Shenstone Birder: Saturday 8th October 2011

It was a day of mixed emotions on the patch today. What started out a very good patch visit turned rather sad towards the end of my visit. Whilst on Stanklyn Lane a local dog walker that I knew asked me if I would come and have a look at a dead raptor he had found near Stanklyn Lane. The bird was ringed and he was unsure what to do. He thought it was possibly a Kestrel. I walked along with him to see the bird, (which he had already carefully moved out of sight). It was in fact a dead adult male Peregrine. The bird had a large wound at the top of chest/neck...leading me to believe that the bird had either hit an overhead power line during the previous days murky conditions or it had been shot...I just hope it wasn't the latter. The BTO have been contacted with all the recovery details.

Earlier today I had checked out a number of areas around the patch. Most of the patch was quiet with the exception of Witch Lane, where the large stubble field had been freshly ploughed. Present on the fresh plough here were 5 White Wagtails, 26 Pied Wagtails, 5 Meadow Pipits, 78 Lapwing, c.200 Linnets, c.60 Herring Gulls, 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 40 Black-headed Gulls and 9 Stock Dove. Also present along which Lane were a Kestrel, a Common Buzzard and flock of 20 Greenfinch.

A highlight for me though was seeing a Brown Hare in the ploughed field. I only see a handful of Hares each year on the patch and they are usually in early Spring, when at they are at there most obvious. That said this individual was fairly showy and I managed to reel of a few record shots.

Brown Hare

Click on image to enlarge

8 comments:

Bob Bushell9 October 2011 at 10:53
Wow, the Brown Hare is quite difficult to see him and very hard to photograph them, great.
Warren Baker9 October 2011 at 11:05
Very sad indeed about that Peregrine Jase :-( There are, unfortunately, still lots of people out there wanting to harm our Raptors.
Jason K9 October 2011 at 11:11
Thanks Bob...I just wish it was a bit more in frame for the first pic.

You are right Warren...I would like to think it wasn't shot but there is still so much persecution goes on still...who knows
Craig Round9 October 2011 at 12:09
Any pics pf the Peg Jase you could email me? Collision injuries with lines etc don't normally show an open wound,it's normally internal damage, unless it causes a compound fracture of bone. Was the bird lying underneath a powerline? Do you still have the bird? It might be worth sending it off for an autopsy to find out the cause of death, i know a vet who deals with this sort of thing. If it's a gunshot wound then the police definitely need to be informed and investigate the birds death..
Jason K9 October 2011 at 12:32
Will email you Craig. The bird is secreted away on the patch but it is already starting to rot
Anonymous9 October 2011 at 13:37
Yeah, a real shame to hear about the Peregrine, Jason.
StourbridgeRantBoy10 October 2011 at 03:18
Sorry to hear about the Peregrine, sounds like a gunshot wound to me - do you hear any shooters on or near the patch? If u have spare room in the freezer bag it and put it in for onward delivery.

Laurie -
Jason K10 October 2011 at 10:27
Cheers Dean, it is.

It's being taken care of Laurie. West Mercia Police's wildlife officer is sending it off to the vets for examination