As I understand it, a falconer can only fly a raptor at legal prey species in the open season e.g. the bird would be regarded as a gun, so whatever one could shoot with a gun, one could fly a raptor at it (assuming they had the landowner's permission of course. ) The open season for shooting comes to an end very shortly (1st Feb) and the close season then runs till 31st August. Any shooting of birds in that period is an offence, with certain exceptions for species which are regarded as agricultural pests.
-- Edited by Judith Smith on Friday 28th of January 2011 08:49:19 PM
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
At the end of last week, my dad-in-law was walking a chihuahua through Buile Hill Park and a Harris Hawk tried to take it. Luckily dog was OK, the bird didn't get a good grip on it, although dad-in-law needed stitches and a tetanus shot.
Does anyone know if there are any laws around where these birds can be flown? The owner saw what happened but was just annoyed with my dad-in-law for trying to get the bird off the dog, and police haven't been any help.
Peter a female Harris Hawk was collected by the RSPCA in Oldham yesterday,perhaps it is the same bird,sadly the registration papers have not been kept up to date, so no owner is known.
Had brief views of a puzzling buzzard type bird sitting on the fence at Junction 20 M62 A627M junction on Saturday on the way back from Dovestones. From the quick glance I got it was heavily streaked [not barred] on the top half of the breast and a rufous brown on the lower half. Can't think what it was but I thought I'd read of an escaped Harris Hawk somewhere to the east of Manchester and wondered if there were any records of hybrids at all? Sadly it'll be one of those "I'll never know for sure..." but that's all I can think it was unless there's a Falconer who's lost a juvenile... Cheers, Peter
