Birds of Prey

stevensi

I have noticed a there seems to be a lot more birds of prey around these days. Yesterday drove from Dublin to Dundalk and in that trip i saw 3 buzzards 3 kestrel and a female sparrowhawk being mobbed by a couple of hooded crows. Then this morning as i walked into work around Dublin 8 i saw a sparrowhawk fly over me. Great to see so many raptors about. Has anyone else noticed an increase? Now to see a few Red kites in Wicklow would be a treat.

boneless

Buzzard and sparrowhawk are on the increase I think but I have been seeing less kestrel lately. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places though!

I do think there are more urban sparrowhawks these days though. Barely a day goes past for me without spotting one.

stevensi

I see kestrels mostly besides motorways. I'm gauranteed to see at least one when travelling to Cork hovering on over the side of the road.

jmkennedyie

I have wondered if buzzards have started squeezing out the kestrels...similar diet etc. I'm not seeing kestrels as regularly as I used to either.

boneless

jmkennedyie wrote: »

I have wondered if buzzards have started squeezing out the kestrels...similar diet etc. I'm not seeing kestrels as regularly as I used to either.

There might be something in that actually. There's a pHD subject for some naturalist...:)

mallards

I have a pair of Buzzards on my ground. Their numbers seem to swell to around 6 in late summer and I was wondering if they are joined by that year’s chicks and chicks from the previous year? I also have a pair of sparrow hawks, who have been round for the last couple of years. I can't tell you if they have successfully fledged any chicks as I'm not around to have seen them. One of the best so far was a couple of years ago now when I spotted a Golden Eagle passing over the ground in early summer. Topped only by the day when I was out hunting and a male peregrine dive bombed a partridge my dog flushed. Birds of prey are alive and well in parts of the Tyrone anyway!

Mallards.

stevensi

Hi Mallards...

Well i have to agree with you about BOP's up North...i drove to Belfast on Saturday and saw 2 kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawks and 1 buzzard. Great to see them doing well especially the buzzards...

gversey

I have the delight of seeing kestrels everyday, i have been watching and studying a pair of kestrels making a nest, laying egga and today they have finally hatched, a great oppertunity for a photographer, its great....

Roen

I'm all ears

stevensi

On a drive on Sunday from Cork to Dublin I saw 3 Kestrels hovering on the verge of the motorway. Great sight to see. Also another good sign was that 2 Buzzards were seen last week flying over the Phoenix park.