More of my RTH

[Bobobird]

Unfortunately someone found out about this guy and put him through the trauma of a banding. His brother was later found dead. Either he died during the process or shortly after.

I am fine with banding when they are still small and in the nest but when they get to be this size? On the first couple of days the only thing he did was look at his new cuffs.

And people blame photographers for disrupting wildlife!!! Hypocrisy at the highest level.

Enough rant. Here are the pics...

1. Look left - what the...???


2. Look right - more what the...??


3. Discards a snake he caught. No idea why.


4. You saw that eh?


5. Lets go find some fat rat. His favourite.

[Nicks Pics]

I like the light in the last, and the eyes in the second to last. Do you know whether it was the same hawk you had seen before?

[Bobobird]

Thanks.

Yes, the same. The only RTH that does not run away when he sees me.

[Nicks Pics]

Well that is a good way to know a specific wild animal.

[FootLoose]

Nice set, Bobo. The eyes in the 4th follow you about the room.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[IzzieK]

Very good shots, Bobo...+1 to Greg's comment.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Greg, John, Izzie.

[purplehaze]

These are terrific, Bobo. I especially love #4.

[Donald]

Unfortunately someone found out about this guy and put him through the trauma of a banding.

I'm not sure, but I think that would be illegal in this country. I may have that completely wrong. But, either way, it seems a pretty stupid thing to be doing. As Bobo says, doing it young is fine.

As for the images - Nothing less than the standard we expect from this wonderful bird photographer.

[bnnrcn]

Very nice shots, especially #4

[marlunn]

really nice shots, love the 4th for the eye contact and the 5th for the lighting - ringing is carried out here by the British Trust for Ornithology and only by licensed people, and it takes a lot of time and dedication to get licensed !

In the main as you say young birds in the nest for the fact that they grow up with it and its less stressful for them. But, if they get the chance to ring adults they will, been on ringing trips for passerines and other birds every care is taken to reduce and prevent any stress to the birds. The data they get back helps in the long term protection of the birds especially those that migrate as we get more information on how and where they go - but in the main most adults are not ringed as it can be stressful and counter productive.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Jannis, Binnur.

Thanks Mark. Yes, here in Canada there are lots of controls too and banders have to get licensed. The metal band is unobtrusive and everyone understands that. What people generally find offensive are the large coloured tags. Swans have had big tags on their wings (looks like they have 2 large and 2 tiny wings), geese have had the entire neck encased in green tubing, other birds show other "innovative" designs.

What people need to understand is that what used to pass in the past is no longer acceptable. There are more people out and about, they are better informed and educated, they have higher expectations, etc. When all that everyone who ever sees a tagged bird can say is that looks awful then there is something that needs to get fixed.

Study by all means but do no go out and abuse them like this. This hawk species is so common here I cannot see any reason to band or tag it. Reasons I heard were really dubious. I think they did it because some idiot bragged about it on a bird site, so they get to hear of it and go out for another notch in their "tag" book. The guy actually said he has done 10,000 bandings.

To top it off, pics look horrendous. No self-respecting photographer, publication or anyone else for that matter will pick a banded bird over one that is not.

Thanks Donald - you pulling my leg? or just being too kind?

[Donald]

Thanks Donald - you pulling my leg? or just being too kind?

Neither. Just providing an objective assessment.