Name : pauline
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 21 October 2008 01:26:03
From Page : intro_o.html
We saw and watched an owl today. It must have been a diurnal owl, which from your site, I learned what it was.
We are having difficulty determining what type of owl it was. It did have black eyes and grey stripes from the front view. From the rear, its feathers were similar and had that shape as like a tuxedo at the bottom. Its wingspan could have been 24 inches or even more. It let us observe it for over 30 minutes, which I find facinating as i had neverviewed an owl that close, except from through a car window.
Hope that helps!
Name : Richie
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 12 October 2008 11:46:48
From Page : harris.html
Hi,i just felt compelled to write you a short comment about your website,may i say it's one of the most informative sites I've viewed and I've viewed quite a lots of them, please continue with this passion because for a newcomer like myself this information is vital for the correct understanding and requirements needed for anyone who's considering getting a raptor THANKYOU
Date : 9 October 2008 15:53:44
From Page : intro_h2.html
My son had to do a project on hawks and this information was quite useful to him. It would have been nice to have some info from hindu mythology.
Name : linda mccargar
Date : 8 October 2008 03:14:41
From Page : intro_h2.html
My brother recently committed sucide and the day we discovered the body and my family on the way over to his house we came over a hill and there were two hawks in the road we continued and over the next hill there sat two more hawks and the next day I say three and have continued to see them daily. I have never seen four in less then 3 minutes in the road like that day and continued to see them daily and I have always considered them a good sign and reading this makes me think that he was letting me know he was ok. Thanks for the info and it really helps me feel better. Linda
Name : tracey smith
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 21 September 2008 10:55:46
From Page : places.html
Thank you for including the Trust in your listing, however I wonder if it is possible to update your entry. We are now the Hawk Conservancy Trust ( as we are now a charity) and our telephone number is only 01264 773850 the other info number has not been in use for over 5 years now. Please can you remove this. Many thanks
Name : Laura Redhawk
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 10 September 2008 02:41:10
From Page : harris.html
Very nice web site, a joy to use. I'm doing a bit of research for some books I'm writing. Fantasy...and wanted to know more about these lovely birds. I have a Congo African Gray...Emily, a very cheeky girl, who talks quite a bit; putting together her own sentences from words she knows. Your efforts here have helped me hugely to better understand what is and is not reasonably possible for these fantastic birds of prey! I thank you!
Name : Ruth Mitchell Davidson
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 9 September 2008 11:22:27
From Page : intro.html
Yes, very useful. I needed to find out basic info fast, as I have to construct some poems about birds, one of them being Raptors.
Thank you.
Date : 1 September 2008 15:34:36
From Page : intro_h.html
it has answered my question thank you
Name : massimo massimi
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 17 August 2008 16:54:48
From Page : cbuzzard.html
Very interesting and useful site. Thank you from Italy.
Name : Brad
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 17 August 2008 09:31:43
From Page : comments1.html
i have been very interested in falconry for many years now, and have decided that i would like to own a goshawk. unfortunatley i have not taken any courses and don't know a great deal about them. Do you know how i would get a licence (if i need one) to own a falcon or bird of prey.
Any help would be VERY VERY much appreciated.
Brad.
Name : Amanda Baylis.
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 10 August 2008 14:08:03
From Page : intro_h.html
Dear Sir/Madam,
I live near Stratford-upon-Avon,I have a wildish garden,and lots of birds. Yesterday I arose to a quiet garden, no birds!! Except for
a young (what appears to be) Goshawk, and I think it is in trouble,
as we can get very close to it.
I do not know what to do. Help.
Amanda.
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 8 July 2008 20:38:35
From Page : intro.html
I dont believe that there is any involuntory locking or uncontroled locking in a raptors grip,and primary armament I think not releasing a catch is simply down to stubborn detemination and singleminded survival.
Bauld Eagles are known to row ashore with the wings ungainly but effective, occasionally drown with exhaustion because they are to far out for shore,
Ospreys will carry a catch around with it for as long as it takes to eat it and while go in with two foot full out usually surface and fly off with the fish in only on talon, also I see birds carry fish out belly up.
As yet I have not found a concise answer to this part of a birds talon managment and conclusions or communication welcomed
Thanks and regards
Replied by email.
Regarding whether the locking of a bird of preys foot is voluntary or just plain stubbornness is, I guess, very hard to determine as they cannot speak to us. Unfortunately, I am not an expert in the physiology or psychology of the birds & can only go by what other experts say & from a general impression when flying/handling the birds. Having flown several "sticky footed" birds (ie dont let go of the glove when put down or when they try to fly off), I get the impression that the locking, in this instance, is involuntary.
The ridged tendons & tendon sheathing giving the ability to lock their foot in place is a physiological fact. As they are reliant on the grasp of their feet to catch, retain & most often kill their prey then it would seem logical that there would be some benefit to the initial locking, at least, to be involuntary. Beyond that point, I don't know whether any study has been done to determine whether or not the locking is voluntary or involuntary - the example of Bald Eagles drowning while swimming to the shore with their prey could indicate the locking is involuntary. If the bird is making a voluntary effort to keep hold of the prey through sheer stubborness, then I would have expected there to come a point where it was too weak to carrying on gripping the prey - do you know if this happens ?
I will try to find out if there are any more studies on the foot locking of raptors, if I find any further information I will pass it on.
Name : w.c.smith
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 23 June 2008 12:59:25
From Page : wtseaeagle.html
Superb detail,just the information spread i was looking for!! Thank's
Date : 29 May 2008 18:57:23
From Page : intro_h2.html
Thank you
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 23 May 2008 10:15:24
From Page : intro_h.html
I am wanting specific notes on Hawk which in SIKH(KHALSA) religion is occupying a special place. Amongst the SIKHS it is called BAAZ i.e. in their mother tongue (Punjabi or Gurmukhi).The BAAZ is associated with the 10th Guru Sahib (Spiritual Master) of the SIKHS.
Your coverage is indeed knowledgeable.
Regards & Thanks
Replied by email - or would have done if a valid e-mail address had left.
From what I can find, the bird is most likely a falcon rather than a hawk. In many descriptions the bird is referred to as a "White Hawk" ("Chitta Baaz"). The most likely species being either a Saker (Falco cherrug) or Gyr Falcon (Falco rusticolus).
Name : Em
Date : 10 May 2008 22:03:06
From Page : intro_o.html
Thanks so much for the great website, it was very helpful :)
Date : 8 May 2008 23:18:11
From Page : intro_o2.html
It was great. I had no idea the owl had so many interpretations...I just thought they symbolized wisdom!
Name : Neil Farmer
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 27 April 2008 11:02:22
From Page : threats.html
Very helpful. But less positive about Eagle Owl British bird status than I believe we could be. I understand that if they are treated as escapees and released birds breeding here then their nests and eggs can be legally destroyed and they have no protection. The British Ornithology people have recently tried to argue the case that because we cannot be sure on any particular site they are not migrants that are breeding here their nest are protected. This is a small shift. When the ringed young from established nests are breeding how will their nests and eggs stand in terms of protection status? How many generations will be required before they are recognised as "British Birds"? They fly over the Alps. They can fly over the Channel any time. As numbers are expanding in Europe it is likely that they will.
Replied by email.
Date : 21 April 2008 02:14:35
From Page : wtseaeagle.html
white-tailed eagle moo! moo! moo! bird
Name : Sherry
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 5 April 2008 15:45:11
From Page : intro_h2.html
I am doing some research on the mythology of hawks. About a week ago, my husband and I had saw a dead black bird with a hawk on top of it in our yard. We were watching it for about a minute and it carried the black bird off in it's talons. I know or I've heard that black bird represents a bad omen but why did the hawk intervene. I just want to know more about the hawk. By the way, I love your information on the awesome majastic birds like the eagle, falcon, and the hawk. It just isn't enough for me. Need more information.
Name : Ray Lipton
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 9 March 2008 14:54:28
From Page : intro_h.html
HAve just returned from Goa and could not find out for certain if all the "eagles" (as they are called in India) that we saw all the time in the skies were in fact eagles or other types of bird. From your info it seems that they were true eagles. Thank you!
Date : 5 March 2008 14:39:27
From Page : trivia.html
Thanks, you confirmed a lot of what I already had heard.
Name : ian longson
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 16 February 2008 16:06:24
From Page : equipment.html
the page was very use full in helping me ,,but i would like you to put on the site something that shows people i.e including me on how to connect the swivel to the jess on the birds legs,,,,thankyou,,,,,,ian
Replied by email. I am trying to avoid giving advice on specific matters like this - I always suggest that anyone hoping to get a bird has a full training course & now takes the Lantra Award which will cover this sort of information. It is a bad idea to try to learn from books or websites and get no practical handling under supervision.
Name : mrs jones
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 15 February 2008 14:13:25
From Page : speagleowl.html
Yes this page was helpfull,as my son has one of these owls and since before christmas it has been making a funny hooting noise,all day and night,and you have confirmed what we thought ,that it was its matting time but we wondered when it would finish.your page says feb,so we will see.
Replied by email.
I am assuming from the e-mail address that Mrs. Jones is in the UK.
Unfortunately, you may have to put up with the noise for a little longer - the breeding season for birds tends to be linked to the length of the day, as the bird is well out of its natural region often the breeding season starts & finishes a bit later
Name : Albert Roberts
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 2 February 2008 15:28:38
From Page : speagleowl.html
I have just read the page on African Spotted Eagle Owls.
I found it to be very infomative and useful to me as I will be buying a captive bred chick to imprint.
Thank You.
Name : John Morris
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 18 January 2008 19:09:43
From Page : hybridf.html
Like tne site the first hybrid breeding was done by me and the late Ronald Stevens in 1971 in the west of Ireland
John also kindly provided me with a picture of one of the first hybrid falcons & it's parents.
Name : sohaibanator uchiha
Date : 16 January 2008 01:52:59
From Page : redtail.html
it wasnt because i couldnt find a picture of the hawk catching his prey
You can't please all the people all the time. It is not my intention to present lots of pictures of birds, just a single image that shows the species. Also I only use my own photos & there are a lot of better photographers than me.
Name : Annie Johnson
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 13 January 2008 16:37:15
From Page : goldeneagle.html
I sure do wish you would put the date that the article was published!!! How is anyone supposed to do a biliography without the publishing date?!
-Annie
I did try to reply by e-mail, with an appropriate reference, unfortunately the e-mail address you gave is incorrect. If you contact me through here or e-mail me, I will resend the info you want.
I have also slightly updated the Golden Eagle page regarding how much time they spend on average flying.
Date : 12 January 2008 20:13:01
From Page : comments1.html
how old do the live
As you were looking at the Snowy Owl page when you gave your reply below, I assume that you are asking how long Snowy Owls live. If you read the page carefully, you will find that I do give estimates of life expectancy in the wild & captivity, at the bottom of this paragraph. Just above the list of names in other languages, I also give the American Ornithologists Union longevity record.
Date : 12 January 2008 20:11:56
From Page : snowyowl.html
no
See above.
Name : Emma
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 9 January 2008 19:27:35
From Page : equipment.html
thanks loads for the site it has been realy helpfull to me! you obviosly know a lot about birds of prey, do you have any usefull information on harris hawks? i have been researching them recently. if you do then thanks loads, if not it dosn't matter.
also could you please let me know about the birding glove, i noticed it was not on the website, thanks again!
Emma
Replied by email, not sulking too much about the request for useful information on Harris Hawks.
Name : jimmy
E-Mail : Supplied
Date : 4 January 2008 21:42:48
From Page : kestrel.html
hi there can u give me advice on an ideal flying weight off a female kestrel at the moment i av her flying at a weight off 6quarter onces only around my garden any ideas thanks
Replied by email.
Please note that I do not give advice about individual birds without having seen the bird & even then my advice is likely to be to go to a professional falconer or centre.
All I can say is that all birds are different, there are large and small females & the only person who is going to know the ideal flying weight is yourself by experience with the bird. If she flies well at 6 & quarter ounce then that is her "ideal" weight at the moment - her "ideal" flying weight is likely to change with the season & the amount of flying she does - in the winter she may put on body fat to keep warm, if you fly her more during the summer than winter then the amount of muscle will build up, both of these will alter her "ideal" flying weight.
It is important with a bird as small as a kestrel to take good care with feeding to maintain the correct weight & not let her weight drop to quickly if you feel she is over her "ideal" flying weight.