The Hawk Conservancy (Pic Heavy)

[British Red]

As some of you know I'm very keen on raptors. I very privileged to live near the Hawk Conservancy near Andover. They do stirling work re-introducing Red Kites, caring for orphaned British birds of prey and re-releasing them (a dozen tawny owls this year so far) and great work abroad. In fact a couple of released Red Kites and their offspring were flying over as we wandered around the local meadows

They also let you get really close to some fantastic birds - heres a few shots from today

A Bald Eagle

A Burrowing Owl

A Spectacled Owl

Kites. These have started visiting us now. I haven't seen them breeding here yet but I hope!

Peregrine (amazing to watch him stoop at 200mph). We have a breeding pair on the farm now - fantastic to watch!

Tawny Owl (we have loads of these now - always nice to see as well as hear)

Red

 

[kato]

Fantastic pictures there BR Birds of prey are cool!

 

[Matt Weir]

Beautiful photo's Red, thanks. Good to see conservation in action.

 

[BorderReiver]

These are really good,thank you.

I had a birthday present a year or two back of a "raptor day".It was great to handle and fly these beautiful birds.

 

[leon-b]

we went to a safrari park in scotland lol, we watched the bird of prey show two times and i went up the front and had to play dead so the vulture would investigate, when it got slose i put my hand out and it landed there
we loved it so much we took a hawk for a walk (more like a fly lol) and we watched it hunt
great day and fasinating birds
leon

 

[scanker]

Superb pics Hugh. Love the Peregrine shielding the prey.

 

[Fenlander]

Really nice pictures of the Black Kite, nicely showing all the identification features

 

[British Red]

I'm glad you posted that Kevin. They had Blacks flying and some released Reds came in to feed and I wasn't sure which this one was . Now I know!

Red

 

[Fenlander]

Red Kite has redder, more contrasting plumage and a more obvious deeply forked tail

 

[British Red]

Thanks for that mate - this page in my bird book threw me completely . I was working on the grey head colouration as an identification of a Red. Having looked at some other sources, I can see your ident' is spot on - :You_Rock_

If you are feeling really clever - can you have a shufti at the caterpillars I'm going to post in a minute in the Images from Hampshire thread? Pretty things but I'm clueless again!

Red