I agree with vermivoracelata, BW, Peocile and Iben. Let's hear for the boys and be shown your preferred method.
You know for someone who wants an open and meaningful debate, your answers seem to centre around both the condescending and aggressive. Why?
On the one hand your posts, quite rightly, express your concern and ‘opinion’ about what you see as mishandling of raptors. When others, quite rightly, express their opinions as to why they think the birds photographed do not provide evidence of mishandling, then you get very agitated. Why?
You offer an opinion where it sounds as if you have more experience than most others on handling raptors. However, you do not offer an alternative or better method of handling raptors. Why not?
You state you have considerable experience as an ‘A’ ringer, but do not qualify your expertise with raptors. Why not?
All bona fide ringers on this forum who are licensed under the BTO scheme and share your concern over mishandling of ‘any’ bird through wrong technique, would have reported and discussed this in the first instance with the BTO. I am not the judge on this, but I am sure this is what the BTO would have preferred. If you are indeed an ‘A’ ringer why would you choose this forum to display such aggression to your colleagues?
I am left to wonder, or at least feel mildly curious, as to whether or not you are a falconer, are you?
Hi Firetail (sounds painful!) et al.
I don't have much time capacity just now but I'll try to compile a response to at least some of the points made by you and others.
Firstly, I apologise if any parts of my earlier responses came across as aggressive as that was certainly not my intention. I guess it was the result of three things:
a) I was somewhat taken aback by what I perceived (rightly or wrongly) as dismissive and patronising replies which basically seemed to suggest that the issues I'd raised weren't worthy of proper consideration or discussion and that they should simply be consigned to some 'impacts' dump which was full of well rehearsed standard replies to the same tiresome and repeated queries.
b) I'd assumed (apparently wrongly) that readers would take it for granted that I was a ringer/bander and didn't realise that I was expected to state this up front - although even after I had done so clearly, one respondent clearly failed to notice it!
c) The combination of being someone who is known for calling a spade a spade but who does not profess to be a gifted author!
Concerning other methods, I'm only aware of one acceptable option to Issue (b) and that's by holding the wing at the carpel joint and gently manipulating it open. I believe this technique works effectively with virtually no potential risk to the bird or its feathers.
I'm not in any way trying to claim that this is a new or novel method - I learnt it from one or more of my trainers many years ago and a lot of the BTO ringers with whom I've worked have used it automatically.
However, it appears that not all ringers/banders do and I've become increasingly concerned by the number of books and publications, including those published by so-called raptor experts, that contain images of raptors with their wings being pulled open by their wingtips.
There are a number of options to Issue (a), most of which involve using two hands rather than one and/or one or more pieces of equipment to either wrap the bird safely and securely, to manage its talons effectively and to 'hoodwink' it.
I'll try to dig out some appropriate images to illustrate these - though I don't have access to a scanner so will have to rely on other sources.
I hear what you say about raising these issues with the BTO. Again, I had assumed (rightly or wrongly) that one or more of the ringing staff would monitor this particular Forum as it seems to me to be potentially highly relevant to their work.
Having said that, my personal experience is that the BTO ringing staff are a top notch bunch of people, highly motivated and hard working but they are simply overworked and understaffed and don't really have time to deal with single issues raised by one individual.
Which is exactly the reason why I posted the issues on this Forum because I wanted to verify that I wasn't the only ringer/bander who was concerned about them. If there is indeed a groundswell of opinion that these are bad practices, then I would certainly be willing to try to make the case to the BTO.
Poecile makes a very good point concerning evidence, or rather the lack of it, to support my position. When I was training, I witnessed two passerines and one Buzzard nestling suffer damage from the 'wing opening' method. On the basis of that experience I've never used the technique myself or allowed other ringers/banders to do so in my presence.
I remember being shocked when I first saw the 'one handed baton' holding technique being used on a small number of raptors during a single ringing session abroad. As far as I know, none of the birds suffered lasting damage but I recall being very unhappy about the way in which the birds were being treated more like some form of inert commodity, rather than a precious living creature. Moreover, that the remiges and retrices of each individual handled in that way suffered significant (and I believe unnecessary and unacceptable) 'scrunching' to the wing and tail feathers. Unfortunately, the particular situation meant that it would have been inappropriate for me to comment upon it at that time.
So the bottom line is that I don't have much hard evidence of damage because I've intentionally operated in ways which have completely excluded the possibility of gathering it! I don't make any apology for this and believe that many of the most effective practical risk management techniques rely upon applying common sense assessments of predicted (not necessarily evidenced) levels of impacts and likelihood.
Finally, I'm not a falconer. I've held a BTO A permit for more than 25 years and have handled a wide range of species in several countries, including raptors ranging in size from American Kestrels to Martial Eagles.