Bad Hawk Problem

[DOVEScot]

Thanks for the avice, will try and let them out at different times but this is hard when your busy

[DOVEScot]

You were right gangster it was a hawk, kept birds in the aviary today and worked at home, the tell tale sign when the birds cock one one eye to the sky and stay very still, there it was getting harassed by crows

Thing about nature is hawks raise there young at this time becuase everything is producing young and pigeons are easy picking all lined up on the roof

[THE FIFER]

Downloaded the eagleowl cd, does it affect the pigeons when played

 

 

no it does'nt seem to bother them,

 

 

[Guest]

You were right gangster it was a hawk, kept birds in the aviary today and worked at home, the tell tale sign when the birds cock one one eye to the sky and stay very still, there it was getting harassed by crows

Thing about nature is hawks raise there young at this time becuase everything is producing young and pigeons are easy picking all lined up on the roof

 

Take it from me that there are good signs in there for the future. Keep your crows and get the birds used to them; your pigeons will take their q from the wild birds' behaviour, they're on there way to becoming street wise.

[Roland]

Had a feral once... beat the y/b's home every tossup to 80 miles.

Cleaned out they see hawks way before yours will and head into the loft... your following. Why I often treat any water around the yard etc. If any birds - like sparrows etc. go in to the loft they won't pass on any nasties.

[Bilco]

When I came here to Somerset I saw a chap cadging funds at my local supermarket, allegedly to be paid to a "Wildlife Centre for Injured Birds of Prey". He declined to name the "Wildlife Centre", and since he was an out of work bird of prey keeper, he got no funds from me, nor from the Supermarket after I pointed out the facts of his "I.D. Card" being a fake, home made job, and the non-existent centre to the Manager. The local Law saw him on his way too.  That gent had a habit of releasing a peregrine wherever he saw a kit of pigeons at exercise, until I pointed out to him that I could, and would shoot his peregrine if it attacked my birds. He blustered about the wildlife and countryside act, to which I replied that I have a copy of it, and I am aware that rung birds of prey are not protected because it is a "Domestic", and "gone feral" - if it attacks my bird, it is no longer a wild bird. This ruling also applies to foreign bred birds, Harris Hawks and the like, they are not native.  Too many bird of prey "fanciers" profess to be in a privileged position, and to know the Law. They don't, or they try to bluff the fancier. Yes, British BOP are protected, but not for much longer, the whole damned biodiversity of British birds is so unbalanced now that Public opinion, not the "claimed" public opinion that the RSPB tries to flannel us with, will demand an end to protection of predators.

[Guest]

Bilco while I agree with your sentiments, much of what you say about certain birds of prey being outwith the Act's protection doesn't ring true. Wild birds also carry ID rings, and all birds of prey are protected, whether domiciled or visitor ... most recent proof of this being the North Yorkshire Moors' Eagle Owls, RSPB & BTO having to eat  similar words of false wisdom after the programme was broadcast on TV.

[Guest]

Bilco whilst we all would love to shoot peregrines I don't think you realise the potential consequenses of what you just said,a guy near me went to prison for it

[Guest]

farmer can shoot a dug if it attacks his sheep ,just got cage and aviary the nite got an article with the heading ,time for a rethink on britains raptors , to long to type out so u will have to but the cage and aviary ,but a we bit at the bottom says ,what is the ideal raptor population ,the hawk board asks the the joint nature consevation council and rspb what is considered a fully sustainable population of perigrines ,or even a surplus ,it has yet to receive an answer ,the common beleif that all wildlife populations are self-leveling is petently absurb-you only have to look at the magpie,the rat and the grey squirell.bit of worthless info.and dont think you are wrong there bilco something will eventually happen in the near future as to protection but i am more inclined that it will be nature that has its say

[Guest]

It's such a huge problem down in the south west I've lost 4 babies the week before last , kept them in last week, 'dropped' them and have lost another three this week to Percy and one in the sick bay that escaped. My deterrant must be getting out of date and Percy always takes the best ones!!!!

And to the north of me 30 odd mile up to Barnstaple between Exmoor and Dartmoor its even worse. I take my hat off to the lads down here that keep persevering,I've flown in Sourth Wales and Yorkshire and there is no comparison to the peregrine problem down here, sparrowhawks are also in abundance but they are a pimple compared to the boil that is the Peregrine. (Though I'm sure South Wales is quite bad cause its 20 years since I flew there)

[DOVEScot]

Kept birds in the aviary today again and there bold as brass sitting on fence 5yds from loft/aviary, female sparrow hawk. What if somehow it was malled by my staffies "GAS GUN & LASER" COULD they be prosecuted  :'(

[jimmy white]

down south for a few days and seen as many sparrowhawks there,, as here, it [scot] really is bad ,, the whole country seems polluted with them now

[Guest]

Reading the many posts of hawk attacks up and down the UK (just talking about this year) the one common thing is that all the fanciers hit have had their youngsters out at the time of the attack.

 

And it is worrying that at least one post tells us that a sparrowhawk came thro deterrants which had worked for many others .., the earliest one, the shiny CD and even the latest, playing the eagle owl CD recording (within 10 minutes of stopping play).

 

Speaking to my clubmate Wullie Orr this morning, loft a few hundred yards away from mine, (his in a woodland setting, mine not) he told me even with CDs up he is again being hit by a hen sparrowhawk, and again its youngsters that it attacked. Wullie is the fancier that I quote as reducing daily sparrowhawk attacks to nil after putting up CDs.

 

So seems we need to get thinking again on other deterrants to stop these attacks. If it starts with our youngsters, maybe breeding them later is part of the answer?  

 

  

 

 

[Guest]

maybe the time has come to stop breeding early youngsters and wait untill the sparrowhawk is down on eggs first then that way there wont be much youngsters beeing attacked ,halve of these problems are caused by ourselves Dont breed early starve the B------- thats the only way we are going to get rid of them .

[Guest]

All the deterents work,plastic owls,cd's,mirrors etc etc.....but only until the hawk works it out,they work them all out in the end,like the plastic owls,you have to keep moving them around or else they work it out.Like studdying the hawk feeding times......you work out there are no hawks around....they work out there are no pigeons around....so they try a different time and bingo!.It is a constant game of cat and mouse hawk and man trying to outsmart one another.YB's will always be easy prey as they are not street wise.it will often be neccessary for them to witness a strike before they wise up.Also the deterrents like cd's,owls etc only protect the immediate area around the loft so are only really effective against sparrow hawks watching the loft,birds when ranging have no protection from birds such as peregrines which will take them on the wing.

[Guest TAMMY_1]

All the deterents work,plastic owls,cd's,mirrors etc etc.....but only until the hawk works it out,they work them all out in the end,like the plastic owls,you have to keep moving them around or else they work it out.Like studdying the hawk feeding times......you work out there are no hawks around....they work out there are no pigeons around....so they try a different time and bingo!.It is a constant game of cat and mouse hawk and man trying to outsmart one another.YB's will always be easy prey as they are not street wise.it will often be neccessary for them to witness a strike before they wise up.Also the deterrents like cd's,owls etc only protect the immediate area around the loft so are only really effective against sparrow hawks watching the loft,birds when ranging have no protection from birds such as peregrines which will take them on the wing.

 

agree with everything you say chrissy, they eventually overcome any obstacle we put up against them, only one sure way of stopping them and that is to make sure they never get the chance to come back, also good point about peregrines , i have been plagued by them since beginning of january and hardly a day has passed without an atttack by them  and the only strange thing i saw yesterday and others have posted this but i was a bit sceptical about it, but i watched it first hand and that was when a peregrine came at my birds yesterday it split a couple and was chasing one high up and two crows began attacking the peregrine and it left the birds and after a few minutes of persistant attacks by the crows the hawk took off, as i say i was sceptical about this but having seen it firsthand maybe get some hooded crows as pets, usually there are plenty crows about but was told it will mainly be the hooded crows that will attack anything

[Guest]

a crow has set up nest 2 gardens away from my loft and the attacks from hawks has stopped every time the hawk comes the crows go for it . at last the birds can have an open loft long my it last ;D