The Falcon And The Swan.

Amur Falcons Await Their Fate. Photo Credit Unknown.

I can only assume whoever took this horror photograph did so prior to release of these unfortunate falcons after apprehending the barbaric bastards who put them in the net in the first place....'Clik the pik' and see the horror big time.

But now the good news.

 Amur Falcon. Tom Lindroos.  

I remember posting an article on 23 November 2012 about the plight of the Amur Falcon (AF) in India. The news in 2012 of the massacre of AF in India shocked the world, but the news about them in 2014 is looking better. BirdLife’s Indian Partner BNHS moved immediately to mobilise a response. The trapping was stopped, nets destroyed and arrests made, although not before terrible damage had been done.

 Amur Falcons Over Doyang Reservoir. Ramki Sreenivasan.

This year, the generous response to an international appeal has enabled BNHS - with the support of the BirdLife Partnership - to organise a comprehensive programme to keep the AF safe around the Doyang Reservoir, where they roost during their stopover. The programme has mainly been implemented by a local NGO, Nagaland Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Trust, working with the Nagaland Forest Department.

As a result, brilliant news....not a single AF was trapped during the 2013 autumn migration....and attitudes have changed so much in the space of a single year that the AF's are now treated in the words of Nagaland’s Chief Minister as....'esteemed guests'.

Amur Falcon in Britain.

The only record in Britain of an Amur Falcon is that of a 1st summer male found at Tophill Low NR, Yorkshire in October 2008.

Whooper ZCK.

Whooper Swan. Howard Stockdale.

Whooper Swan ZCK is the only marked Swan/Goose I've seen this winter, though in the case of the Pink-footed Geese I've done absolutely no 'wild goose chases' this winter and so have seen no birds with collars to read. As for this Whooper Swan, it was found amongst the peak count of c.275 on Moss Lane since 14 January, they were still present on my last visit to Cockersands on Wednesday 19 March though by then in a lesser - uncounted - number. On submitting the reading to WWT I was eventually grateful to Julia and Kane for forwarding me the birds history. The bird was ringed as an adult male at Martin Mere WWT Lancashire in February 2013 and returned there this winter to be last seen there on 11 January to be found 19 February at Cockersands. As such this bird does'nt have a long interesting history of re-sightings, though many marked birds often do have and it's always good to find one.

Thanks for the photograph Howard, much appreciated.

Save the Falcon.

Amur Falcon. Copyright Mikael Nord.

Nobody gets more annoyed and fed up than I do about cold callers, be it over the phone, at the front door, through the letterbox, or people stopping you in the town centre begging on behalf of charities, also people persistently banging on at the same subject repeatedly over and over again. However, with regard to the latter I'm afraid I offer no apology and intend to continue to highlight the subject of bird persecution and slaughter occasionally on Birds2blog.

But this time I'm not going to launch into a lengthy rant, but would ask you to take a look at the webpage linked here, but please be warned, the video is 3.5 minutes long, but its more important I warn you....if you're easily upset I'd suggest you just pass it by and enjoy the couple of photographs that follow. 

If it didn't know before the whole world knows about this now, and it must stop. The subject here is an attempt to Save The Amur Falcon ....PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION.

And the couple of photographs to follow....

Kestrel Warren Baker

A smart little falcon the Kestrel, this one a female. Thanks Warren....Excellent.

Merlin Paul Foster

And another smart little falcon, my most favourite the Merlin. I've watched these amazing birds lock on to prey in the air at every twist and turn at 60 mph with missile precision. Thanks Paul....Excellent.

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING....but not until Monday I'm afraid.