Author Topic: The Trajectories of Birds (Read 1109 times)

tony from suffolk · « **on:** February 14, 2021, 10:44:56 am »

Global Moderator Comment Split from: https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=15997.msg338057

pwhole · « **Reply #1 on:** February 14, 2021, 12:01:41 pm »

I once saw that happen ten metres away, 70 metres up, on top of the 'new' Co-op building in Manchester which we were finishing off. Two peregrines had taken up residence on the old tower opposite and were happily picking off pigeons in mid-air all day long - it was fantastic to watch.

Pitlamp · « **Reply #2 on:** February 14, 2021, 12:13:04 pm »

That's excellent Tony - like pwhole I've seen that happen many a time; in my case this was mainly at Malham Cove whilst getting changed to go in. The peregrines' aerobatics are fabulous to watch (unless you're a pigeon

).

sinker · « **Reply #3 on:** February 14, 2021, 12:20:38 pm »

Quote from: Pitlamp on February 14, 2021, 12:13:04 pm

That's excellent Tony....
....The peregrines' aerobatics are fabulous to watch (unless you're a pigeon ).

Shame we can't bring them to the North Wales coast and give them a taste for seagulls

Jenny P · « **Reply #4 on:** February 14, 2021, 01:00:22 pm »

Seen it happen about 20 ft. in front of a bird hide on Spurn Head. Pregerine appeared out of nowhere and shot through a group of small waders, taking one out as it went. Took a moment to realise what I'd just seen!

Seen it also on a beach in Orkney when a group of starlings were picking over seaweed at low tide - peregrine appeared out of nowhere from behind me and took one out as it shot past.

Always an amazing sight if you're ever lucky enough to see it happen. Sadly, no pictures of either event.

topcat · « **Reply #5 on:** February 14, 2021, 06:40:13 pm »

I was birding at Prawl Point years ago when s flock of meadow pipits flew over going like the clappers. Moments later they were hit by a perri and kestril who nearly collided. I was close enough to hear the impact as each bird of prey took a pipit. They both went down on the ground within a couple of meters of each other and covered their prey with their wings and hissed at each other.
Worth getting out of bed at 4am for.......

hoehlenforscher · « **Reply #6 on:** February 14, 2021, 08:04:33 pm »

I was hedging once on my flat field when a peregrine took a pigeon on the wing just in front of me. As he struggled to get height to take his (fat) kill up to the cliffs where his nest was he was set upon by a pair of buzzards. One of the buzzards repeated bashed into him in the air to the extent that eventually he had to drop the pigeon to save his own neck. As the dead bird fell towards the ground the 2nd buzzard swooped in and took it out of the air and carried it off to the big oak tree the other side of the field. I felt sorry for the falcon but very privileged to have witnessed the whole thing from start to finish.

pwhole · « **Reply #7 on:** February 14, 2021, 11:05:47 pm »

Here's one taking a duck midair - from a head-mounted camera:

Down and beyond · « **Reply #8 on:** February 15, 2021, 09:33:17 am »

A few years ago they introduced the red kites here never saw them before now days you see at least 1 a day some times you see a lot more I have seen trees full of them around 20-30 fabulous to view .

I was witness once to waking with a friend and his real
Rabbit skin hat took the interest of a buzzard ! It landed on his Head trying to pull it of I would love to of got this on video !

Laurie · « **Reply #9 on:** February 15, 2021, 05:04:38 pm »

Quote from: Down and beyond on February 15, 2021, 09:33:17 am

A few years ago they introduced the red kites here never saw them before now days you see at least 1 a day some times you see a lot more I have seen trees full of them around 20-30 fabulous to view.

I had a local Red Kite last summer. It gave me some excellent photo opportunities.

Laurie · « **Reply #10 on:** February 15, 2021, 05:12:46 pm »

Ooops! I think we've stated an Ornithology Thread.

topcat · « **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2021, 06:00:49 pm »

Seems like it ! Good thread though........could one of the mods split it off please??

PeteHall · « **Reply #12 on:** February 15, 2021, 08:33:33 pm »

Quote from: topcat on February 15, 2021, 06:00:49 pm

Seems like it ! Good thread though........could one of the mods split it off please??

Global Moderator Comment Consider it done.

mikem · « **Reply #13 on:** February 15, 2021, 08:39:41 pm »

Where did it start?

AR · « **Reply #14 on:** February 15, 2021, 08:54:44 pm »

Over in the silly pics thread!

I once had the privilege of seeing a peregrine swoop into a mumuration of starlings right opposite my house in a snowstorm...

mikem · « **Reply #15 on:** February 15, 2021, 08:59:35 pm »

Plenty of peregrine across the whole country now, including nesting in towns, don't seem to be particularly interested in seagulls though

PeteHall · « **Reply #16 on:** February 15, 2021, 09:04:27 pm »

We were in the garden last summer when something went for the starlings, as they scattered, one of them ended up in the kitchen. It all happened so fast, I'm not sure exactly what went for them, but my initial thought was sparrow hawk. Certainly the more exciting side of bird watching!

mikem · « **Reply #17 on:** February 15, 2021, 09:17:34 pm »

Almost certainly a sprawk

blackshiver · « **Reply #18 on:** February 15, 2021, 10:28:04 pm »

I was climbing on "The Gates of Delirium" on Raven crag in the Lake District. Just got across the traverse and was belaying my second when there was an odd noise like a falling rock and I looked outwards - and down over the trees far below.

The sight I saw is etched in my memory even now.

A "Thing" shot past me, about 10 feet out from the crag (making me jump) its trajectory was about a 45 degree angle and it was just a blur to my eyes. My eye followed the line of the "blur" and there was a swiftly flapping pigeon way down below - flying over the trees.
The pigeon suddenly jerked very sharp right and dropped into the canopy. The "Blur" overshot, slowed down and turned into a Peregrine - who made a right hand turn like a supertanker and then wondered where its quarry had gone.

Fantastic.

ZombieCake · « **Reply #19 on:** February 15, 2021, 10:46:02 pm »

Were they laden or unladen?

owd git · « **Reply #20 on:** February 15, 2021, 11:00:21 pm »

Quote from: Laurie on February 15, 2021, 05:12:46 pm

Ooops! I think we've stated an Ornithology Thread.

you wouldn't believe the miles my family did following t' peak district vulture last year ' Vigo' was magnificent. saw her 5 times in differing locations, bought a proper scope and ironically saw her less than 10m away in flight.
priceless!!!

tony from suffolk · « **Reply #21 on:** February 16, 2021, 07:59:55 am »

Despite living amongst the towering, magnificent mountain ranges and vast chasms of Suffolk, the only place we get Peregrins is on the cooling towers of the sugar factory in Bury St. Edmunds & on the hideous BT carbuncle near Ipswich. We do, however, get lots of Kestrels and those bullet-like assassins that are Sparrowhawks. The latter come hurtling down our side hedge, nip over by the bird tables, and snatch collar doves in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a cloud of feathers.

Numbers of Buzzards are increasing and as a result, the hare population took a bit of a dive for a couple of years, but the latter have now learned to stick to the edges of the fields, rather than dash around in the open. I did spot a Red Kite only a few miles away the other day, so hopefully, they'll soon be drifting around our local skies. They do make the most peculiar noise though.

Down and beyond · « **Reply #22 on:** February 16, 2021, 08:10:16 am »

Are breeding programme locally helped massively in the local area and they are definitely spreading further a field https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/peculiar-case-corbys-dive-bombing-birds-2882266%3famp

The buzzards numbers as far as I can remember personally have always been strong neither of these birds have ever caused a issue locally I am aware of , the red kite though when I am at my sisters her daughter has a rabbit in a run outside and they do glide the thermals watching this they have never tried to take it but I think their knowledge is starting to increase. As I am writing this now I can hear a pair of kites calling each other they are very common here is brilliant

topcat · « **Reply #23 on:** February 16, 2021, 08:53:48 am »

Quote from: Down and beyond on February 15, 2021, 09:33:17 am

I was witness once to waking with a friend and his real
Rabbit skin hat took the interest of a buzzard ! It landed on his Head trying to pull it of I would love to of got this on video !

My dad used to tell a story of when he was night fishing. Sitting quietly in the early hours he had an owl land on his head ! We think he was mistaken for a tree stump or fence post.
He was very embarrassed not to ID the species of owl as he never saw it, but in the darkness it couldn't have been anything other than an owl.

mikem · « **Reply #24 on:** February 16, 2021, 09:59:09 am »

What was he wearing, as they have pretty sharp claws?

Down and beyond · « **Reply #25 on:** February 16, 2021, 10:20:47 am »

The talons on any bird of pray definitely are sharp obviously for their duty to hunt , my friend kept / flew birds of pray teaching them is a dedication like no other definitely keeps you more occupied than your wife , the reward is amazing though to go out fly a Harris hawk or kestrel and watch it dive bomb , I imagine he would of got some marks but nothing to serious as the owl would of wanted to perch not grasp .

Ian Ball · « **Reply #26 on:** February 16, 2021, 10:28:43 am »

Just ask Michael Peterson!

Fulk · « **Reply #27 on:** February 16, 2021, 11:01:50 am »

This reminds me of the time when we were having some work done on the house and the young man carrying out the work said to me, ‘Do you mind if I bring my bird tomorrow?’ Well, I was a bit nonplussed and started stuttering a bit . . . ‘err, no, I don’t mind . . . errrr, what will she do all day?’ ‘Oh, it’s OK, she’ll be happy to sit on her perch in the garden’. So the next day he rolled up with a peregrine falcon; it was brilliant to see such a magnificent creature close up. Having talked about falconry with this guy, I think that Down & beyond is right – taking on a bird like that is quite a commitment, and potentially an expensive one. This lad told me that he’d only had his then-current bird a short time, as his previous one had been taken out by another peregrine; it seems that he’d been unwittingly flying her in a wild bird’s territory, and the latter had got pissed off and swooped on her and killed her. He’d then bought his current peregrine for £2000.

mikem · « **Reply #28 on:** February 16, 2021, 11:12:51 am »

Peregrines are widely recognised as not being the brightest of birds.

Down and beyond · « **Reply #29 on:** February 16, 2021, 12:23:06 pm »

I remember another short story we was out in the Landrover down one of the local byways as you do when it’s pouring it down with rain it had been raining extremely heavy for the past few days so we thought brilliant let’s get the truck plastered, I was with my mate who flew the birds of pray , at one section we stopped and beside us was a buzzard very young absolutely drowned in the rain could not fly at all definitely would of been ate by a fox that night , we threw a jumper over him and took him home , I kicked my Scottish deer hound out of his kennel he had to sleep with the hounds for 2 weeks while we reared him back up to full health to release , eventually after a few weeks he got his weight back and strength and we set billy the buzzard free was amazing !

Is a shame I have some photos but because I on mobile device it won’t let me share

allow me, Pegasus

topcat · « **Reply #30 on:** February 16, 2021, 01:31:53 pm »

Quote from: mikem on February 16, 2021, 09:59:09 am

What was he wearing, as they have pretty sharp claws?

Either a flat cap or a deer stalker: moved in both ends of the social spectrum

( But was flat cap born and bred).

)

Down and beyond · « **Reply #31 on:** February 17, 2021, 06:38:11 am »

Two more photos of billy the buzzard coming up soon hopefully. Thanks for the assistance. He will be shown in a resting position one foot up showing he is relaxed also in flying shape for his release back to the wild .

Ian Ball · « **Reply #32 on:** February 17, 2021, 09:14:00 am »

I'm no fan of birds I usually say but the birds of prey are certainly majestic. Top effort D&B!

yrammy · « **Reply #33 on:** February 17, 2021, 10:20:25 am »

How about this then. On the way to the caving library a couple of weeks ago I saw this Barn Owl stoop for its kill and the Kestrel stealing it!

Down and beyond · « **Reply #34 on:** February 17, 2021, 11:57:35 am »

A lovely photo their thanks for sharing ! It’s a great experience

shotlighter · « **Reply #35 on:** February 21, 2021, 03:27:38 pm »

I think this was a sparrow hawk. Anyway it clobbered a blackbird that was feeding on the lawn, poor thing just seemed to explode when it was hit.
The hawk devoured the lot, glaring at me as it did so. All that was left was the two feet & its beak.
Typical, ate its fill & left me to pick up the bill!

mch · « **Reply #36 on:** February 21, 2021, 05:51:41 pm »

It does look very like a female sparrowhawk but it could also be a goshawk.

mikem · « **Reply #37 on:** February 21, 2021, 05:53:37 pm »

Sprawk on relative size to pile of feathers

andys · « **Reply #38 on:** February 22, 2021, 09:39:05 am »

Quote from: mikem on February 21, 2021, 05:53:37 pm

Sprawk on relative size to pile of feathers

And the yellow eye. IIRC adult Goshawks have an orange eye.

Laurie · « **Reply #39 on:** February 22, 2021, 04:36:15 pm »

S'funny, every photo I've seen that includes the eyes of raptors almost all seem to be staring straight at the camera.

mikem · « **Reply #40 on:** February 22, 2021, 04:47:57 pm »

Watching the threat. Although the barn owl isn't.

owd git · « **Reply #41 on:** February 22, 2021, 07:47:11 pm »

Quote from: andys on February 22, 2021, 09:39:05 am

Quote from: mikem on February 21, 2021, 05:53:37 pm
Sprawk on relative size to pile of feathers

And the yellow eye. IIRC adult Goshawks have an orange eye.

yup!

Mr Dinwiddy · « **Reply #42 on:** February 22, 2021, 08:29:07 pm »

This is not a new video and some of the camera work is blurry but it shows a Gyrfalcon knocking a Canada Goose out of the air and the subsequent fight on the floor. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x52y0qz

Stuart France · « **Reply #43 on:** February 22, 2021, 10:23:46 pm »

If you want to see something really 'uplifting' in these troubled times, try this: