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creeky
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# Posted: 8 Mar 2015 11:45am
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Save our Raptors: Please don't poison
In my area we are enjoying the return of golden eagles. What delight in the swooping hawk and thrill hearing the hoot of an owl in darkest night.
Sadly, scavenging on poisoned critters is causing 2/3s of all raptor deaths says a new study.
So please, protect your garden, but don't poison.
Many don't know golden eagles are making a comback
Golden eagles and vultures look almost identical from the air. Because of that many people don't know golden eagles have made a comeback.
Tips for identification:
Easiest: Seen from below, the golden eagle wing is all black with perhaps (if it's fairly close) a lighter coloured band at the front of the wing. The vulture has a dark wing at the front but most of the wing trailing to the back will be light gray.
Harder: Golden eagles have flat wings and shoulders while soaring. The vulture has a hunch to its shoulder and an arch to the wing. Both will bend/flare the wing tips.
Hardest: The eagle also has a dark smaller, thicker neck and head. The vulture shows up thinner with a featherless head and neck. But you'll need to be pretty close to tell.
Remember. You can buy extra veg on Sundays at a farmers market. Or trap. Or put up a fence. And enjoy the flight of those magnificent birds of prey.
I have to say, I prefer thinking of my garden contribution to wildlife, happily or not, as a small price to pay in this era of rapidly declining wild species. Though ask me that again after the deer have eaten my apple harvest.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 8 Mar 2015 12:13pm
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Creeky, I dont use any poison. except those that die from lead poisoning.  (but I havent even had to do that either) Built my cabin mouse-proof. Good info I might add. 
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Malamute
Member
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# Posted: 8 Mar 2015 01:03pm - Edited by: Malamute
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I recently heard that Ospreys have a compulsion to collect baling twine for their nests, and it can end up killing them or their young by getting them snagged up and imobilized. Its now recommended to not leave baling twine laying around on the ground as many do.
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/08/18/ospreys-baling-twine
I love seeing eagles and hawks around my place. I have one eagle that comes through regularly on its hunting circuit.
Taken from my porch,
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 8 Mar 2015 05:17pm
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Bald and golden eagles are in very large numbers here. Today I saw four bald eagles and one was on the road. I was one golden while out walking. I actually thought bald eagles were at an all time high for numbers.
Thanks for the info and yes it is important to preserve wildlife and there habitat.
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 8 Mar 2015 08:49pm
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Not just raptors but fox, bobcat, etc also eat mice.
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TheWildMan
Member
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# Posted: 9 Mar 2015 12:58pm
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about 65 million years too late to save the raptors
birds of prey around here have more to worry about from poachers looking for tallons than they have to worry about poison, Federation starships are also sometimes problematic as well
(Raptor-Jurrasic park refrence, bird of prey- star trek refrence, hope someone laughed)
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:52pm
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I do enjoy all the wildlife, but it seems as we try to stick our nose into nature on one side or the other , we screw it up. Bald Eagles are so plentiful up here now they are a problem. I haven't heard of anyone poisoning, but that would be sick.
I was trying to get a few mallards started on my pond, but a bald eagle came and stayed until he ate them all. He took one every other day. I don't think we should choose one over the other. We hunt deer, but not wolves. Guess which is going to be a problem.
Owen
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2015 09:27pm
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thx malamute. great pic. and great comments all round.
i have a story I'll share about goldens. I was coming out of the, er, washroom, and there was a line of geese heading north. just a honkin' up a storm. then one goose went lame. trouble flapping and slowing down and dropping away from the flock. I'm like, wha???
then I see'ze a golden eagle is in pursuit. and goes for the "lame duck."
well. you can guess where this is going. the eagle gets close and suddenly that goose goes into overdrive. at this point the goose and the eagle are maybe 200 ft from me.
the goose starts flapping about 5 times the wing beats per minute and weaves through the trees right in front of me. you would have thought the eagle was tim conway with the double take, but she/he gives a hearty effort and goes after the goose.
I lost sight of them. but about 5 minutes later the eagle comes back across the tree line. which says it all.
i will never see "too many" as a problem. nature has her own way of sorting things out. but we have a long way to go to get back to balance.
i don't poison. i do trap. i do hunt (albeit poorly). even gotz me my turkey license this year.
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