Percy

[ally mac]

http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u196/downloads/rr330.pdf

 

Lot of info on percy, including the paragraph below.

 

The decline in breeding pairs in North Wales is a new phenomenon that may be linked to declines in the prey base; substantial declines have been measured in upland and moorland birds over the last decade (Lovegrove et al.1995). It is possible that changes in the behaviour of pigeon racers may be having an additional effect. In Cumbria, casual observations suggest that there has been a decline in the numbers of racing pigeons and a change in the timing of races, with the race season appearing to start later in the Peregrine breeding season than in previous years (G. Horne, pers. comm.). Changes in the routing and timing of pigeon training and races, as a means of mitigating the effect BTO Research Report No. 330

August 2003

19

of Peregrine predation, were suggested in the report of the UK Raptor Working Group (Anon. 2000). The potential causes for declin

[white logan]

every cloud has a silver lining , pity percy is not dying off in bigger numbers

[paddymac]

That survey was in 2002 so you can imagine what the numbers are now 12 years later, 70% of territories were active inland in N. Ireland back then which is totally out of control here now. No wonder a lot of fanciers are calling it a day and throwing in the towel.