Aren't you all lucky, two post's in one night but I have come across several new websites relating to a variety of bird of prey projects. Take a look below or come back later and check out my bird of prey related web pages!
Eagle Conservation Committee in Poland - http://eagle.free.ngo.pl/cele.htm
Raptor Conservation Working Group (Milvus) - http://milvus.ro/working-groups/raptor-conservation
Imperial Eagle Conservation in Hungary - http://www.imperialeagle.hu/indexa.html
Bearded Vulture Monitoring - http://www.gyp-monitoring.com/
Black Vulture Conservation Foundation - http://bvcf.joopbox.com/eng/index.php
Grey Falcon Study - http://www.jonnybird-australia.com/greyfalcon.htm
I hope you enjoy them, I will endeavour to update the bird of prey book page as I have many new titles which need adding. Coming soon will be updates and the start of the species specific page and under the microscope page aswell so keep coming back!
Jimmi
Sunday 21 August 2011
Raptors around the world!
Something that I would really like to change for wild birds of prey is the wild trapping and selling of raptors at flea markets and street stalls that goes on in some countries. I have come across it so many times while researching various things relating to birds of prey and the photos always send me into a deep depression. Plans are in place by myself to try and raise funds and awareness for the few organisations that do work tirelessly towards a solution.
On the issue of birds of prey being trapped and persecuted take a look at the links below, the first one is a report on illegal raptor trapping in Iraq. The second link introduces a rehabilatation centre titled Green Balkans based in Bulgaria, rescuing many birds of prey each year.
http://www.wmenews.com/newsletters/1312483233WME_V6I1_en-7.pdf
http://www.greenbalkans-wrbc.org/index.php?language=en_EN&cat_id=2
A bit more species specific are two organisations which are working to help conserve two certain species of birds of prey. The first one is based in Italy and it is working to preserve Red Kites in two nature reserves in Central Italy. The second page is an organisation working to help save and reintroduce the Saker Falcon in Bulgaria, take a look at the fantastic work for a beautiful falcon.
http://www.lifesavetheflyers.it/
http://www.cherrug.org/index.htm
Two final pages concern raptor migration and in particular raptor corridors, these are routes across land that on migration get high concentrations of migrating birds. The first one is based in North America, and it has loads of interesting documents covering raptor migration including a great image gallery. Secondly I maybe repeating myself but it is the request for migration volunteers for the Batumi Raptor count in Bulgaria, it takes place each year and if you want to improve your raptor identification and help with a worthwhile conservation project take a look at the link below.
http://www.raptorcorridor.org/
http://www.batumiraptorcount.org/
All of the above web pages will be added to my links page so if you ever want to re-visit them, rather than search through my posts just click on the bird of prey related pages on the right hand side!
Still a great time for us Brits to get out and see our native birds of prey, I went for a nice walk today on my local patch with the dogs and heard and sighted numerous juvenile Buzzards calling, a female Sparrowhawk circling above a small coppice and a Kestrel hovering over a hedgerow! Brilliant stuff!
On the issue of birds of prey being trapped and persecuted take a look at the links below, the first one is a report on illegal raptor trapping in Iraq. The second link introduces a rehabilatation centre titled Green Balkans based in Bulgaria, rescuing many birds of prey each year.
http://www.wmenews.com/newsletters/1312483233WME_V6I1_en-7.pdf
http://www.greenbalkans-wrbc.org/index.php?language=en_EN&cat_id=2
A bit more species specific are two organisations which are working to help conserve two certain species of birds of prey. The first one is based in Italy and it is working to preserve Red Kites in two nature reserves in Central Italy. The second page is an organisation working to help save and reintroduce the Saker Falcon in Bulgaria, take a look at the fantastic work for a beautiful falcon.
http://www.lifesavetheflyers.it/
http://www.cherrug.org/index.htm
Two final pages concern raptor migration and in particular raptor corridors, these are routes across land that on migration get high concentrations of migrating birds. The first one is based in North America, and it has loads of interesting documents covering raptor migration including a great image gallery. Secondly I maybe repeating myself but it is the request for migration volunteers for the Batumi Raptor count in Bulgaria, it takes place each year and if you want to improve your raptor identification and help with a worthwhile conservation project take a look at the link below.
http://www.raptorcorridor.org/
http://www.batumiraptorcount.org/
All of the above web pages will be added to my links page so if you ever want to re-visit them, rather than search through my posts just click on the bird of prey related pages on the right hand side!
Still a great time for us Brits to get out and see our native birds of prey, I went for a nice walk today on my local patch with the dogs and heard and sighted numerous juvenile Buzzards calling, a female Sparrowhawk circling above a small coppice and a Kestrel hovering over a hedgerow! Brilliant stuff!
Sunday 14 August 2011
Soggy Owls!
Well it feels like summer has been and gone, the wind is up and biting and I can't help but notice leaves gathering along the drive I go down to work and then the rain sets in. I actually love the varied weather we have in the UK although it did me no favours last week when I was carrying out an Owl Prowl for the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. The idea was a leaisurely walk around my local patch which has three owl species living on it and chat about there ecology and lives and maybe a possible glimpse of one or two.
On the night before I decided to go and see if I could see any of the Barn Owls I had been involved in ringing a month previously. The male bird has been roosting in an old derelict barn whilst the female and young have been using a pole nest box and I had been reliably informed the male usually appears about 8.30pm. The male bird didnt disappoint as he came curving out of the barn and off down the maize field in the direction of the nest box, I made my way down the bridle path which eventually runs adjacently to the nest box. I soon heard the shrill hissing shriek of a young Barn Owl begging and then over the hedge row not two but three Barn owls made there way down the bridle path and off onto the meadows, I decided to go and find a nice spot with a good view of the lower meadows and the nest box and wait for the owls to return, within 10 minutes the first owl appeared gliding across the rough grassland up away from the nest box and then another owl appeared quartering the lower meadow then plunging into the grass before rising and following the first owls path. They must have been the adults because in a large Oak tree the third owl landed hissing and shrieking while looking in the direction of where the adults had gone, I had a great view of it through my binoculars until it got better and the youngster flew up onto the nest box. It sat there swivelling its head before it locked its stare onto me tucked into the hedge and flew straight towards me and just 20ft above my head, as it passed over I made a light squeak through pursed lips and the owl did a near 180 degree turn to fly back over my head and off back down the meadows. I decided to leave the owls in peace, and wander back to the car, now if my guests on the Owl Prowl could get that sort of experience it would be money well spent.
Sadly this wasn't to be the case as the weather the following night was terrible for owls, we didnt quite have the heavy rain expected but it blew a gale and we had showers. The three participants that braved the weather seemed to enjoy the walk despite the weather and we managed to hear the resident Little Owls but sadly no Barn Owl sightings and the winds ruined any chance of hearing the Tawny owls in the woods.
I will be holding more bird of prey related activities on my local patch, hopefully the weather will be with me and I can show my guests the same experiences I have had on my patch. Watch out for updates!
On the night before I decided to go and see if I could see any of the Barn Owls I had been involved in ringing a month previously. The male bird has been roosting in an old derelict barn whilst the female and young have been using a pole nest box and I had been reliably informed the male usually appears about 8.30pm. The male bird didnt disappoint as he came curving out of the barn and off down the maize field in the direction of the nest box, I made my way down the bridle path which eventually runs adjacently to the nest box. I soon heard the shrill hissing shriek of a young Barn Owl begging and then over the hedge row not two but three Barn owls made there way down the bridle path and off onto the meadows, I decided to go and find a nice spot with a good view of the lower meadows and the nest box and wait for the owls to return, within 10 minutes the first owl appeared gliding across the rough grassland up away from the nest box and then another owl appeared quartering the lower meadow then plunging into the grass before rising and following the first owls path. They must have been the adults because in a large Oak tree the third owl landed hissing and shrieking while looking in the direction of where the adults had gone, I had a great view of it through my binoculars until it got better and the youngster flew up onto the nest box. It sat there swivelling its head before it locked its stare onto me tucked into the hedge and flew straight towards me and just 20ft above my head, as it passed over I made a light squeak through pursed lips and the owl did a near 180 degree turn to fly back over my head and off back down the meadows. I decided to leave the owls in peace, and wander back to the car, now if my guests on the Owl Prowl could get that sort of experience it would be money well spent.
Sadly this wasn't to be the case as the weather the following night was terrible for owls, we didnt quite have the heavy rain expected but it blew a gale and we had showers. The three participants that braved the weather seemed to enjoy the walk despite the weather and we managed to hear the resident Little Owls but sadly no Barn Owl sightings and the winds ruined any chance of hearing the Tawny owls in the woods.
I will be holding more bird of prey related activities on my local patch, hopefully the weather will be with me and I can show my guests the same experiences I have had on my patch. Watch out for updates!
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