Rare falcons take roost in city park

MEMBERS of a threatened species have made the middle of Gisborne their home and no one is more delighted than Whataupoko residents Keith and Margaret Scholes.

Four New Zealand falcons — Karearea, moved into the district in the middle of March.

The four, thought to be a family of two adults and two young, live in the Cave Road-Riverside Road area and every day base themselves in Whataupoko Park opposite the Scholes’ home.

There are only 400 pairs in New Zealand. Mr Scholes, who has lived in the area most of his life, has never seen the birds there before.

“Never in the 60-odd years have I seen them here and now they are backwards and forwards every day. They seem very settled here.”

The vantage point of a high pine tree with dead top branches is their most common day-time spot.

“Perching at the top against the dark dead wood, they just look so regal,” says Mrs Scholes.

“They are the biggest time-wasters — when they first arrived I spent the whole week sitting on the porch looking through the telescope.”

Hunters not scavangers, the falcons operate in pairs and one will capture a bird up to the size of a thrush and they transfer the prey by dropping it mid-air from one to the other.

“Once we watched one of them eat a thrush in a tree only five metres away. They are not at all bothered by our presence or by park users including dogs.”

A catch, arrival and departure is accompanied by a low, coarse screech that sends the Scholes looking to the sky to see what the falcons are up to. Watching the birds’ escapades is a daily thrill.

“It’s not every day you get to see a threatened species.”

The New Zealand falcon is described as a “fast and fearless hunter” by Wingspan, a bird of prey trust. They are capable of taking prey up to six times their own weight and mainly feed on small birds, insects and rodents.


http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/article/?type=article&id=27905

Cornwall falcon DNA database aims to prevent thefts

14 April 2011 Last updated at 11:42

Animal health experts are taking DNA samples from newly-born peregrine falcon chicks in Cornwall to try to catch unscrupulous bird dealers.

The work is being carried out to allow identification if any are found in suspicious circumstances in captivity.

Officials from the government's Animal Health Agency said they obtained the birds' DNA from feathers in nests.

The county has about 50 breeding pairs of falcons on cliffs along the north coast.

Nest patrols

The move is part of work to prevent chicks from being stolen during the current breeding season and being sold on to dealers, particularly dealers abroad.

The head of compliance at the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Nevin Hunter, said there had been "significant issues" across the UK and falcons had been targeted in particular.

He said: "In one example, a man was arrested at Birmingham Airport last year trying to smuggle 14 eggs taken from fives sites in south Wales.

"We know there is a premium for wild-taken falcons."

Devon and Cornwall was rated as the third worst area in England for the killing of birds of prey, according to the RSPB last September.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the DNA would help trace any birds back to individual nests if they were stolen from Cornwall.

As well as the DNA database, patrols by police and bird lovers are being stepped up to protect the birds in the county during the breeding season.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-13078195

Mother falcon attacks dog, people in Buffalo, NY

Jun 15, 3:13 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Her chicks have left the nest, but a peregrine falcon nesting on a Buffalo tower is proving to be an overprotective mother. Antoine Lanier said he saw the falcon recently chase a teenage boy across a street near the University of Buffalo's South Campus, where a falcon nesting platform is perched on McKay Tower.

Minutes later, Lanier said the falcon swooped in and attacked his dog, leaving the pooch with bloodied paws and ears.

State wildlife biologist Connie Adams said the falcon chicks hatched on the UB tower have left the nest, but the mother remains defensive of her territory.

She said the falcon attacked a pair of bird watchers and a man working on the roof of a Buffalo hospital.

Adams said the mother falcon should become less aggressive in about two weeks.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_AGGRESSIVE_FALCON

Peregrine Falcon shot in the Forest of Dean

A seven-year-old peregrine falcon has been shot dead near a Forest of Dean nature reserve.

The bird, a seven-year-old female, was found near to the RSPB's Nagshead Nature Reserve in Parkend on 2 June and after examination it was found that the bird had been shot a close range with a shotgun.

The Police and the RSPB are warning that shooting a peregrine falcon is a crime as the bird is fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Penalties upon conviction include fines of up to £5,000 or up to 6 months in prison or both. Court can also order the confiscation of any vehicle, weapon or other thing used to commit the offence.

Mark Thomas from the RSPB investigations unit said; “This is awful. Peregrine falcons are magnificent birds of prey.

"It has taken 20 years for them to recover from the devastating effects of pesticide poisoning and now, at a point when they are doing well in south west England, we are finding that they are increasingly becoming the target of people who, for reasons of their own, hold a grudge against them."

Anyone with information about the shooting should call the police directly on 0845 090 1234 (quoting the incident number 296 of June 2). Alternatively, call the RSPB in confidence on 0845 466 3636.

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Falcon-shot-Forest/article-1102814-detail/article.html

Falcons poisoned in nesting site

A family of peregrine falcons were found dead in their nest after being deliberately poisoned, police said.

Officers said an adult falcon and her three chicks were targeted in Houghton Quarry on 31 May.

The alert was raised after a falconer observing the nest became suspicious when the mother appeared to have stopped moving.

Pc Nick Pearson, wildlife crime officer for Northumbria Police, described the attack as "cruel and selfish".

He said: "Our initial enquiries suggest the birds have been poisoned deliberately and we are currently carrying out further enquiries to confirm which substances may have been used.

"I would appeal to anyone with information about this incident to come forward and help us identify those people whose selfish actions have deprived the region of the presence of these majestic birds."

There are about 1,500 breeding pairs of peregrine falcons in the UK.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/8116412.stm

Peregrines at the Tate Modern

There are around 12 peregrine falcons in London. This one, hatched on the Tate Modern in 2008, was seen at the Barbican with St Pauls and Tate Modern in the background. Copyright Peter Kenyon.

Make a date with peregrines and the RSPB at the Tate Modern
June 2009. The annual RSPB peregrine watch resumes outside London's Tate Modern gallery next month. Staff and volunteers will breakout the telescopes and binoculars again to bring these amazing birds closer to the public.

RSPB trailer will be set-up every day from midday through to 7pm, starting Saturday 18 June up to and including Sunday 13 September.

3 chicks hatched

The star peregrines, Misty and Bert, have successfully fledged three chicks this year, two females and a male. The chicks will soon be learning to fly and look after themselves.

The birds perch on the raised brickwork near the top of the Tate's iconic chimney. They are creatures of habit and spend hours on the chimney, making it an ideal point to watch them.

200 miles per hour

Peregrines are the world's fastest birds, reaching speeds of up to 200 miles an hour when diving on prey. That's roughly 200 peregrine body lengths per second; faster than a fighter jet with its afterburners on full-blast (150 body lengths p/s)!

London has a dozen peregrines

London now has more than a dozen peregrines that have arrived naturally in the city and decided to stay. Not all have successfully bred this year, and one new arrival is a female peregrine that has identification rings on her legs. This has allowed us to track her back to the south coast where she hatched on a traditional cliff-edge nest in May 2007.

Urban peregrines

Peregrines are now commonly seen in towns and cities across the UK. Other nesting sites include Battersea Power Station, tower blocks in Tower Hamlets, Croydon, Sutton, and in Regent's Park. Cathedrals in Lincoln and Chichester, Cardiff clock tower and Manchester's Arndale shopping centre.

1,500 + pairs in the UK

After a population crash in the 1960s, peregrine numbers have recovered steadily and recent surveys show that there are now almost 1,500 peregrines pairs in the UK. They have traditionally been associated with wild crags or lonely sea cliffs but changing landscapes mean they have adapted to living in more unlikely places.

We'll be asking visitors at our Date at the Tate to show their support for our native birds of prey, by signing a pledge calling for tougher action against those who continue to illegally persecute them

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/london-peregrine009.html