Birds of Prey - roadkill

[EJS]

Driving back from Torquay to the Midlands yesterday and was really shocked by the amount of dead birds of prey by the road.

In one small stretch (newton abbot to exeter) counted 8 splattered birds.

Have never seen anything like this, any ideas whats happening?

Bad weather moving the hunters to roadsides for meat maybe as prey low??

wasnt very nice to see.:(

Oh and so many pheasants running around its odd, arent they usually abundant in autumn?:confused:

[jus_young]

The two may be linked. The pheasants are numerous at the moment. In all areas where the shoots have been taking place it seems that there are many birds remaining. The road kill numbers are huge which attracts the usual corvids as well as scavenging birds of prey. The problem with the larger birds feeding on the carcasses is that they are very slow in taking off and become an easy casualty to fast moving traffic.

[EJS]

ahh thought it was something logical but was surprising how many actually were.

cheers for that

[jus_young]

Its something I always find a sad sight. As a falconer in days gone by I have always had an obsession with birds of prey. Seems like my lad has got a bit of the bug as well as his fascination is growing.

[JonnyP]

I have not seen any birds of prey next to the roads but I have seen a lot of dead badgers. It did make me wonder if they were all road kill. Also seen quite a few foxes and pheasants too. And pot holes..! The roads are in quite a bad state at the mo.

[Chubbs]

but I have seen a lot of dead badgers.

Same here.

I did hear a story about many of them being shot and then left at the side of the road to make it look like roadkill but I don't know how true that might be.

[paulthefish2009]

Seen the odd badger,pheasant etc,the majority of road kill I see is fox and hedge hog.

[EJS]

havent seen a hedgehog (active or squished) for decades.

i think i saw 2 foxes and 5 badgers too on the same stretch of road. was a real massacre:guns:

[rawfish111]

Have heard that baiters leave badger carcasses by the roadside too to look like roadkill.

On a more cheery note we have a hedgehog who visits our garden on a regular basis.... Still doesn't eat enough slugs so my salad leaves don't get munched though!

[David_JAFO]

hello,
You may find that Raptors (Birds of Prey) hunt along roads side verges etc..
I'm sad to hear that there has been a 'number' of such road kills of
raptors. Might be worth contacting the RSPB about this area incase there's
some other answer to this mystery?
Regards
David

[rawfish111]

Also just remembered, apparently some dipstick in Brixham/Paignton area was covering pigeons with poison last year in an attempt to kill Peregrines apparently. Hope he swigs from the wrong can myself!

[Bushwhacker]

Have heard that baiters leave badger carcasses by the roadside too to look like roadkill.

This is a common myth. Why would anybody risk being stopped in a vehicle with a dead badger(s) or be seen dumping one at a roadside?
The simple answer is that they are high in numbers (as are cars) and it's inevitable that they're going to meet at some point. Badgers also use lanes and roads the same as we do, to get around and, as mentioned before, the attraction of other roadkill brings them sniffing about. Add to that the increase in activity at this time of year after having a semi-hibernation and it all stacks up.

[rawfish111]

tbh Bushwhacker that doesn't surprise me

[Silverback]

A Hope he swigs from the wrong can myself!

T^

[shepherd]

buzzards hunt but are mainly scavengers, and have obviously learnt over the years that they will get an easy meal if they hang around the road side long enough.. which will mean in time they can be hit by cars too its sad... seems the busier we get as a country the more animals lives we put at risk... yet were still growing..

[snowleopard]

Also just remembered, apparently some dipstick in Brixham/Paignton area was covering pigeons with poison last year in an attempt to kill Peregrines apparently. Hope he swigs from the wrong can myself!
Yes please!!:tongue:to him!

Joel

[shepherd]

Also just remembered, apparently some dipstick in Brixham/Paignton area was covering pigeons with poison last year in an attempt to kill Peregrines apparently. Hope he swigs from the wrong can myself!

id love to get my hands on him....

:mad::evilgrin:

[Tigger004]

Saw a barn owl going around in circles on the road after being hit by a Suzuki van on Wednesday, the van had broken it's roof rack and shed it's load trying to avoid it....real shame

[shepherd]

Saw a barn owl going around in circles on the road after being hit by a Suzuki van on Wednesday, the van had broken it's roof rack and shed it's load trying to avoid it....real shame

thats not good.. :(

[snowleopard]

Saw a barn owl going around in circles on the road after being hit by a Suzuki van on Wednesday, the van had broken it's roof rack and shed it's load trying to avoid it....real shame

Poor bird!

Joel