kieron1980 17 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 No problem pal hope the bird makes a full recovery Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waz 4,226 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Old boy I used to know used to get the kites coming down attacking pigeon decoys, near to reintroduction site. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OldTrapCollector 376 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I have seen them taking pheasant poults out of the air in front of the combine harvester ... carrion my arse 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BIGLURKS 874 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I think I counted 12 up my way last year all circling a forestry block and as for them only eating dead things is daft I've seen one dive catch and kill a rabbit just last year Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiercel 6,986 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Have any of you thought why Buzzards & Red kites are not used in falconry? I will tell you, as you do not seem to have given it a thought. Cos their feet are too small and they are too slow. Yes they will take young birds and animals, but they do so to survive not for sport. You fecking lot need to get a grip, if you were hungry and there was a meal on a plate in front of you would you ignore it? I would not! As for the people who produce chickens that can fly factor the loss into your business plan. I bet rats, fox, stoats, weasels and disease take far more of the young than any bird of prey could. Rant over. TC 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neil cooney 10,415 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Tiercel, we're not talking about a balanced natural eco-system here. We're talking about an over abundance of predators who are top of the pyramid. I don't know one single shooter, hunter or countryman who wouldn't get satisfaction from seeing the odd buzzard etc. but when you see half a dozen in a days rough shooting (as I do ) you don't need to be Mr Attenborough to know an un healthy predator population when you see one. Something has to give. As a matter of fact IMO the Sparrowhawk and Kestrel populations are even suffering. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OldTrapCollector 376 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I bet rats, fox, stoats, weasels and disease take far more of the young than any bird of prey could. Really?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,526 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Don't know about your way but here in Bedfordshire there seems to be a lot of Red Kites about just lately......... Let the pigeons out for abit of exercise and one limped home like this!! Red kite would have no chance of catching a fully fit pigeon.......it's either not a kite or you need to get some new pigeons mate lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiercel 6,986 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I bet rats, fox, stoats, weasels and disease take far more of the young than any bird of prey could. Really?? Yes and as a supposed excellent trapper who knows everything about traps, trapping and the general wildlife of this country I find it incredulous that you do not know how BOP work. I am not denying that Red Kites and buzzards will take young of any species that are indigenous to this country. But the fact is, a raptor will not hunt until it is hungry and once it has a meal it is incapable of hunting again until it's weight drops enough. (Ask any falconer) TC 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OldTrapCollector 376 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I bet rats, fox, stoats, weasels and disease take far more of the young than any bird of prey could. Really?? Yes and as a supposed excellent trapper who knows everything about traps, trapping and the general wildlife of this country I find it incredulous that you do not know how BOP work. I am not denying that Red Kites and buzzards will take young of any species that are indigenous to this country. But the fact is, a raptor will not hunt until it is hungry and once it has a meal it is incapable of hunting again until it's weight drops enough. (Ask any falconer) TC Once again, I bow to your supreme knowledge, first hand experiences including an accomplished understanding of ecology - there really is nothing you do not know everything about is there? I on the other hand know nothing about anything and have to come on here to get my information on the world from the likes of you. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mixedgrill 703 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I'd love to know where all this carrion that Red Kites, Buzzards and Ravens feed on is ?????????? It's illegal for a farmer to leave fallen stock on the land any more and I'm out on the land 7 days a week and don't see as much as a dead rabbit. Yet, all these protected birds of prey that the Wildlife departments are churning out seem to always look healthy and well fed. Pity all the leverat's and wild pheasant poults we used to see aren't as healthy. theres a few feeding stations about for the red kites that have been reintroduced up here in county down .. I sometimes take a day out to go and watch them in and around the down areas what an amazing bird I've even seen them landing in fields along side Buzzards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j j m 6,483 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Loads where we live Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Parabuteos lad 878 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I agree with tiercel, in a straight flight a pigeon is faster than any of our uk birds of prey. Peregrines catch them by falling not straight flight. Sparrowhawks mostly catch them by ambush, flying stretches of gardens and dropping on them as they appear over a fence. Sparrowhawks are much faster than buzzards and red kites, I've had first hand experience flying Sparrowhawks and next to blackbirds pigeons are the hardest quarry 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
undisputed 1,664 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 (edited) "I'd love to know where all this carrion that Red Kites, Buzzards and Ravens feed on is ?????????? It's illegal for a farmer to leave fallen stock on the land any more and I'm out on the land 7 days a week and don't see as much as a dead rabbit. Yet, all these protected birds of prey that the Wildlife departments are churning out seem to always look healthy and well fed. Pity all the leverat's and wild pheasant poults we used to see aren't as healthy." Most likey at the side of any motorway. Don't know what its like down your way but up here more birds are killed by cars than by guns or raptors, Edited January 5, 2015 by undisputed Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neil cooney 10,415 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 (edited) I have never seen a bird of prey feeding on a road kill, that's a fact. The only time I've ever seen a bird of prey on a road was sparrowhawks who actually made their kill there and they then fly off with the still live prey. If buzzards lived on road kills you'd see dead buzzards on roads too now and again. Anyway, here road kills don't last long with the grey crows. Edited January 5, 2015 by neil cooney Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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