bird lovers - identification needed

[labrat]

ok had a bird on the back garden after a little googling im sorta 60% certain what it is

 

anyone any better at identification heres a few (not very good) pictures

 

 

 

[renegadeimp]

Falcon?

[labrat]

thats what i thought, which one is the question

 

sorry not seen him around before

[citizenB]

Peregrine Falcon by the looks of things.

 

Looks like he made a killing !

[postggj]

def a peregrine falcon

[renegadeimp]

Nah. kestrels are much smaller and "chubbier". They look more like a normal bird except more eviler.

[postggj]

sorry , peregrine falcon

[jackieandwayne]

Don't anyone get friendly with that bird! I do a regular morning walk around a local country park, and for days this biggish bird was following me, I think because I feed the birds with seeds and nuts as i go round. He got closer, closer, then he was sitting on the wire waiting for me each morning. I googled him and found out he was a young buzzard. And then realised why he was waiting on the wire, not for my seeds, but for my little birds! Bloody thing, do you know it had the damn cheek to land on me a few mornings ago! The claws on him are horrible, and its a good job I had a thick coat on and also he smells bad. (Breath I think). I didn't dare look him in the eye. I had to shake him off. He didn't argue with me, just looked a bit insulted.

 

I've had to tell my friend Bernard (yes, I know, biggest mistake, giving him a name!) that he is never to do that again. I can't resist saying good morning to him though, he's there nearly every morning and he is a handsome looking bird (in an evil sort of way) and if I don;t see him, I certainly hear his call across the park.

 

Now, should I continue this relationship or is it going to end in injuries and tears? I mean, how on earth could I walk past him now and not stop to say good morning? LOL. I hope to goodness he gets a female soon, that'll take his eye off me I hope.

 

And that peregrine falcon looks like he has the most disgusting table manners, you might want to have a word with him about this is he wants to keep calling to your garden!

[labrat]

well he left about an hour later

 

full garden of feathers and stuff

 

made alot of noise making the kill - at least the kill did

 

saw it land on the garden with the crow, used its beak to make the kill - very neat

 

then tore it all around the garden, thought it was a peregrene but didnt like to say thought they were fairly rare - especially in nottinghamshire

[citizenB]

Don't anyone get friendly with that bird! I do a regular morning walk around a local country park, and for days this biggish bird was following me, I think because I feed the birds with seeds and nuts as i go round. He got closer, closer, then he was sitting on the wire waiting for me each morning. I googled him and found out he was a young buzzard. And then realised why he was waiting on the wire, not for my seeds, but for my little birds! Bloody thing, do you know it had the damn cheek to land on me a few mornings ago! The claws on him are horrible, and its a good job I had a thick coat on and also he smells bad. (Breath I think). I didn't dare look him in the eye. I had to shake him off. He didn't argue with me, just looked a bit insulted.

 

I've had to tell my friend Bernard (yes, I know, biggest mistake, giving him a name!) that he is never to do that again. I can't resist saying good morning to him though, he's there nearly every morning and he is a handsome looking bird (in an evil sort of way) and if I don;t see him, I certainly hear his call across the park.

 

Now, should I continue this relationship or is it going to end in injuries and tears? I mean, how on earth could I walk past him now and not stop to say good morning? LOL. I hope to goodness he gets a female soon, that'll take his eye off me I hope.

 

And that peregrine falcon looks like he has the most disgusting table manners, you might want to have a word with him about this is he wants to keep calling to your garden!

 

I imagine his diet doesn't help the bad breath, Jackie !

 

BTW, do be careful if you are also walking little dogs.. some of the larger buzzards will attack them

[postggj]

think yourself lucky, near me their was a breeding program to get red kites into the air

 

they bred like rabits and the side of main roads are now full of them

[jackieandwayne]

Oh that's horrible Squaddie - poor things. My mum has a heron in her garden regularly, she spent days watching him, and then realised all her fish had gone out the pond. Then next door lost all their koi carp. So out came the fine mesh covers for the ponds, that stopped him.

 

CitizenB, yes, I thought about the little terriers etc., so have their owners, so a good eye is kept on them. Well the regulars either love or hate Bernard, one guy has 6 black labs, all highly trained gun dogs, and he hates him because he says they are in competition as Bernard likes to kill the game birds as well. I told him, at least Bernard eats all of his kill, you do it for sport. We agree to differ on the killing bit, but we at least agree Bernard is a looker!

 

So, I take seeds for all the little birds, inc mealworm for the robins and corn for the pigeons, and some apple and mandarin segments for the blackbird and thrush, nuts in shells for the jays and jackdaws = do I now have to add a nice piece of raw steak on a bit of string for Bernard?! (There is no way I am hand feeding him, those claws and beak - if I give him something he didn't like he could kill me) He's made me feel like I'm leaving him out, but then I suppose he can always take a chunk out of my ear or something or eat one of my little friends!

[SOD'EM]

As soon as I seen the picture, I thought Peregrine Falcon. Then I read all the posts, and lots of people have beat me to it.

[labrat]

i did think that as well

 

according to a quick google the nearest breading pair is about 15+ miles away in nottingham center, however they like tall buildings and theres only one tall building near me

 

if it is nesting (ive checked and its taken the body with it) then its likely to be somewhere on kings mill hospital

[Sparks_]

Think you should put a couple of chicken wings in your pocket for your morning walk

[jackieandwayne]

Really Sparks? See, several people have told me I ought to discourage him, because he is after all wild. On the other hand, he approached me! I think he's gorgeous, and I'm not bothered by big birds, but hey, he's a bit bigger than my african grey who sits on my head and cuts my scalp to pieces. Now if Bernard sat on my head I think he'd scalp me! I can just imagine him on my head, making sure my head was actually a stable perch by digging his claws in - ouch.

 

I say "good morning Bernard" and his head spins round as he eyes me sideways on, then he puts his head down to his chest, and if he thinks I'm going to stroke him he can think again!

 

Well, ok I'll take a couple of wings out the freezer tonight and see how we go on tomorrow morning x

[citizenB]

I would find something pretty solid to wear on my head, Jackie.. like a motorcycle helmet !

[Guest]

what has it caught? is that a starling?

[citizenB]

what has it caught? is that a starling?

 

Yes, I think so, Ford

[Guest]

impressive, starlings are not slow

[labrat]

according to google the falcons dive can reach 125mph

[unclebulgaria67]

It is definitely a Sparrowhawk. I get them in my garden every now and again, when they are hunting birds that feed. I have seen them eating various birds and they make a mess, with a collared dove stripped down to the bare bones within about 10 minutes.

[determindator]

A feisty bird:madgrin:

 

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/index.aspx

[postggj]

It is nice to see magnificent creatures such as birds of pray common in our skies again, they were almost wiped out by farmers and shot guns, pesticides in the 50-60s limited breeding patterns.

 

Birds of pray gained a protected status under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act

 

Some species of birds of pray have been eradicated from this country

[jackieandwayne]

I'd better have a word with the local jays then, about Bernard and his protected status! He was sitting in an oak tree, minding his own business, two jays just started attacking him, hell of a noise they made about it, and they didn't let up until he moved out of that tree. I suspect they were nesting, and know that Bernard is a killer just waiting.....!

 

Since I've started paying attention to all these birds, they amaze me with their antics!