[TonyC]

I saw a large Falcon at Martin Mere (Lancashire) on Sunday. It was very dark underneath but I'd say it was a Peregrine.
On it's rump seemed to be a shiny metal disk thing and it seemed to be trailing a wire. Anyone know anything about radio tagging wild Peregrines or is this an escaped Falconer's bird and it's a tracking thing like they have in cars ?

[Andrew Rowlands]

Hi Tony,

There is a web page which lists missing falconers birds, http://www.ibr.org.uk/index.html shame they don't seem to have updated it lately.

Cheers,

Andy.

[saluki]

Sounds like a tail mounted telemetry transmitter Tony, attached to the base of the deck feathers. Falconers use it to track their birds if they get lost. They're sometimes mounted on the leg instead.

saluki

[Bill@dwp]

Hi Tony

I was at the Mere yesterday as well and saw the same bird around most of the day. The general consensis amongst the people around me who saw it thought it was a Peregrine cross.
Everyone agreed it was an escapee from a falconer and many thought the "wire" were actually "jessies"(? spelling). I thought I could see two things hanging down.
I could also see the attachment as well.
It would be intersting to know what happens to the bird as from all accounts its been there for about two weeks.
I saw a buzzard frighten it off a kill in the morning although I didnt actually see it take a bird. If its been there that long its seems to be looking after itself.

[saluki]

It depends on the bird Bill. If it's an eyas that hasn't been 'entered' to quarry, then it's chances of survival might be slim. If it's an old bird, experienced in killing then there's no reason why it shouldn't flourish. If it is wearing jesses, depending on the type, there is a chance it may get hung up on a branch. Your bird seems to be killing - and there's no shortage of food around Martin Mere - so it might be okay. I wonder what the chances of bringing the bird down to a lure would be after two weeks of freedom? What do you think Spar - reach for the lure or the dho-gazza? :-)

saluki