birds of prey

[Guest TAMMY_1]

JUST REMEMBER BART THEY ALWAYS COME BACK ;)

 

MORE THAN CAN BE SAID FOR YOUR DOOS ;D ;D

[ALF]

 

MORE THAN CAN BE SAID FOR YOUR DOOS ;D ;D

 

WELL THAT'LL BE THE LAST TIME I COME BACK TO YOUR PLACE AND TAKE YOU FOR FEEDING :P ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Bilco]

With a rueful smile, I have to advise (some of you) that S.O.S. - or "Songbird Survival" as it is now known, was founded by:  

 

Keith Pulman (Agricultural Show Organiser)

John Pugh (Welsh Hill Farmer)

Kirsty McLeod  (Scottish Estate Secretary)

Wendy Donald

Snowy Jeffs (Retired Exec Imperial Tobaccos)

Bill Cowell (Retired)

Edmund Marriage

Gavin Morris (Farmland drainage consultant)

Peter Bryant (RPRA)

Three other Pigeon Fanciers, names forgotten . . .

 

and we founded the first Board of Directors when our gathering became an official Charity.  At the £20,000 in funds stage, (about 3 years later) we all leaned back and let a bunch of monied, titled and Farming folk take over. It is now a nicely run, professional institution.  Fanciers literally founded half of it, all stemming from a letter in the Daily Telegraph written by Snowy Jeffs.  Cheers, Bill.

[Guest]

been watching the sparrow hawk catching the streeters in my work this past couple of years every day ,today was the first time i got a close up of her on a pigeon , I have seen close ups of sparrow hawks in the past but never this size this was a monster in my estimation it was not far of being two foot in length is this normal for them to be this size or is it a result of feeding on all they pigeons as it never seems to miss ,would like to hear other views

[doos r us]

all the talk of birds of prey just a thought rats mice grey squirrel young bird sickness its a 24 /7 job keeping doos these days we watched 2 magpies hanging on to an a cage trying to get at doos for about 20 min a true saying there only yours when there in the loft if your at the stage of keeping them in for fear of attack chuck it the hawk cant get them when there flying keeps them fit mostly its the lazy ones it gets

[Guest]

all the talk of birds of prey just a thought rats mice grey squirrel young bird sickness its a 24 /7 job keeping doos these days we watched 2 magpies hanging on to an a cage trying to get at doos for about 20 min a true saying there only yours when there in the loft if your at the stage of keeping them in for fear of attack chuck it the hawk cant get them when there flying keeps them fit mostly its the lazy ones it gets

 

thats cobblers the lazy ones the streeters in ma work are flying evey day and still it catches them ,watched a hen come of its eggs one day and crap over the side of the roof and swoosh it was a way with it

[mark]

all the talk of birds of prey just a thought rats mice grey squirrel young bird sickness its a 24 /7 job keeping doos these days we watched 2 magpies hanging on to an a cage trying to get at doos for about 20 min a true saying there only yours when there in the loft if your at the stage of keeping them in for fear of attack chuck it the hawk cant get them when there flying keeps them fit mostly its the lazy ones it gets

 

a hawk will take anything not just the lazy ones,

[Guest]

Agree Mark. Totally indiscriminate killer: streeter, fed topper, grandkid's favourite, they're all the same meal to a hawk.

[Guest]

Hawks only ever take one kind of pigeon....Your best one!.As I  only show  mine stopped flying out 2 years ago,it's a shame but I had tried everything,plastic owls,mirrors,studying the times the hawks were feeding etc,etc,it was hopeless.We have peregrines,sparrow hawks[which i think are the worst as they are so sneaky,they will even follow the birds into the loft].The final straw was when the wonderful RSPB started releasing goshawks just up the road.I wrote to them but they didn't give a toss.I am lucky that they don't need to go out as they don't race,and to be honest some of the show racers probably couldn't find their way back in from the loft roof anyway!,i just make sure each section has a big avery they can fly in.I do sympathise,these birds of prey are not in declining numbers anymore and should not be on the protected list

[Guest]

went training agin today ,lost another one to them blaskets ,while going there if i saw one buzzard i saw at the least 30 at one point i saw 5 flying round each other at one bit ,on the road to carnwath right down to romanno bridge and all the way there never saw one wild rabbit and that road was littered with rabbits poached that place for years i think thats how there as many buzzards about plenty dead rabbits to eat never ever thought i would see the day when going training and see rabbits funny

[jimmy white]

     FALCON THREAT TO PIGEON RACING.

PIGEON RACING IS AT RISK OF DYING OUT IN SCOTLANDWITHIN 20 YEARS IF THE NUMBERS OF BIRDS OF OF PREY NORTH OF THE BORDER CONTINUES TO INCREASE UNCHECKED, ACCORDING A LEADING PIGEON FANCIER.   DR. PHILIP LYNCH,THE CHAIRMAN OF THE S,H,U, SAVE OUR SPORT FROM RAPTERS GROUP, HAS CALLED FOR A CHANGE IN LAW TO ALLOW INCREASING NUMBERS OF RAPTORS TO BE KILLED.      THE NUMBER OF SPARROWHACKS AND PERIGRINE FALCONS, WHICHARE CLAIMED TO FEED ON PIGEONS ARE AT RECORD LEVELS AND AN ESTIMATED    120,000  RACING BIRDS ARE BEING KILLED IN SCOTLAND EVERY YEAR.      THE SITUATION IS SO BAD THAT THE RPRA ASS. HAS LOST 2,000 MEMBERS AND THE SHU.300   SINCE THE START OF THE YEAR.   THERE ARE THOUGHT TO BE 4,200 PERIFGRINE FALCONS AND 120,OOO SPARROWHALKS LIVING IN THE U.K. WITH EACH EATING BETWEEN 2 AND 3 BIRDS A DAY.DR. LYNCH SAID  ,,THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH IS GETTING WORSE.ITS A TERRIBLE WORRY BECAUSE, IF NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT THE UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS OF RAPTORS, WE WILL SEE A MASSIVE DROP IN THE NUMBERS OF FANCIERS IN 10 YEARS AND WE WONT HAVE A SPORT IN 20 YEARS.   DR. P. LYNCH, WHO HAS BEEN RACING PIGEONS FOR ALLMOST 60 YEARS ADDED THAT HE HAD LOST HALF HIS BIRDS,,,,, THIS YEAR.       RAPTOR NUMBERS HAVE ROCKETED, WHICH HAS BECOME A HUGE PROBLEM FOR OUR SPORT. ,,,,,,,        BUT RSPB RAPTOR, SPECIALIST DUNCAN   ORR_-EWING SAID THAT INDEPENDANT RESEARCH SHOWED  THAT FANCIERS HAD FAILED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST RAPTOR ATTACKS.       PERIGRINES ARE BEING MADE A SCAPEGOAT HERE AND THE FANCIERS REACTION IS JUST GO AND KILL SOMETHING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, HE SAID.    IF THEY WERE TO KILL A RAPTOR, THEN, IT WOULD JUST BE REPLACED A FEW DAYS LATER, WITH ANOTHER ONE.       THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN,,,,,ADVICE,,,,   SUCH AS NOT TO USE RACE ROUTES ALONG THE M74 CORRIDER WHERE THERE ARE LOTS OF PERIGRINES, TO KEEP TH THEIR LOFTS AWAY FROM WOOD LAND COVER,, TO PUT,,,,, MODEL OWLS,,,,,ON  THEIR ROOFS ,AND TO USE PIGEONS WITH A WHITE RUMP, BECAUSE RESEARCH SHOWS ,THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE ATTACKED, BUT OUR EXPERIENCEIS THAT FANCIERS ARENT DOING THIS.

 

 

    MAY I POLITELY SUGGEST THAT MR DUNCAN ORR- EWING DO A LITTLE BIT MORE RESEARCH,, THE RSBP ARE A RESPONSBLE ORGANIZATION, AND SHOULD REALLY TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT, THESE REMARKS,,,       AND RECTIFY THEM,     JAMES     WHITE

 

with the more recent problems of hawks,, thought it worth another post,,",PEREGRINES BEING MADE A SCAPEGOAT BY FANCIERS" ,,,,,JUST A BLOODY DISGRACE TO EVEN SUGGEST THIS,J,W,,,,,,,,,,THIS POST WAS PUT ON A LONG TIME AGO , COMMONSENSE TELLS US THEVE MULTIPLIED SINCE THEN [ YES AND HOW MANY FOLD?]  JUST WISH THEY WOULD LET THE GAMEKEEPERS DO THEIR JOB, AFTER ALL THEIR JOB IS TO KEEP THE BALANCE OF NATURE,,,,,THE RSPB, ARE NURTURING THE UNBALANCE OF NATURE

[Guest]

It gets quite sickening the hits, the losses and it just cocks plans up completely. My first full year back in action with the birds. So I only have yearlings, started the season with 20 at the first race all went to 48 mile then to Salisbury 68. Lost a cracking Dk Ch around the loft, kindly given to me by Bob Reeves Snr. Now many of you will have read my assertion at picking birds by the eye and will have seen examples on other threads. This cock for me was a Tarbes pigeon , a top top cock. The went to Lessay only 140+ but a tough one winning velocity 1138, I was 2 3 4 but lost 7!!, must say I was dissapointed. Two weeks later, Mesac 226 mile, 26 may, a tough day throughout England. Sent 12 took 1st & 2nd winning vel 980, had 9 out of 12 , 8 on the day. Good returns but for me dispointing especially when my pool bird that was 2nd from Lessay failed, Hawk/gun/wire I'm sure.

Last night took the remaining 9 down to Exmouth for a short toss 20 mile as the crow flies, let 5 hens go at about 7.15, all home, 4 cocks at 7.30, not one home on the night. This morning two on the loft when I went up, one minus 3 and 4 th flight, Percy didn't quite get hold of him. At 7 tonight, my 'combine' cock dropped on the yb bird section as I was about to shut the trap, covered in blood, took me ten minutes to get him to move from where he landed, punctured under the wing at heart level and on the middle of his back, my fourth  a 2nd prize winner as a YB has not appeared, I think he's probably had it, a simple training toss for yearlings that were showing excellent potential ruins the rest of the season and all down to Sir Percy.

I have never experienced the like of it since I've been down here, it's a heartbreaker, this area is losing fanciers at such an alarming rate and local feds amals are fragmenting. The only hope is that Devon & Cornwall get back together at least then we will have strength in numbers and good competition if nothing else.

I love pigeon racing but I'm seriously thinking of jacking at the end of this season, I am breeding top quality birds ( I believe) for the first time in 30 years and I can do nothing to change their fate.

[frank-123]

eagle owls is our only answer to percy problem i think

[DOVEScot]

eagle owls is our only answer to percy problem i think

 

Agree with eagle owls, we need to collectively fund an eagle owl release problem

 

[Guest shadow]

a pair of perigrines now nesting on Lincoln cathedral will soon be spreading down the east coast as well as the west.

[Guest]

'Worst wildlife crime ever' featured on Scottish Television News tonight, gamekeeper done at Melrose Court [scottish Borders] for possession of illegal pesticide and poisoning pheasant carcases with it to kill birds of prey; keeping a trap with a pigeon in it to trap birds of prey. Mandatory RSPB Spokesperson  interviewed - of course - lives in the telly I think. Seems to be all one way traffic.

 

'Worst wildlife crime ever' might be a better label for the actions of idiots who continue to artificially spread these birds of prey to non-natural habitats, claiming these birds are in decline when what's really in decline is the small bird population. Is there a connection there perhaps?

[jimmy white]

eagle owls is our only answer to percy problem i think

 

i agree bart ,,if you go back in the posts , youll see the carry on we had with them [the rspb i mean] if there were a pair of eagle owls nesting [they nest in the same habitat as perigrines] in most quarries etc , there would be less perigrines , an eagle owl will feed mainly on rabits, but will swoop on a roosting perigrine and finish it off, it will not tolerate a perigrine near its nesting place.  

[Guest]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/6293834.stm

 

I reckon all them remaining breeding pairs must be down in the West Country!! :

[jimmy white]

bird facts,,,the dive or swoop of  a perigrine  has been timed at 180 m.p.h.

[Wiley]

but flying in a straight line, they are infact slower then pigeons im lead to believe, hence the reason why they dive as they are very fast and can create a killer blow. But if they flew in a straight line been told they would never catch our feathered friends.

[mark]

have you ever seen one fly wiley i seen one fly between my fathers in laws loft swerve left where next door feed the doves he knew exacly what he was doing he just picked it off,

[jimmy white]

'Worst wildlife crime ever' featured on Scottish Television News tonight, gamekeeper done at Melrose Court [scottish Borders] for possession of illegal pesticide and poisoning pheasant carcases with it to kill birds of prey; keeping a trap with a pigeon in it to trap birds of prey. Mandatory RSPB Spokesperson  interviewed - of course - lives in the telly I think. Seems to be all one way traffic.

 

'Worst wildlife crime ever' might be a better label for the actions of idiots who continue to artificially spread these birds of prey to non-natural habitats, claiming these birds are in decline when what's really in decline is the small bird population. Is there a connection there perhaps?

 

birdwatchers , who gathered to see a rare swallow on the angus coast were horrified , when they saw it snatched and eaten by a perigrine , they headed for lunan bay as word spread of a bird that was last seen frequently 20 years ago,,,,,,but the red rumped swallows which flew 1000,s of miles ,to get there  probably with a mate, are no more because of the perigrine ,,,,,,,,,,nature brought  these lovely little birds in ,,,,,and the rspb, destroyed  them ,,,,,with their artificial spread of perigrines ,,,,, this is not the balance of nature

[Wiley]

have you ever seen one fly wiley i seen one fly between my fathers in laws loft swerve left where next door feed the doves he knew exacly what he was doing he just picked it off,

 

 

yes i have seen an attack, but this was in the case of 2 working as a pair, one chasing the birds up and flying lower then them, and one high diving right imbetween them. But have never seen one going in a straight line flying forwards catching up to a pigeon in flight and grabbing it.

 

[jimmy white]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/6293834.stm

 

I reckon all them remaining breeding pairs must be down in the West Country!! :

 

i think the rspb do not tell the truth, or more to the point ,dont know the truth,,,,,they are utterly one sided when it comes to perigrines , releasing them to breed where THEY want is not natural  

[Guest]

 

i think the rspb do not tell the truth, or more to the point ,dont know the truth,,,,,they are utterly one sided when it comes to perigrines , releasing them to breed where THEY want is not natural  

 

tell anybody lies and they will beleive you jimmy tell them the truth and they dont wont to know and thats what the rspb are good at telling lies