It seems to have been a good year for birds of prey, we seem to be seeing them more regularly, or maybe that's just because it was such a bad year previously.
I have had several discussions with representatives of the RSPB about peregrine falcons. They seem to want to encourage them to spread over the whole country. I point out to them that as their natural nesting sites are cliffs, areas with no cliffs for miles are not their natural habitat. They would fly in from nesting sites, but putting up special platforms on buildings is not really a good idea imo.
I like watching the buzzards in the woods, and we also seem to have acquired red kites and ravens lately, but with a combination of them and disease, and possibly the big cat, haven't seen a rabbit for years.
A couple of years ago here on the Lleyn, I went for a cup of tea with one of my pigeon buddies and after the cuppa we went outside in to his garden. There were no fewer than five peregrines directly above his loft. They would have been the parents and three chicks. That guy used to lose 60 to 70% of his racing pigeons to them and since then, he's given up.
12Bore
Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 9089 Location: Paddling in the Mersey
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 14 2:26 pm Post subject:
We've had them take pigeons in our back garden, scares the beewossname out of the dog!!
robkb
Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 4205 Location: SE London