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 tincataylor |
Bats |
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Posts: 231 (17/05/08 10:28) |
The other evening I was out on a Tinca taming sesh and there were lots of bats about. Just as it was getting difficult to see I noticed a falcon like outline
of a bird circling the lake and it looked like it was hunting the bats. Have any of you guys observed this? I reckon a Sparrow Hawk is the most likely
culprit and for all I know it is a common occurance, but its the first time I've seen it.
Love Tinca |
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Donkey Choker |
Bats | ||
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Posts: 64 (17/05/08 12:59) |
Tinca Might have been a sparrow hawk but I`d hazard a guess that it was a hobby, they like to hunt early and late and bats would be fair game for them as they`ve been known to take swifts and swallows on the wing. Mic |
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tincataylor |
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Posts: 232 (19/05/08 11:30) |
DC,
Thanks for the input, I've done a bit more research and it looks like I saw a Hobby as the wing shape of a Sparrow Hawk is more rounded. As you pointed out they are known for taking Martins and Swifts (they actually look like a large Swift in flight) which they no doubt follow to UK from Africa. Apparently they arrive in May and time their breeding for when the young of Swifts and Martins are on the wing. We have a colony of Sand Martins that nest on the River Teign nearby so it all adds up. They are not overly common so I think I was lucky to witness them hunting bats. Love Tinca |
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Donkey Choker |
Bats | ||
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Posts: 67 (20/05/08 21:19) |
Tinca You`re right it was a priviledge to witness such an unusaul sight. I`ve seen them harrying swifts on a Thames Valley pit and catching large dragon flies on a large surrey lake but I`m always thrilled to see one of our rarer birds of prey. Did you know that the hobby is the source of the name for the kids football game Subbuteo. The inventor of the game wanted to call the game " The Hobby" as in a hobby, pastime but the distributors of the game thought the name too generic so told him to come up with an alternative name. Being an ornothologist and knowing that the hobby`s latin name was falco subbuteo he decided to call the game Subbuteo and they went for it. Thats it for my trivia today. Mic
Last Edited By: Donkey Choker
20/05/08 21:31.
Edited 1 times.
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tincataylor |
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Posts: 235 (21/05/08 08:52) |
DC,
Judging by the huge response to my original post then it looks like you and me could bore this whole site to death. Thanks for the trivia, it's bound to come up at my local pub quiz one night but with several pints of the falling down water inside me will I ever remember................................ Love Tinca |
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