Peregrine's

[Bendigo 1,306]

15 rings I've picked up in August from under a nest in the town centre.

We onder why they don't catch the ferals that are there in their thousands 

[WataWalloper 3,922]

They will eat some ferals but some them ferals are pure survivors, crafty things once they get to a certain age 

[gnipper 6,894]

Ferals fly from a to b more than domestics don't they which kit more and circle. If you watch a race liberation they circle a good while before going so no wonder the peregrines get used to them it must be like ringing the dinner bell.

[pesky1972 5,689]

25 minutes ago, gnipper said:

Ferals fly from a to b more than domestics don't they which kit more and circle. If you watch a race liberation they circle a good while before going so no wonder the peregrines get used to them it must be like ringing the dinner bell.

Precisely my thoughts. Never kept them but every time I see pigeons flown from the loft they circle about like a mobile peregrine buffet.., plus they’ll not be streetwise to predators like a feral.

[saluki bouy 877]

mCHulls peregrines they’ll only test themselves against the best 

My Old man’s a pigeon man we were raised to despise them and cats it’s more sparrowhawks he gets bothered with around the doocot but it’s peregrines that will ruin your Saturday morning waiting to time a bird in especially if they hit them at lib point 

[chartpolski 28,511]

Could it be that racers hit power lines, and sometimes they are so exhausted after a race they are an easy catch ?

I don’t know, I not a pigeon fancier but my brother is and hates hawks and falcons.

Cheers.

[Greyman 32,450]

5 hours ago, Bendigo said:

15 rings I've picked up in August from under a nest in the town centre.

We onder why they don't catch the ferals that are there in their thousands 

Ferals are often rung as well mate used to shoot sack loads as a kid around the docks and most were rung used to get a couple of quid for handing them in at the local pigeon club 

[Franks dad 2,440]

6 hours ago, Bendigo said:

15 rings I've picked up in August from under a nest in the town centre.

We onder why they don't catch the ferals that are there in their thousands 

That’s interesting…. We’ve got them in town about a mile away as the crow flies , don’t know how many homing pigeons come through bath daily ..but How many pigeons would a peregrine get through in a month ? . Because if that’s all that’s left of a ringed one , there’s no way of knowing how many ferals it’s caught in that time ( if you get my drift)  , so yo7 could be holding half the diet , or a quarter of it …. 

[Franks dad 2,440]

1 hour ago, Greyman said:

Ferals are often rung as well mate used to shoot sack loads as a kid around the docks and most were rung used to get a couple of quid for handing them in at the local pigeon club 

Off topic but weren’t you tempted to go and see the white tailed sea eagle down chew earlier this week ? 
Without transport at the moment and having been off work last week with a chest infection made my choice for me lol. 

[Greyman 32,450]

35 minutes ago, Franks dad said:

Off topic but weren’t you tempted to go and see the white tailed sea eagle down chew earlier this week ? 
Without transport at the moment and having been off work last week with a chest infection made my choice for me lol. 

First I’ve heard about it mate ironically I was down that way last week osprey seems to becoming a more regular visitor to the lake in the village near me also a few harriers on the foreshore 

[Franks dad 2,440]

7 minutes ago, Greyman said:

First I’ve heard about it mate ironically I was down that way last week osprey seems to becoming a more regular visitor to the lake in the village near me also a few harriers on the foreshore 

Ffs I nearly put a post up and tagged you , but thought you’d know already and thought who else would be interested…

wish I had now … 

It's the UK's largest bird of prey – and it's come to Somerset

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

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The rare sighting of the bird of prey in the West of England attracts crowds of birdwatchers.

 

[Bendigo 1,306]

I'd think peregrine's don't feed on ferals because the ferals are all at low level around towns and buildings. Peregrine's hunt from height and drop at high speed so they want their prey up in the air. Racing pigeons probably come through at just the right height 

[Franks dad 2,440]

14 minutes ago, Bendigo said:

I'd think peregrine's don't feed on ferals because the ferals are all at low level around towns and buildings. Peregrine's hunt from height and drop at high speed so they want their prey up in the air. Racing pigeons probably come through at just the right height 

That’s makes sense .
But I know they do bath , the peregrines nest and roost on st Jon’s church which backs onto the river ( which may make the difference?)  , one goes up high , sometimes they just wait for them to take flight or they sometimes work as a pair and one hustles them into panic , when they’re over the river they drop on them and sometimes smash them into the water , I’ve seen one do it then go back and retrieve it scooping it up …. The pigeons all roost lower on the church and on the nearby buildings and are there constantly.. 

[white van man 3,543]

Remember doing a bit of sea cliff climbing in Cornwall in the late 90s. As we were climbing there were pigeons on some of the ledges. As we climbed up I reached up onto a ledge and a pigeon flew off. Out of nowhere there was huge bang like balloon being popped and I was covered in feathers. Mate below said as the pigeon left the cliff a peregrine came from nowhere and hit the pigeon. Off it went. Would have been awesome to have got that on film. 

[Greyman 32,450]

I think the bit your missing is that most ferals started  life in a loft but never returned have a look when your in town burnt up feet from the acid on the window ledges and rings on there legs if you shot 10 ferals you would get 3/4 ring