Accipiter Nisus

[OhMyGod]

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/album_pic.php?pic_id=293

This chart is a guide only and will differ from year to year, depending on when there are vulnerable fledgelings available and easily taken.

For southern counties this chart may need to be brought forward a couple of weeks

[OhMyGod]

A Sparrowhawks first flight is at:-

male - 26 days

female - 30 days

They are totally independent 4 weeks later.

Their parents will drop fledgelings for them to catch when they fly up to meet them. They can do this 2 weeks after first flight.

So once they can catch dead prey, it takes only 2 weeks to learn how to hunt and be independent. Out of over 1000 nests monitered only 3 or 4 females dropped live prey as spars do not really need to be encouraged, just need to learn how to fly and use their feet.

If they are a bit slow they will somtimes hassle other nests for prey items.

Birds with an imature mother (yearling mothers) will be smaller than birds with adult mothers.

[OhMyGod]

Hacking back can be done in different ways. Either you can watch the bird for a week or so with binoculars, or make a hack box where it will need to be kept for a week or so before being allowed to fly out. Eventually you will never see it again.

I'm not sure what time is best to hack but probably before november is way on its way.

They will always go to a place with good amount of prey.

They will show no imprinted tendencies if taken 3 - 5 weeks after first flight, and handled in the correct manner.

[Hawkmaster]

Good info mate!

[OhMyGod]

Nearly all nests are in coniferous woods managed for timber production.

Most forests are planted with 1.5 - 3 metres between each tree, too dense for spars until 2 years after the first thinning, when the wood is about 20 years old. (8 to 10 metres high). The wood will be used until 40 to 50 years old if thinned every 5 years or so.

Most nests will be in a wood with 2 - 4 metre spacing, and larger than 1 hectare. Places with large woods will have very few hawks in small woods.

Sparrowhawk numbers are solely relative to the number of prey species, not habbitat. So places with no coniferous woods will have nests in other places. No nests will be found in broadleaf trees if there are coniferous woods about.

You are most likely to find nests in dips in the terrain, a hollow or valley. but no closer than 250m of another nest.

When looking for spar nests a good indication of a nest in use is moulting feathers on the floor. The females go into heavy moult as soon as the eggs are layed and the males are bringing food. Which will leave some food remain around the base of the tree. Looking for mutes will also be a sign off an occupid nest.

[Jack Merlin]

I did a lot of ringing of spars for the BTO in Ireland. They never had the persecution in Ireland that they got in the UK by game preservers so probably behave differently. I found nests in extraordinary places. Once in an apple tree in an old orchard, another time right beside the entrance to a busy hotel, another literally outside a farmer's back door, the yet another right at the top of a large sycamore -- it looked like a crows' nest! Ronald Stevens had one in his garden at about six foot from the ground and it was fun watching the parents and youngsters.

But preference is 2/3rd the way up a larch tree that's about 15 inches in diameter, in a reasonable sized wood as the previous posters says, usually with an easy but discrete access close by, e.g. an extraction ride.

The best time to take eyasses, in my opinion, is after fledging but prior to dispersal. Pity a wild take is no longer allowed. I once had one of these wild trapped females jump to the fist on the first night. They have more indignation and anger at being trapped than fear! Nothing beats a spar!

Hope that adds something to the excellent information given by the previous poster.

[Tim Laycock]

"Garden of eagles" by David Fox provides some very interesting insights into the captive breeding of sparrow hawks.
The interesting thing to me was that Mr fox states that the instinct to kill is present in eyass sparrowhawks from at least 21 days, This being based on the fact that the eyasses produced during the 1982 breeding season were weathered in an outdoor pen in the mornings and prior to introducing the eyasses to the pen it had been entered by a sparrow.
After discovering this unintended turn of events, Mr fox then watched in disbelief as the eldest female of the brood (21 days old) promptly despatched and ate the sparrow.

I realise this has little bearing on wild or hack birds but thought I would post it FYI.

[OhMyGod]

Nice ringing work jack!

The info I put up hear was taken from the ringing work done in the whole of the uk a while ago now. From 71 - mid eighties.

I'm not sure how many birds were rung but a total of 1300 nests were done in scotland alone.

I would like to know how one can diffrenciate between a larch wood and other conifers. Near me there is a huge plantation maybe 20 miles across. With all different types, but how can I tell which is which.
I have found plenty of nests there before and have also seen goshawks collecting twigs.

[OhMyGod]

Just for interests sake, I went out sunday for a walk in the woods and found 4 nests. All birds were sitting on eggs, and one was a yearling mum.

I wasn't looking for too long either, there really are loads of these critters about.

[Bullet_Jesses]

8) Well done! I'm feeling homesick now! I remember when I was back in Scotland going out every year to look for spars. I've found 3 coopers nest so far this year in San Diego.Hoping to take one soon. Jim.C

[OhMyGod]

Good luck bullet, hope you get a good bird. I really like the coopers, you will be getting a female I take it? What would you like to achieve with it?

[Bullet_Jesses]

8) Yes ! a female! Probably try it on Quail and dove. Have thought about trying on pintails since we have had a huge amount of rain this year that has created numerous duck ponds. Cheers Jim.C

[Tim Laycock]

I wasn't looking for too long either, there really are loads of these critters about.
Spars are everywhere at the moment :D

But ask for a licence and you will get what I got this year:-
No way, absolutley not "Defra will no longer allow wild takes for falconry"
"the law does not afford the oppurtunity"

Pack of Lousy B******s :evil:

I envy your position Bullet_Jesses :mrgreen:

[Bullet_Jesses]

The British system with regards to falconry as a load of sh--te.For many many years from when I was a young lad, I kept applying for a license and absolutely diddly Squat.I've been in the States for 17 years and i've had about 20-25 birds from the wild. We are way ahead!!!!!!!!! Still ! your breeders must be happy? cheers jim.c

[Jack Merlin]

Can anyone tell me where I can access the whole of the Wildlife and Countryside Act as it applies to a wild take of falconry birds?

I phoned DEFRA the other day to ask about this. I was polite but insistent. The guy on the phone talked over me and eventually hung up which has got my journalistic nose twitching.

I'm in Scotland and I've had several licences over the years. The last was two or three years ago when I got a licence to take a spar from the wild -- though I did state that I would release it at the end of the hawking season.

It is my feeling that DEFRA in England are acting unlawfully by refusing a reasonable application for a licence to take a bird for falconry. There is certainly something wrong if there is that provision in the law and they will not even consider applications because of their own blanket ban. They don't make the laws, Parliament (whether UK or EU) does. We can elect our MPs, but not our civil servants. When civil servants start making the laws, we have a police state.

I already have one complaint with my MP about maladministration by DEFRA. I am sure I can manage another!

[Tim Laycock]

Can anyone tell me where I can access the whole of the Wildlife and Countryside Act as it applies to a wild take of falconry birds?
I tried Jack and failed. A copy of the WAC act seems to be a very elusive thing!
I wouldnt mind a wade through it myself before I try and think of another angle to approach Defra from :wink:

[LanczSpringer]

Hi

A quick look around for the WCA 1981 and I have found the site below!

This needs to be looked at and debated as I see this as a sensitive area.
If the press or public take this in the wrong view it could lead to public perception being turned against falconry and giving the anti's some cannon fodder!

Whilst I agree that we should be able to apply for a general license, especially if as the rumors about culls of birds to reduce "damage" to game stocks, racing pigeons etc etc.

What needs to happen is that people need to support the hawkboard. It is known this is the only group of people that the government will talk / listen to with regards to falconry!

As I understand it I think one of the issues it to ensure that no wild taken birds are used for commercial gain!

But this can be overcome by a number of ways and if a single falconer wants to take a single birds for one or two seasons then release it back to the wild then this SHOULD be OK.

Also, (whilst I am ranting on! ;-) ) how do the wildlife rescue people get to keep a wild "injured" bird. how severe does the injury have to be?

A small injury would mean that the bird would more than likely not survive in the wild (survival of the fittest an all) but would be very useful for the falconer in the field!

Rant over

Lancz

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/section12/chapter_n.html#_Toc44654968

see the general licence section!!!

The granting of a general licence needs to be for the statutory purposes!


The Statutory purposes are:

for scientific, research or educational purposes;
for the purpose of ringing or marking, or examining any ring or mark on, any wildbirds;
for the purpose of conserving wildbirds;
for the purposes of the re-population of an area with, or the re-introduction into the area of, wild birds, including any breeding necessary for those purposes;
for the purpose of conserving flora and fauna;
for the purpose of protecting any collection of wildbirds;
[highlight=red:700dd5a5a3]for the purposes of falconry or aviculture; [/highlight:700dd5a5a3]
for the purposes of any public exhibition or competition;
for the purposes of taxidermy
for the purpose of photography
for the purposes of preserving public health or air safety;
for the purposes of preventing the spread of disease; or
for the purposes of preventing serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber, fisheries or inland waters.

[OhMyGod]

duckponds ay bullit?

I would rather fly a parent reared coopers, however if I were to be serious about taking ducks I would imprint, and get out as soon as possible while they are still about in good numbers.

good luck

[Jack Merlin]

My point has always been that a wild trapped hawk is NOT the same as a captive bred, so they can't use the argument "there are enough being bred in captivity". Agreed, the eyasses are much the same, but post dispersal everything changes.

There are some (a few) falconers who are qualified to fly a passage hawk. Obviously, applications need to be screened. If licences are not issued, these skills will lose continuity. On the other hand, I know experienced falconers who reckon a wild caught spar, for example, is "untrainable". They grumble that they won't even stand on the fist! Well, that is real falconry and they CAN be trained, but if the highest standards of falconry are now represented by the flying of imprints and HHs, God help us all.

Who did the re-habbers/restorationists look to for advice of hacking, handling, hooding, etc? We falconers have specialist skills which are important to conservation and they need to be continued.

The law allows for a wild take. (See above kindly provided by OMG). If the respective parliaments did not want a wild take, they would not have included this provision in the law. Civil servants have a duty to interpret the will of Parliament and not make up laws they think parliament should have made.

I spoke to a 75 year old falconer last night who used to be on the BFC committee. We agreed (I joined the BFC in 1954) that the authorities had always told us "Be patient, wait until the wild populations recover and we will start issuing licences again". OK, so we've been patient. Forty f*ck*ng years of patience! How patient do we need to be?

If licences were issued for one season and the bird released early the following spring, there would be no reduction in the breeding population so that argument does not apply. In fact, it could help as the mortality in the wild in the first and second years is pretty horrendous.

If falconers and bird keepers (gamekeepers, pigeon fanciers, etc) got together, a system could easily be devised whereby problem birds are removed and given to experienced falconers. That already happens in some EU countries. The "take" is very small because captive breds are easier to handle and not many want passagers, but it does happen.

I have tried to contact The Hawk Board before. I gather it is the body which represents falconry clubs. I won't join a club for personal reasons so it doesn't represent me! But I still have rights.

The public has a right to comment on legislation. There is usually a consultation period before a Bill becomes law. I am on the list of those informed about changes in the regulations affecting animal by-products and some of my comments have resulted in a change in the law. Even one man can make a difference (especially if he has a loud voice and an even sharper pen!).

If any of you are members of clubs who speak to The Hawk Board, I suggest you start shouting. Get together, plan what you are going to say, then stand up at the AGM and say it!

[OhMyGod]

I think it's easier for people to just fly them for a season and release. That's why people are doing it on the sly, because they have little or no chance of getting a licence. I was given a haggard musket one day while on a site by a member of the public. It was fine but had crashed through his greenhouse glass and just needed a few minutes to recover.

I saw an oppertunity and took it, site was boring and the idea of a mucket was exiting. It was not impossible to train, nor did I have to rip all its weight off to get it to fly. It carried into trees every single time and I flew it for about two months with no jesses just in case before letting it free.

Why would somone go to the trouble of trying to authorise it, it's been made impossible as the people who are there to try and help you are stuck on a power trip and refuse to listen.

[Hawkmaster]

To help someones cause to trap a bird, the following could be used and combined to power up ones application.

for the purpose of ringing or marking, or examining any ring or mark on, any wildbirds;
for the purpose of conserving wildbirds;
for the purposes of falconry or aviculture;
for the purposes of the re-population of an area with, or the re-introduction into the area of, wild birds, including any breeding necessary for those purposes;
for the purpose of conserving flora and fauna;
for the purpose of photography

And does this mean Sky Trials are aloud?
for the purposes of any public exhibition or competition; :lol:

[M & J Raptors]

I think it's easier for people to just fly them for a season and release. That's why people are doing it on the sly, because they have little or no chance of getting a licence. I was given a haggard musket one day while on a site by a member of the public. It was fine but had crashed through his greenhouse glass and just needed a few minutes to recover.

I saw an oppertunity and took it, site was boring and the idea of a mucket was exiting. It was not impossible to train, nor did I have to rip all its weight off to get it to fly. It carried into trees every single time and I flew it for about two months with no jesses just in case before letting it free.

Why would somone go to the trouble of trying to authorise it, it's been made impossible as the people who are there to try and help you are stuck on a power trip and refuse to listen.

OMG

That makes over 40 birds in 12 years, boy you must be good, :oops:

[OhMyGod]

40 birds ?

which 40 are they then?

You cant really count display birds billy as most centres have 20 - 30 birds which just get flown for display. Anybody can do this even a clown like I said before. However if your talking about display birds then it's probably more like 80 birds, however if you are just talking about birds that I have trained and entered myself It's more like 20 birds.

Shame you have such a sinical view of other people who have done what you have not had the chance to in your bitter miserable english depressing sinical people hating 'falconry' life.

At the time of flying the musket I was also flying a pere/saker and a pere/lanner daily on a tip. (unless you're billy then it was all just a dream)

[OhMyGod]

Does it not get boring billy flying a gos every season for 18 years?

Is this why you're such a **** to just about everyone, why not get up off of youw ass and do somthing different with your time.

[Jack Merlin]

Is this why you're such a **** to just about everyone, why not get up off of youw ass and do somthing different with your time.

Now, now! One should not mock the afflicted! Poor Mick Kane has learning difficulties and one should make allowances!

But I must say OMG has a point. Really. Mick, you never do have much of value to contribute, do you? Why not fly away home to ukgoshawkers? Or has everyone left?

[Jack Merlin]

To help someones cause to trap a bird, the following could be used and combined to power up ones application.

for the purpose of ringing or marking, or examining any ring or mark on, any wildbirds;
for the purpose of conserving wildbirds;
for the purposes of falconry or aviculture;
for the purposes of the re-population of an area with, or the re-introduction into the area of, wild birds, including any breeding necessary for those purposes;
for the purpose of conserving flora and fauna;
for the purpose of photography

And does this mean Sky Trials are aloud?
for the purposes of any public exhibition or competition;

Most of these are subject to even more restrictions. For example, to get a licence to ring birds of prey, you would need to be licensed by the British Trust for Ornithology.

I actually got a licence to ring birds and did just that. I rung so many sparrowhawks and merlins that they had to put a footnote in Bird Study (the BTO magazine) to explain the apparent population explosion after they had been claiming the birds were almost extinct!<g>

I'm afraid they put their foot in it badly by refusing my application for a licence to take a merlin on the grounds that there were none. I asked who did their survey. They said the guys doing the peregrine count. I replied to that by telling them that merlins are usually silent at the time of year they did their peregrine survey. Someone got a red face and the following year I got my licence.

In those days it made sense to release merlins after the lark hawking season as they cost nothing if you took them yourself. Who is going to release a bird costing £400 just to save the bother of taking it through the moult?

I also got a licence to remove peregrines that were killing grouse. They were hacked back in North Devon. Later, they decided the licence had been issued in error due to a legal problem so I don't think any more will be issued for that!

[OhMyGod]

The same I think applies to sparrowhawks. I can't believe they are now £250 when I'm sure I got one not so long ago for 60 or 80 with a free musket.

Who is going to buy a PR spar and just fly it for a few months releasing it when they can easily trap one and release. It's only going to be in your possesion for a few months and unless you have a centre or a breeding program you are not likely to get any trouble. Spars are so abundent and most will die in the wild in the time that you are flying anyway so it's not really morally wrong, just illegal. You fly it for a season giving it safe passage through the summer till the end of the year where you let it go in high condition and then nature is to take care of it again, also I'm sure it will be more likely to survive once it has been trained to hunt for itself.

Like I said earlier sparrowhawks are not trained to hunt by their parents. They are dropped food DEAD from a height and then the parents disperse letting them fend for themselves, in studies done with thousands of nests this is where a good persentage starve.

[Sparrow Hawker]

Jack Merlin
If falconers and bird keepers (gamekeepers, pigeon fanciers, etc) got together, a system could easily be devised whereby problem birds are removed and given to experienced falconers

Very good idea Jack would help to protect the Sparrowhawk as a species and would stop keepers and pigeons fanciers from killing them.

Regards,

HH

[MickeyDredd]

I agree, but would there be enough falconers to take on all the problem birds which would be highlighted i.e. at least one peregrine, merlin, spar and buzzard on every Scottish estate :) :)

[Jack Merlin]

just illegal.

That is important to some of us. And it would be pretty silly to advertise your intention to break the law on a public forum! All DEFRA then has to do is collect a feather from your "legal" bird and do a DNA check against the birds you claim are the parents. Will that further your career or help falconry?

Why should anyone be coerced into breaking the law when parliament has provided a perfectly legal route to obtaining a wild bird? If no one takes advantage of that legal provision, who is to blame? If no one challenges the civil servants who decide to impose their own ideas of the law, why should we have those privileges in the first place?

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Maybe you should have watched some of the programmes on TV recently when they showed what happened in the concentration camps because no one spoke out?

[RabbitHawker]

Ther are 2 falconers from the Yokshire region who have applied for licenses to take spars for a breeding project this year. As I understand it DEFRA have said they would not refuse requests to take spars, but I don't know how you find the right person to deal with the application, I have gone roung in circles before trying to find the person I wanted.

[OhMyGod]

that's because the person does not exist.

you will be going round in circles till you're dead.

[Tim Laycock]

that's because the person does not exist.

you will be going round in circles till you're dead.


Been there, done that! Im not dead but you are not far from the truth.
I nearly lost the will to live thats for sure!

[M & J Raptors]

Does it not get boring billy flying a gos every season for 18 years?

Is this why you're such a **** to just about everyone, why not get up off of youw ass and do somthing different with your time.

OMG

It seems your getting wound up with some of the posts on here, :lol: i merely think its impossible to do justice to the amount of birds you have claimed to have hunted, at only 12 years hawking experience, i do not get bored with one species, in fact we have the finest hunting birds to choose from in the UK, and i like to think that they deserve more than one season to make a good bird,

Billy ps calm down a bit, you get more wound up than Derry ARGUE, :shock:

[M & J Raptors]

Is this why you're such a **** to just about everyone, why not get up off of youw ass and do somthing different with your time.

Now, now! One should not mock the afflicted! Poor Mick Kane has learning difficulties and one should make allowances!

But I must say OMG has a point. Really. Mick, you never do have much of value to contribute, do you? Why not fly away home to ukgoshawkers? Or has everyone left?

Shame on you Derry, and here is us thinking we were getting an answer to outflying posts concerning BERTS eyass Gosses, :oops:

it really does turn the book on its head :shock:

keep smiling jack, and get out a bit more, you may even learn something :D

[OhMyGod]

and i like to think that they deserve more than one season to make a good bird,

me also

I give all species at least two except for spars which I can't be botherd hanging on to.

Maybe when I reach your age I will keep hold of birds longer, until then I will continue doing what I am doing. And as long as I am putting posts on hear I will get nonsense from the likes of you as you have nothing better to do than escape your life and make this forum IT.

[M & J Raptors]

cum on though OMG. Tim or is it Liam, how many Falconers can do justice to 20 birds in 12 years, and tell us they got the full potential out of everyone,
it takes some believing

[Jack Merlin]

If, as is stated on the BFC site, nobody has got a licence to take a bird for falconry from the wild, how is it I got a licence to take a spar a few years ago?

(Ignore the silly child who is jumping up and down demanding attention. He will soon give up and go away).

[M & J Raptors]

:finga:

[OhMyGod]

When did I say I got the full potential? I got what I wanted out of each one. I gained knowledge from personal experience then moved on to fly a different bird in a different environment at different quarry.

When you have nothing to do all day but hunt with birds you can do this mate. bear in mind I have been employed to fly raptors since leaving school. It is not hard to fly a hybrid or two at rooks and gulls on a tipping face, a harris or red at rabbits in the woods or slopes and a spar at woodland birds every day 6 days a week. It's not even a chore. It's perfectly feasable. The trouble comes when you go to work and do it in your spare time.

[M & J Raptors]

When did I say I got the full potential? I got what I wanted out of each one. I gained knowledge from personal experience then moved on to fly a different bird in a different environment at different quarry.

When you have nothing to do all day but hunt with birds you can do this mate. bear in mind I have been employed to fly raptors since leaving school. It is not hard to fly a hybrid or two at rooks and gulls on a tipping face, a harris or red at rabbits in the woods or slopes and a spar at woodland birds every day 6 days a week. It's not even a chore. It's perfectly feasable. The trouble comes when you go to work and do it in your spare time.

oh so your happy just to fly the species just for The sake of it, whats the point in hunting a bird if not to its full potential,?

why not stick to one individual species and make a name for yourself that way, [if that's what your after] bit like the old longwingers, i could name several but you would be too young to even have heard of these Falconers,
these perfected the sport over years and years of dedication and experience with one species, namely Peregrines,
and we still speak about them now, bet Jack knows a few, :wink:

[OhMyGod]

Things have moved on since those days mate, open your eyes and stop thinkink in the past you old goat

[GoneHawking]

Pollard, Upton, Frank, mavragordato, stevens to name a few past hereos of mine. :wink:

[M & J Raptors]

at 42 i can still run after a gos, well more like a trot, :cry: who your getting the perlin from ?

[Shaun Byrne]

at 42 i can still run after a gos, well more like a trot, :cry: who your getting the perlin from ?

Only coz you put off road wheels on the zimmer frame :D

[M & J Raptors]

:butthead:

[Falcon]

:supz: :mrgreen: pmsl

[OhMyGod]

The merlins are not ready yet, but their are a few male semen donors so hopefully all will go well for a guy I know in suffolk, his name is notur business.

[Tim Laycock]

Mick.
When you sayTim or is it Liam, how many Falconers can do justice to 20 birds in 12 years, and tell us they got the full potential out of everyoneI dont quite understand your meaning?
I have only trained from start to finish, four birds and although I have had a good many "half mades" passed through my hands.
I can only judge by my past experience that justice could not be done to twenty hawks in twenty years :)

I hope I have answered and not misunderstood your question

Tim Laycock

[M & J Raptors]

Mick.
When you sayTim or is it Liam, how many Falconers can do justice to 20 birds in 12 years, and tell us they got the full potential out of everyoneI dont quite understand what your meaning?
I have only trained from start to finish, four birds and although I have had a good many "half mades" passed through my hands.
I can only judge by my past experience that justice could not be done to twenty hawks in twenty years :)

I hope I have answered and not misunderstood your question

Tim Laycock

Tim

No mate , OMG called himself Tim then Liam, i dont think he knows who he is sometimes,

[M & J Raptors]

The merlins are not ready yet, but their are a few male semen donors so hopefully all will go well for a guy I know in suffolk, his name is notur business.

Tell you what OMG, Tom Tim or Liam, if the merlins are not ready yet, then wave goodbye to your perlin my friend, :(

[Tim Laycock]

Misunderstood it is then :rolleyes: :mrgreen:

[OhMyGod]

no mate they are only just coming into condition, don't ask me why I'm not a merlin but I think they always are late, but he still has peregrine semen so fingers crossed. It's not the first time he's made them so I trust him. When do you believe merlins should come into condition mate? I would be gratefull of your input hear.

I usually call myself by my name (Tim ) not that it's any of your business but somone called me liam gallegher you stupid basterrd.

Have you even said anything constructive on this thread I made for people who were genuinely interested in finding a spars nest this year? only I can't find any post anywhere where you have given information to anyone on anything except your arrogance. We all have different opinions right but you are a total CUUNT FAACE the whole time, not just somtimes but the WHOLE time.

[M & J Raptors]

Tim

If that's the best you have got then god help us, i hope we meet one day so i can repay your comments to you personally,

[OhMyGod]

So you don't know when they come into condition then?

nothing to ever apart from ****, nothing constructive even when it's asked of you, just **** then is it

[M & J Raptors]

Tim

My Merlin's usually start to lay mid April, i have several, this year they all have completed their clutches already, they are 3 weeks earlier than last year,
i have several Merlin hybrids hatched already with eggs to hatch, i have produced Merlin hybrids for years, including the only Barbary/Merlin in the UK i did 2 last year and 1 in 2004 a UK first, this year i have done a few gyr/merlins due to early eggs,

hope this helps, if you require any information on incubation rearing and problems then do not hesitate to contact me,

cheers

Mick

[Varmint]

We are lucky if we get Merlin eggs before 8th May here in Bonnie Scotland, but this year most of the birds were two weeks to 10 days early.

[OhMyGod]

so what does this mean? does this mean the merlins have missed their time or what? I have been told to wait for them an not panic into buying elsewhere.

[M & J Raptors]

Varmint

Last year they came in late, mid may, i worked the imprints hard this time and had first eggs april 10th, they are *******s to rear though, but the demand is good, a cracking little falcon, its bit cooler up north though,

[M & J Raptors]

so what does this mean? does this mean the merlins have missed their time or what? I have been told to wait for them an not panic into buying elsewhere.

Tim

Its getting very late for semen and if i was in your shoes i would be ringing round other breeders, but not me.

[Shan_U]

Do you spin the bate like on falcons on the sparrow hawk contact me on my e-mail pls shan_u@abv.bg
How much time you can do the basic training

[OhMyGod]

Anyone anywhere flying a wild taken accipiter this year?

I have taken one accipiter badius for a friend and she looks beautiful.

[JayHawk]

Anyone anywhere flying a wild taken accipiter this year?

I have taken one accipiter badius for a friend and she looks beautiful.


not in east anglia i hope lol

j

[OhMyGod]

I still think this is a good thread, but i guess ya have to read it all

The badius filthy murdering evil bitch, was taken from west nepal

[JayHawk]

filthy murdering evil bitch.............i love it lol:supz:

i see you have changed east anglia to india pmsl


filthy murdering evil bitch ..........i love it rpmsl:supz::lol:

atb jay

[OhMyGod]

yes jayhawk. I have been in india quite a while now. There is no falconry being practiced here really, or not that i am aware of.

however i have seen many nice birds here... the badius bitch is one i have to see hunting, and wild taken it should be exciting. I got no time for imprint accipiters. I really believe that wild taken are the best. I think this thread could be useful to many people this time of year.

good flying

[Graham Irving]

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/album_pic.php?pic_id=293

This chart is a guide only and will differ from year to year, depending on when there are vulnerable fledgelings available and easily taken.

For southern counties this chart may need to be brought forward a couple of weeks

Seeing as the original post and link are several years old, any chance you could re load the data for those of us interested, or send it to me via e amail?

Graham

[OhMyGod]

oh, i see what yr saying. Dont know why the chart has been taken off the forum.

I made the chart but i dont have the ability to do it again here in india the machines are public and ancient with no software, and it would be too difficult. Also i dont have all the data needed to do it again, there were thousands of nests recorded and put into this chart.

It seems all my pics have been removed by the forum mods. perhaps the mods can correct this.

The chart just showed when the eggs hatched and the young were independent, i guess it is not important to people who know this already

[OhMyGod]

MODS can you please put this chart that you removed from the first post back where it was??

I really dont know why you have removed it do you??

[OhMyGod]

I am guessing the mods cant or wont do that, it seems all they really can do is remove important information or ban people for inapropriate language

w@nkers

hope this helps with anyone interested in this thread as it now the time of year to start thinking about sparrowhawks again if you want to imprint.

here is the link

http://www.jstor.org/pss/4661