Lost harris hawk

lisadumigan · #1 (**permalink**) 13-03-2011, 07:32 AM

My harris hawk escaped last night 12/03/2011 at 6pm, i live in hangleton, Hove , east sussex, last seen at the back of the downsman pub, any sighting please contact me

faz · #2 (**permalink**) 13-03-2011, 07:37 AM

horrible feeling losing a BOP i have had BOP,S since 1987 only lost 2 but was gutted hope you find her soon have you contacted the police and IBR and local wild life groups /rspca as joe public will call these groups if the spot an unusal bird

welcome to WAB

Kayleigh · #3 (**permalink**) 13-03-2011, 11:48 AM

Do these bird come home when they are hungry..like do they know where they live and stay close by or do they fly quite a way off.
There was one living quite happy in the Wild near where "ellen h" lives as she got some pretty good shots of it that was an escapee..

lisadumigan · #4 (**permalink**) 13-03-2011, 12:29 PM

from what i have been told, they do not find there way home, i wish they did, im gutted.

RKB · #5 (**permalink**) 13-03-2011, 12:38 PM

This was reported from Berks at 11 am on 12th, so too early to be yours?

"Harris Hawk. Currently over Widbrook and White Place Farm, Cookham. No jesses seen."

They can survive for many years in the wild, and there are even records of them 'going native' and hybridising with Buzzards.

aeshna5 · #6 (**permalink**) 13-03-2011, 01:23 PM

The most recent issue of British Birds covers scarcer non-native breeding birds in the UK for 2006-8 + in that notes pairings of Harris's Hawk with Buzzards, some resulting in the production of hybrid young.

It also cites a pair of Harris's Hawks that laid eggs in a site in Lancs/N. Merseyside in 2008. Apparently the male had been around for 3 years + then a female appeared. They used an old Magpie nest but under license the female was captured + the eggs removed + hatched in an incubator to prevent the establishment of a wild population of Harris's Hawks.

I remember a couple of years ago seeing one of these birds in a tree in an adjacent street tot where I live + it was getting a hard time from mobbing Crows + Magpies.

RKB · #7 (**permalink**) 13-03-2011, 03:53 PM

Why would you need a license to catch or remove eggs of Harris Hawks? They've got no legal protection in the wild (except from cruelty).

aeshna5 · #8 (**permalink**) 13-03-2011, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RKB

Why would you need a license to catch or remove eggs of Harris Hawks? They've got no legal protection in the wild (except from cruelty).

That's what it said in BB!

lisadumigan · #9 (**permalink**) 13-03-2011, 06:30 PM

well i have looked all day for about 6 hours for my hawk, in every place i can think of and there was no sign of her, im truely devastated, will start again tomorrow, its probably pointless as she could have flown for miles but at least im doing some thing, i feel complately helpless.