Bird Cams Around the World

Pembrokeshire, Wales

A peregrine in the wild:



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/wales/10271981.stm

Hurt peregrine falcon gets private plane from Guernsey

A peregrine falcon injured in Guernsey has been flown in a private plane for treatment in Hampshire.

The female bird, which is unable to fly, was found hopping in the road two weeks ago with its wings coated in an unknown substance.

It was flown to Southampton Airport on Tuesday and is now being looked after at Hawk Conservancy Trust in Andover.

The falcon has already lost feathers from both of its wings and may have to undergo a feather transplant.

The alternative solution is to allow the bird to moult naturally before releasing it back into the wild, a process which is likely to take six or seven months.

Conservationists initially thought the bird had been caught in a glue trap but an earlier inspection by a vet at the trust revealed that the damage had been caused by an oily substance.



I'm glad this peregrine was found and is being cared for. I hope he/she will make a full recovery.

Huntly

Didn't have a chance to post this yesterday:

Pentland Hills Quarry

Thieves take flight as falcon chicks saved by bodyguards

FOR the last 15 years they have fallen victim to thieves who raid their nest for their valuable offspring.

But the pair of peregrine falcons who nest annually in a Pentland Hills quarry are at last proud parents after a group of 20 residents took part in a round-the-clock surveillance scheme to protect their young.

The group of local nature enthusiasts completed rolling shifts in the remote spot, keeping an eye on the four newly hatched chicks night and day for a month.

They had previously been stolen by thieves shortly after hatching before they had fledged and were able to fly away from any danger.

With falcon chicks able to fetch up to £20,000 on the black market trade in the endangered species, the volunteers knew the poachers were likely to try to return this year. But thanks to the surveillance operation, the last of the chicks fledged on Monday and finally ended the falcons' long wait to build a family.

The scheme was set up by PC Charles Everitt, a wildlife crimes officer with Lothian and Borders Police, who is the investigative support officer with the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit.

PC Everitt sought out local volunteers through the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and also received help from staff at the Pentland Hills Ranger Service.

He said: "For 15 years these thefts had taken place, always after the chicks had hatched. We had tried various tactics to protect them and nothing had worked. So this year we decided to give the chicks the best chance possible and put a 'peregrine watch' in place.

"Without a doubt someone would have tried to steal the chicks again this year. I'm sure that thieves might have went up there and saw the nest was being watched and given up."

PC Everitt said the scheme would be repeated next year to protect the birds' next generation of young.

The peregrine falcons only produced three eggs this year, but a fourth was added after a suspected bird smuggler was stopped earlier this year with 14 eggs in suitcase at an English airport.

The eggs were distributed to falcon nests across the UK, including to the pair in the Pentland Hills, and the orphaned bird is now being cared for alongside its adopted siblings.

Across Britain, there are approximately 1,200 pairs of peregrine falcons, of which nearly two-thirds nest in Scotland. They are the fastest living creature on earth, diving to catch their prey of small birds at speeds up to 200mph.

Detective Inspector Brian Stuart, head of the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "We are delighted by the success of this scheme, which was badly needed, and the commitment of the community volunteers involved."





I remember earlier this year reading an article about the attempt to smuggle 14 peregrine eggs to Dubai. I am so happy to know that one of these eggs is now a fledgling! It's so good that these juvies are being protected.

St. Walburge's Church, Preston, England

Another attempt to steal falcon chicks:

Dealers’ falcon chick plan is foiled

A plot to steal a rare bird of prey has been foiled by eagle-eyed church volunteers.

Four peregrine falcon chicks have been nesting high up in the tower at St Walburge’s Church in Ashton, Preston.

But one of the young fledglings plunged from its safe perch and had to be rescued from the church grounds.

The chick and a sibling that also fell from the nest a few days later have since had to be removed to a secret safehouse to protect them, after two young volunteers who help out at the church overheard a man on a mobile phone discussing selling one of the birds.

Hugh Reid, maintenance man at St Walburge’s, said: “The first chick was exercising its wings when it fell and did not have enough strength to fly back up.

“Someone must have been watching us and saw us put them on the top of the sacristy.

“Two of our lads came round the corner and saw a bloke, asking how much money he could sell a chick for.

“We have had to take them away for now.”

Hugh called out bird of prey expert Andy Bilsborough, who runs Turbary Woods Owl and Bird Sanctuary in Whitestake, near Preston, for help.

The chicks were not harmed in the fall but the birds needed to be taken somewhere safe until they get better at flying, when they will rejoin their parents.

Peregrine falcons are a protected species, meaning it is illegal to disturb their nest.

The chicks will be microchipped and ringed to help keep them safe.

Andy said: “The chicks are capable of flying, but not yet to the top of one of the highest steeples in England.

“We have had to take them into isolation, away from the public, and put them on an intensive diet until they get their strength up and are strong enough to fly up.

“When they first leave the nest, sometimes the birds are on the ground until they build up a bit of stamina.

“But unfortunately there are some unscrupulous people about.”

Police probed the shooting of a peregrine falcon chick in Grindleton Quarry, near Clitheroe, two years ago.

Devon pigeon racer calls for peregrine falcon cull

A pigeon racer from Devon is calling for a controlled cull of birds of prey.

Frank Mercer, from Shillingford, near Tiverton, said drastic action was needed because so many of his birds were being killed by peregrine falcons.

He said that, until about 10 years ago, there were few problems but they now attacked his birds constantly.

He said all but one of his 24 birds was killed in 2009. The RSPB said the predators were protected and warned that killing them was illegal.

Mr Mercer, who has raced pigeons since he was a boy, said he was taking a gamble every time he let his pigeons out.

But the RSPB said any attempt at a cull would be misguided.

Tony Whitehead, of the charity, said: "The way we look at birds of prey is that it's just another part of the environment.

"If you have a leisure interest and you put pigeons out there, the consequence is that some of them will be taken by birds of prey."



As if these beautiful birds don't face more than enough challenges already . . .

Thanks for the article, Alison. Sure glad this guy didn't get his way!

In June I posted an article about an injured peregrine in Guernsey who was flown to Hampshire for treatment. She has now recovered and has been released.

Peregrine falcon released in Guernsey after treatment

A peregrine falcon has been released back into the wild in Guernsey after receiving specialist treatment in the UK.

The female bird of prey was found at the start of June covered in an unknown sticky substance.

After initial treatment at the GSPCA's Animal Shelter the bird was flown to the UK for rehabilitation.

Chris Mourant, from the British Ornithology Trust, said seeing her fly off was "absolutely brilliant".

"You've done your best and now it's up to the bird," he added.



There is also a video of the release.

Guernsey, Channel Islands

Another article on the female peregrine who was flown for treatment to Hampshire, and flown back to Guernsey for release. This article has a new theory on the cause of her problems.

Hurt Guernsey peregrine falcon was struck by gull vomit

A peregrine falcon found injured in Guernsey and nursed back to health in Hampshire was probably left unable to fly after a seagull vomited over it.

The female bird was found hopping in the road in early June with its wings coated in an unknown substance.

Conservationists initially thought it had been caught in a glue trap but tests showed the oily substance was "partially digested fish matter".

The falcon was released into the wild again last week.

It was flown in a private plane from Guernsey for treatment at the Hawk Conservancy Trust's specialist bird of prey hospital in Andover, and back again.

Defence mechanism

Scientists analysed a sample of the bird's feathers and found that the substance coating them was a natural ester-based oil - which includes vegetable, seed and fish matter - with a high presence of sand and soil.

Ashley Smith, chief executive officer of the Hawk Conservancy Trust, said: "The results have presented a totally different scenario to the one first imagined when she was found.

"We now believe that the peregrine may have preyed upon seabirds, possibly a gull, which has used its primary defence mechanism of projectile vomiting to escape her.

"The partially-digested fish matter would have coated her feathers and she would then have tried to clean herself by dust bathing.

"This would explain the high presence of sand and soil in the sample, which had encrusted her feathers and prevented her from flying."

Paul Betchley, falconer with the trust who released the bird into the wild last week, said: "It was an amazing moment.

"We opened the door to the carrying-box and she hopped out, got her bearings and then took to the skies.

"Let's hope she's learned her lesson and will avoid gulls in future."



She is a very regal-looking falcon.