will not be here

 

As mentioned previously, this is a very shallow view and a silly statement to put on a public forum, especially if you wish to have support, as no one will support the killing of PROTECTED birds, if anything, you are pushing the pigeon group into a corner out of the way, effectivly isolating yourselves.

 

This is not a private club, it is an internet forum open to public viewing, through membership, sign in details.

 

Any of the fieldsport forums are usually watched over by RSPCA/RSPB etc for anything to do with illegal activities, i.e. hare coursing or using any form of baggies, as this is illegal and anyone who truely respects the countryside, abide buy the rules.

 

But you seem to be saying *expletive removed* them all & we as pigeon fanciers, will do as we see fit & to hell with the laws of the land.

 

Earlier someone commented on Spars in and around gardens.  The fact of this is, that the Blackbird, which is one of the original food sources for the Sparrow hawk, was & is a Wood Land bird, so how did it end up in the gardens and cities?

 

Simple, man has taken over the old woodlands and built housing & shopping centyres on the old hunting grounds for these raptors.  Similarly, the perigrine is in the cities, for the same reason.............Man leaves food waste around, attracks vermin species, Pigeon/ Gulls etc, also the temps are higher in the cities, so vermin species come to the warmth.  Soon vermin species are established and the wild raptors learn where the abundant food sources are.

 

We all take chances when we fly our birds, whether it be Pigeon or a Bird of Prey, but we don't complain to the power companies, becuase one of the raptors got fried on their power lines or go and put a sthil saw through a power pylon.

 

That is the risk we all take when we fly either Predator or Prey type species.

[raptor]

 

do any racing pigeons kill any raptors ? wake up and smell the coffee

 

 

No but frounce does.............. as for coffee no thank you.............

 

grow up and talk like an adult instead of your stupid remarks...........

 

[SakerSam]

 

 

are you not being shallow by classing pigeon fanciers as" us lot " ? or is there a divide you can see already ?

 

Tammy, I am simply responding in the way you people are! As I said before, we should all stand together. The bigger the rift between our pastimes, the easier it will be for the antis to make headway.

It was the pigeon fanciers making the divide by posting up ways of killing raptors, which have now been deleted BUT the database will still have a shadow unless major admin work gets done which as this thread was started 2 years ago, will cause major problems if fully deleted.

[raptor]

Just on equestion for you Raptor how much energy expended killing gulls and wild birds remembering these are in the main wild birds with full survival instincts

also how many of these killed would equal protein amount contained in one racing pigeon.

I observed a breeding pair of peregrines in 07 season,one day I counted EIGHT pigeons being taken to plucking post by the Tiercel and his hen EIGHT, three youngsters being fed, she was away hunting following morning at 8- 20

 

 

But that is the point .....not all peres in all locations are taking large figures of pigeon....I am not saying it doesn't heppen...............

[Guest TAMMY_1]

 

No but frounce does.............. as for coffee no thank you.............

 

grow up and talk like an adult instead of your stupid remarks...........

 

anything that kills the raptors is doing a good job in my opinion

[SakerSam]

 

aye and apparently they can kill other raptors just as easy

, and the more  eagle owls that breed in the uk the better

 

 

;D it just so happens I keep one as well......................and he is in an aviery next to a falcon and hawk

 

 

 

 

[sammy]

all stand together you say well pigeon fancier have been standing alone for the past 15/20 years on this issue of birds of prey ,whats up is the heat now on you guys who keep these birds and now yous want US pigeon fanciers support yous

[Guest TAMMY_1]

IS IT JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT ALL THE RAPTOR LOVERS SEEM TO BE JOINING UP JUST ABOUT THE SAME TIME ?

[Merlin]

Now Raptor we are singing from same Hymn Sheet insomuch as we agree that Peregrines and others are indeed vastly overpopulated,with this scenario if allowed to continue will eventually "my opinion" result in raptors coming off worse eventually. whats your own feelings. Now for rest of input please leave personal comments out,and use a bit of common sense

[carlsberg]

 

 

;D it just so happens I keep one as well......................and he is in an aviery next to a falcon and hawk

 

 

 

 

now that is a beautifull bird,

[Parabuteo]

hunting with dogs was banned and i dont see why  hunting with birds of prey should be allowed any one who takes joy in watching another bird tear another bird or creature apart in my mind is capable of doing the same to a human

 

Oh man, you sound like a born again christian. (no offence to any christiansment).

 

I was 40 when i started fieldsports and it took a time to get to grips with what i was doing, but that was my choice & i followed it through.  If you do not have the constitution to do something, then do not do it!

 

But to make such an unfounded & unproven statement, just goes to show, you are never going to help yourself or the group of Pigeon fanciers on a whole.

 

You are digging a lot of holes for the group on a whole.  Again, how do you exspect to gain support with statements like the above.

[raptor]

all stand together you say well pigeon fancier have been standing alone for the past 15/20 years on this issue of birds of prey ,whats up is the heat now on you guys who keep these birds and now yous want US pigeon fanciers support yous

 

Yep you have stood alone all those years and are still in the same position as you were then..well done!! :

 

 

[SakerSam]

IS IT JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT ALL THE RAPTOR LOVERS SEEM TO BE JOINING UP JUST ABOUT THE SAME TIME ?

 

No, the falconry community were told of the diabolical and illegal comments made by members of this forum; some simply would like to try and educate your people that raptors are not your enemies. I bet more of your pigeons die when they fly over regular flight paths and get shot. Or they are just too exhauseted when racing and then get taken as an inferior or sick bird.