Pixietoadstool Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 There was a programme on TV last night in the UK about eagle owls which have either colonised or re-colonised the UK - Yorkshire first (people were arguing about whether they were ever here in the first place and made extinct or whether they are new). Anyhow it was all very interesting - they are enormous birds - apparently right at the top of the food chain - they even take barn owls, buzzards, cats and dogs. They live in places with rocky ledges and so quarries are popular places for them. Mostly they eat rabbits but if that prey is decimated by myxomatosis or whatever they go to the next easiest which can be hedgehogs, rats, cats, dogs etc. Hence there was a bit of a controversy about whether they should be allowed to stay - if the rabbit population was wiped out somewhere, would they take lambs, poultry, rare birds etc? At the very end a voice over said that eagle owls had recently been protected in the EU.Has anyone seen these in France? If so, whereabouts? They are apparently moving west at an alarming rate and no-one knows why.Valerie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 They are on the oiseaux de France site so I guess they have been here some time http://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/strigiformes/grand-duc.d.europe.html http://www.oiseaux.net/birds.in.France.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 I wonder if I could interest them in eating a few of the many blasted magpies that seem to be everywhere.I HATE magpies, bl**dy nest robbers!Alcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 Now, now Alcazar, they are only doing what they do naturally and Sparrowhawks take small birds from the bird table and by and large everything manages to get by.Eagle owls, for those of you that haven't already discovered Natura2000 France this link will take you to Bubo bubo. and give you the sites in France of importance for this bird.http://natura2000.environnement.gouv.fr/especes/A215.html You can then "back track" through the site for all the Natura2000 sites and species.Cheers, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 Magnificent creatures. As I said on another post I once had one flown to my wrist - a brilliant, underpant-moistening experience...I believe that they take small goats and lambs in their natural environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 I know all about sparrowhawks, we have one that hunts our garden in the UK. It takes doves, mainly.What I HATE about magpies is the way they discover a nest, such as a blacky, and then go back again and again, taking every fledgling until there are none, while the poor blacky parents try to mob it to stop it.If I see 'em in my garden, Mr Air Rifle comes out to play!Alcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 Have replied on a new thread, Magpies and predation. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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