Wildlife weekend

[gozzer]

there was a rumour goin around that the red kites were eating the red squirrels - it's a bit tricky this conservation lark innit?

 

If that's the case we should breed some grey kites to deal with the grey squirrels

[Tony U]

If that's the case we should breed some grey kites to deal with the grey squirrels

 

They do; they are called Goshawks

 

Tony

Edited July 18, 2006 by Tony U

[gozzer]

They do; they are called Goshawks

 

Tony

 

But Tony, Goshawk I believe means Goose Hawk, (some one will tell me if I'm wrong). We should breed one for grey squirrels, maybe call it a 'Grey Squirhawk'.

[Tony U]

The Goshawk is essentially a woodland bird, so I don't know how many geese it would get in the trees, perhaps it could get some wood duck. The North American race is a Squirrel hunter extrodinaire, with species such as the Douglas Squirrel contributing over 20% of its diet (Keene, Ecology of the northern goshawk in the Sierra Nevada, California).

Edited July 18, 2006 by Tony U

[gozzer]

The Goshawk is essentially a woodland bird, so I don't know how many geese it would get in the trees, perhaps it could get some wood duck. The North American race is a Squirrel hunter extrodinaire, with species such as the Douglas Squirrel contributing over 20% of its diet (Keene, Ecology of the northern goshawk in the Sierra Nevada, California).

 

 

Just had a google,I knew I'd seen it somewhere.

 

The northern goshawk derives its English name from the Anglo-Saxon gos and havoc, meaning a hawk which hunts geese. Its scientific name is Accipiter gentilis, meaning "noble hawk", a reference to the fact that only those of an elevated social stature were permitted to use this bird for falconry in mediaeval times.

[Tony U]

Does this mean Barnacle Geese come from Barnacles?

[gozzer]

Does this mean Barnacle Geese come from Barnacles?

 

 

It was thought that they did years ago, hence the name. Probably same with the Goshawk and how it got it's name.

Does the Sparrow Hawk only eat Sparrows?

[Tony U]

Beeaters eat bees; but do Cattle Egret eat Cattle?

 

[A Worm OOE]

The Barnacle goose was so named, in Medievil times, as it was believed that it did not hatch from an egg but from a Barnacle. This belief stemed from the fact that no one had ever seen a barnacle goose egg.

 

Stands back and waits for 5 other derivations of the name Barnacle Goose.

[Tony U]

In Northern Spain they eat Goose Barnacles (the sort that the Barnacle Goose was supposed to grow from), they are called Percebes and cost a fortune. I wonder if they grow around the UK.