Is this a Peregrine?

Grolschevik · 13-07-2010 4:05pm #1

It looks like one, based on the pics in my birds book. Sounded young, too, and its chest was still downy. It was about the size of a cat as it sat there. Seen in Portmarnock last week. Hopefully these pics will upload... Have video, too.

Feargal as Luimneach · 13-07-2010 4:10pm

Juvenile Peregrine, sad to see them like that:(

Grolschevik · 13-07-2010 4:24pm

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

sad to see them like that:(

Why? Was it unfledged and helpless?

Kess73 · 13-07-2010 4:28pm

It looks to me as if he is tied. The black cable/string/whatever going up the side of the pedestal looks like it is going to the bird's left leg, and the base of the pedestral is covered in lots of poo, which suggests a large bird in the one spot for a spell of time.

Grolschevik · 13-07-2010 4:41pm

Kess73 wrote: »

It looks to me as if he is tied. The black cable/string/whatever going up the side of the pedestal looks like it is going to the bird's left leg, and the base of the pedestral is covered in lots of poo, which suggests a large bird in the one spot for a spell of time.

Hadn't noticed that, but it's pretty unclear from the original pics or the video.

Strange place to tether it, though: it was on waste ground in the Dart station car park. No sign of it or the pedestal thing a few hours later. Unless the Dart ticket guy rescued or was keeping it...

Kess73 · 13-07-2010 4:44pm

Grolschevik wrote: »

Hadn't noticed that, but it's pretty unclear from the original pics or the video.

Strange place to tether it, though: it was on waste ground in the Dart station car park. No sign of it or the pedestal thing a few hours later. Unless the Dart ticket guy rescued or was keeping it...

If both bird and pedestal were gone it adds weight to my suspicion it was tethered. The poo at the base is what makes me think I am right.

Grolschevik · 13-07-2010 4:47pm

Kess73 wrote: »

If both bird and pedestal were gone it adds weight to my suspicion it was tethered. The poo at the base is what makes me think I am right.

Who or why would someone do that? Not legal, surely?

Kess73 · 13-07-2010 5:05pm

Grolschevik wrote: »

Who or why would someone do that? Not legal, surely?

The who or why could be many different answers to be honest. But I would imagine almost all of the possible scenarios would not be legal if indeed it was a tethered young bird left that way on wasteland.

If it was an untethered bird, then it is an amazing coincidence that the pedestal thing was also gone later as well as the bird.

Feargal as Luimneach · 13-07-2010 7:22pm

Grolschevik wrote: »

Who or why would someone do that? Not legal, surely?

Falconry bird, I doubt it was dumped. Those falconry birds especially peregrines would be worth alot I think.:(

Scotty # · 13-07-2010 8:35pm

Actually looks like some kind of 'professional' bird pedestal.

Perhaps it's part of some conservation project and being prepared for release?

Feargal as Luimneach · 13-07-2010 8:43pm

Scotty # wrote: »

Actually looks like some kind of 'professional' bird pedestal.

Perhaps it's part of some conservation project and being prepared for release?

Why would there be a release project for Peregrines in Ireland?

recedite · 13-07-2010 10:09pm

I'd say the owner was lurking nearby watching you. In fairness, if you didn't spot the tether, you wouldn't have spotted him lounging in the long grass nearby

They take captive birds out now and again and fly them at prey. Maybe it was just getting its bearings first. Is falconry illegal? I don't think so. Still, these kind of birds should be free.

Scotty # · 14-07-2010 12:35am

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

Why would there be a release project for Peregrines in Ireland?

To reintroduce the ones that were captured silly! :P

Scotty # · 14-07-2010 12:37am

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

Falconry bird, I doubt it was dumped. Those falconry birds especially peregrines would be worth alot I think.:(

you can have this beauty for €300! http://dublin.freeadsinireland.com/en-i-offer-i-id-i-245458-i-peregrine-falcon-birds-for-sale.html

Everett · 14-07-2010 10:10am

Its most likely a falconers bird, the falconer is probably hired by someone for pest control in the area, and is training the bird to get to know the area.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 14-07-2010 12:27pm

Scotty # wrote: »

To reintroduce the ones that were captured silly! :P

I don't get the joke! There is no re-introduction programme for Peregrines. Their numbers don't require one. What ones were captured?

This bird seems to be a young captive bred bird being trained. I don't see why so many have jumped on the notion of something illegal taking place.

Alun · 14-07-2010 12:34pm

Everett wrote: »

Its most likely a falconers bird, the falconer is probably hired by someone for pest control in the area, and is training the bird to get to know the area.

That was my take on it too.

Kess73 · 14-07-2010 1:06pm

Zara Fit Tourism wrote: »

I don't get the joke! There is no re-introduction programme for Peregrines. Their numbers don't require one. What ones were captured?

This bird seems to be a young captive bred bird being trained. I don't see why so many have jumped on the notion of something illegal taking place.

To be fair the location struck me as a bit off, seeing as there appears to be a main road directly behind the pedestal, and the OP described it as wasteground by the Dart station.

Any raptor training that I have been watching has been in very different locations, but you could be spot on with your take and it is just the location that is throwing me off and making me leap to the wrong conclusion.

recedite · 14-07-2010 5:39pm

Scotty # wrote: »

you can have this beauty for €300! http://dublin.freeadsinireland.com/en-i-offer-i-id-i-245458-i-peregrine-falcon-birds-for-sale.html

This beauty is a Greenland Gyrfalcon (for €300 you should know what you're getting)

Feargal as Luimneach · 14-07-2010 7:06pm

Scotty # wrote: »

To reintroduce the ones that were captured silly! :P

Foolish me...

Scotty # · 14-07-2010 7:35pm

Zara Fit Tourism wrote: »

I don't get the joke! There is no re-introduction programme for Peregrines.

Ok there's no re-introduction programme... I didn't know if there was or wasn't. My point was that there may not be anything illegal or 'sad' about it being there.

Grolschevik · 15-07-2010 12:26pm

Apparently it was "bring a pet to work day"... A guy who works at that location apparently breeds and flies them.

LostCovey · 17-07-2010 2:04am

Zara Fit Tourism wrote: »

I don't get the joke! What ones were captured?

Hi Zara Fit Tourism,

I expect that 'Scotty #' is having a cut at the National Parks and Wildlife Service here, and the joke is at their expense. The story doing the rounds is that the NPWS allow some Irish Peregrine Falcons to be captured every year from the wild under licence by falconry enthusiasts. I believe the falconers run a lottery among themselves and the prize is the right to capture a wild Peregrine. Sounds totally mad but apparently it's true.

I think 'Scotty #' was suggesting this bird was to be released to make up for the wild birds taken.

LostCovey

Feargal as Luimneach · 17-07-2010 1:29pm

LostCovey wrote: »

Hi Srameen,

I expect that 'Scotty #' is having a cut at the National Parks and Wildlife Service here, and the joke is at their expense. The story doing the rounds is that the NPWS allow some Irish Peregrine Falcons to be captured every year from the wild under licence by falconry enthusiasts. I believe the falconers run a lottery among themselves and the prize is the right to capture a wild Peregrine. Sounds totally mad but apparently it's true.

I think 'Scotty #' was suggesting this bird was to be released to make up for the wild birds taken.

LostCovey

I heard the same thing:mad:

Grolschevik · 18-07-2010 1:09am

LostCovey wrote: »

the NPWS allow some Irish Peregrine Falcons to be captured every year from the wild under licence by falconry enthusiasts

Why would they? For funds?

Feargal as Luimneach · 18-07-2010 9:51am

They would probably rob them anyway. Try and keep them a bit onside I suppose:mad:

Tiercel Dave · 18-07-2010 10:38am

Ok, looks like a young Peregrine, at this stage would be about 12 wks old, probably a male, but stand to be corrected. It is tethered by a 'leash' to a 'block', all fully legal and licenced. Most likely at that spot to accustom it to people, traffic, even trains before being trained to hunt and return to handler. NPWS gave out 5 licences this year to take young birds from nests, again fully legal and licenced, and each bird will be individually registered. Peregrines can be bred in captivity, each bird will carry a NPWS ring, and again be individually registered. As for 'Poo' on the block, come on, I've seen more on my car windscreen after a sparrow flew over! Regards.

LostCovey · 18-07-2010 11:09am

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

NPWS gave out 5 licences this year to take young birds from nests

FIVE ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

LostCovey · 18-07-2010 11:24am

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

They would probably rob them anyway. Try and keep them a bit onside I suppose:mad:

We don't take that approach with car theft.

LC

Kess73 · 18-07-2010 2:06pm

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

Ok, looks like a young Peregrine, at this stage would be about 12 wks old, probably a male, but stand to be corrected. It is tethered by a 'leash' to a 'block', all fully legal and licenced. Most likely at that spot to accustom it to people, traffic, even trains before being trained to hunt and return to handler. NPWS gave out 5 licences this year to take young birds from nests, again fully legal and licenced, and each bird will be individually registered. Peregrines can be bred in captivity, each bird will carry a NPWS ring, and again be individually registered. As for 'Poo' on the block, come on, I've seen more on my car windscreen after a sparrow flew over! Regards.

The OP has already posted that it was left there are part of a pet to work day. So the version of it being a bird being trained looks like a no no.

Interesting that you stated that it is a licenced bird though rather than saying it is most likely a licenced bird.

The poo on the block comment was to state that I thought the bird was tethered based on the poo at the base of the pedestal or block, and that it was not an untethered bird.

Tiercel Dave · 19-07-2010 12:03am

In order for a Peregrine to sit on a block, unhooded, in that situation, with no sign of distress shows that it has already been through at least a few weeks of training, so I would still say it's all part of the training process.
I would never consider a Peregrine a 'pet' but I can see your point.
I can only presume it's a licenced bird because I can't imagine that anybody, trying to keep a 'stolen' one under wraps, would tether it beside Portmarnock Dart station!
Most seem to think that there was no way a bird could be legally tethered to a block and 'that' is what I was saying was legal and licenced.
Yep, 5 licences! Regards

Is this a Peregrine?

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