[The aerial attack began during the opening song -- "Closer" -- when he was bombed in the face.]

Rock and roll brings to mind wild partying and tough guys (and gals). So what drove Grammy-winning rockers Kings of Leon to cut short their concert at St. Louis’ Verizon Amphitheatre on Friday night? Pigeons. Or, more accurately, pigeon poop.
 
Apparently, the birds have taken up residence in the rafters above the stage. The two opening bands played their sets despite a shower of droppings, and the spray didn’t let up when Kings of Leon came on. Jared Followill, the band’s bassist, seems to have taken the brunt of the droppings.
 
CNN reports:
The aerial attack began during the opening song -- "Closer" -- when he was bombed in the face. His bass tech wiped most of it off with a sanitary wipe, he said. Excrement struck each of his arms over the next two numbers, he said. "I was hit by pigeons on each of the first three songs," he said. "We had 20 songs on the set list. By the end of the show, I would have been covered from head to toe."
 
Followill said he couldn't see the pigeons above him and he had no idea how many there were. "The last thing I was going to do was look up ... but if that was only a couple, we must have caught them right after a big Thanksgiving dinner," he quipped.
Birds like rafters, whether in ball fields, amphitheaters, or airplane hangars. While there’s no sure-fire way to keep birds out, some ballparks, like Wrigley Field, have installed special nets to keep them from roosting in the rafters.

And as we’ve reported previously:
One manufacturer, Bird-Be-Gone, offers other deterrents including bird spikes, an electric shock system (which it says doesn’t harm the creatures), and aerosol mists that spray methyl anthranilate,“a grape extract that naturally occurs in concord grapes, and is used for flavoring grape soda and candies.� The chemical “irritates the trigeminal nerve and mucous membranes of birds when it enters their eyes, nose or mouth.�

(Bird researchers use the stuff, too. Multiple groups have conducted trials in which chicks learn that a bead of a particular shape and/or color has a bitter taste—because it has been coated in 100% methyl anthranilate—and subsequently avoids on further tests.)
 
Oh, and as for the fans at the Kings of Leon concert? Their night might have been sullied, but not their clothes—bird dropping reportedly only hit the musicians.

*S* Happens 

   Really Donna you should get a job as a fact finder for some corporation or something.   

Thankfully, she skipped over a definition I had found once upon a time   

I know what it is Ei and yes 

http://www.yarakbirdsofprey.co.uk/ Found this too

[So, there ya go!]

Etymology

From Persian یارکی (yârakî), “power, strength, ability, boldnessâ€�)
 Adjective

yarak (not comparable)

   1. (falconry) Superalert, hungry but not weak, and ready to hunt.

So, there ya go!

9:17: MAK A & B in same place...no Callidora, she's playing Hide N Seek.

Osprey Diary 27th July
July 27th, 2010 by E Rawling, Perthshire Ranger SWT

  What a defensive lot we have in our wee osprey family! This morning all three (mum and two chicks) were happily roosting in the trees opposite the hide- you may have seen me zooming in on them – from where they can survey their domain. They show little interest in the nest now (far too grown up for that obviously!) UNLESS someone else gets too close (in this case an intruder osprey). What a lightening fast reaction- all three of them appeared within seconds and began mantling (covering the nest with dropped wings and squawking) over the nest like it was still the most precious thing in the world to them.

 There has been a lot of discussion about our female osprey’s weight recently- we estimate she lost up to a third of her bodyweight during her dramatic illness. Rest assured she is slowly regaining weight (despite always favouring the chicks over herself with food) but we would not yet say she is back to ‘before-illness’ weight, and we would like to see her put more on before she attempts autumn migration. By the way, we judge a birds weight at the front over the chest- what is known as the ‘keel’ or breastbone, is where birds carry their fat reserves.

 Emma Rawling

 Perthhsire Ranger


Osprey Diary 28th July
July 28th, 2010 by E Rawling, Perthshire Ranger SWT

  Three interesting snippets of osprey behaviour from the last 24hrs.

 Firstly our lady had to fight off a very determined intruder yesterday, and unusually, shouting and posturing was not enough! She actually had to use her talons and beak to see the intruder at the nest off- for this  to happen is unusual. As well as other juvenile and curious birds at this time of year, there are also now ospreys starting to head south, who have either failed to breed, or bred very early, so there will be doubtless more such encou7nters.

 Secondly, we had a visit form dad at the nest yesterday afternoon, with a nice juicy pike- and unusually, there was no one there to receive it. Where were the hungry hordes?  He sat for a few minutes ( a nice chance to see him in detail as his recent visits have been so fleeting) and when no one else emerged to claim the prize, her quite rightly took off with it himself!

 Lastly a few of you noticed one of our chicks yesterday pick up at least two things from the water- a pine cone and a stick! Not quite a fish, but a good sign it is honing its skills in coordination, visual calculations and accuracy. Keep it up wee one!

 Lets hope today has as many equally exciting developments.

 Emma Rawling

 Perthshire Ranger

I never cared for that sport or any animal sport. Thanks Bobbie.

A VULTURE spotted on the rooftops in South Devon is thought to have made an epic three-week, 405-mile journey from Northamptonshire to Paignton via Colchester and Somerset.

The bird was spotted by Duchy Drive residents on Friday night when it appeared perched on top of one of the roofs.

Marilyn Jordan, 39, from Duchy Drive, said her 10-year-old son Matthew came running into their home saying there was a 'massive' bird on the roof.

She grabbed her camera and started taking photos of the black-feathered turkey vulture.

"We weren't sure about the nature of the bird and I was more concerned about young children and my cat who hadn't been in all afternoon and we just didn't know what the bird's habits were," said Marilyn, who works in the A&E department at Torbay Hospital.

"We weren't sure if he had eaten, or if it would swoop. The seagulls were going absolutely crazy. When it took flight, the seagulls started dive-bombing and attacking. The gulls had no idea what it was."

Neighbour Kelly Rodwell, 31, also saw the bird. She said she was a 'little frightened' because she also has a cat and was 'worried' for the pets in the area, especially it was hungry.

"It was exciting for the kids — on the first day of their holidays they had a vulture on their roof."

It is thought the bird of prey is nine-year-old Jackson who went missing from his roost at Icarus Falconry, at Holdenby House, Northamptonshire, on July 4.

Initially there were no sightings of the bird until was seen at an abattoir near Colchester Zoo. He stayed there for five days before moving on last Monday.

His owner for the last two years, Tracey Murray, 46, from Guilsborough, Northampstonshire, said Jackson was then spotted in Somerset before the sighting in South Devon.

She said he had never flown before she owned him.

"He has a seven-foot wing span and he doesn't know how to work it properly," she said.

"He is pretty good until he gets in a situation which is outside his sphere of knowledge. It is a bit like giving a Ferrari to a 17-year-old boy. They know how to drive, but they don't know how to use it. He got carried away by a gust of wind because he doesn't let the wind out of his wings."

Yesterday afternoon Tracey was packing a bird box into her car and was travelling down to South Devon to find her missing bird who was thought to be in East Prawle.

The turkey vulture has a wingspan of 170-183cm, dark brown to black plumage; a featherless, purplish-red head and neck; and a short, hooked, ivory-coloured beak and can live for up to 20 years in captivity.

The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion.

It finds its meals using its keen vision and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gases produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals.

Jackson also went missing in August last year but was found three days later in Groombridge Place, Kent, when he landed on an aviary in an animal sanctuary.

MAK/No Dan: A & B on OCSR, NE side goo goo eyeing each other. No Callidora all morning. Just can't locate her.

From yesterday..Beauty
Archer
Beauty

Thank God someone is going to have a good Vintage for 2010 because even Peremond is going to be hard-pressed to have enough grapes for their wineries (usually supply to many in the Northern VA region).  I wonder if Falcon ships?  I'll look into it

I did and the US Distributor is:

United States Of America
Vineyard Brands
2000 Resource Drive, Birmingham, AL 35242
Tel: 205 9808 802
Fax: 205 9800 408
www.vineyardbrands.com

Way to go Janet, you found it. Ya gonna order some? 

[Suzanne, have yourself a very Happy Birthday.]

  Suzanne, have  yourself a very Happy Birthday.  

Hi Bobbie and welcome back. No one really knows what happened to momma Osprey. One weekend, a few weeks ago, she was just laying in the nest not moving. They thought she was dying. Being she is 25, I guess they figured she was on her last legs. Dad was a trooper and stepped in and kept bringing fish to the 2 opspryettes and also fed mom. By some miracle, she started coming around and started feeding her 2 babies. She wasn't eating much but made sure the 2 were. Momma started eating more and more until she got most of her strength back. Now she is doing fine. It was a crazy weekend just watching her lay there. They are hoping she can make that migration to Africa when it's time. Fingers crossed she makes it back for next season.

Hey, where did that Pooh rock come from? Did they paint that too?  Hope they come back and use this new nest box. Looks easier to view. Guess time will tell.

[Due to continuing aggression from Sheila towards our employees we have had to relocate the nest box (again!)]

New nest box...so pretty

Alcoa Anglesea Peregrine Falcon Webcam
 
Tuesday July 27, 2010
 
Welcome back!  The 2010 Peregrine falcon breeding season at Alcoa Anglesea is upon us.
 
The pink nest box is back!  Due to continuing aggression from Sheila towards our employees we have had to relocate the nest box (again!).  This time it is no longer on the water tower, rather in a stand-alone location away from our main buildings.  Both Sheila and Havoc (bands yet to be confirmed) have been present around the station for the last couple of weeks (looking for their nest box no doubt!) so hopefully they will find their new home soon.
 
Alcoa Anglesea has been home to a pair of Peregrine Falcons since 1991. This webcam is showing images from a special nest box that environmental staff at the site built and installed in 2004 on the site’s water tower. The height and aspect of this structure mimics the preferred natural nesting environment of this species.  Normally Peregrines can be found nesting on sheer cliff faces.

The most serious threats facing Peregrines in Victoria are illegal persecution and the continuing loss and disturbance of suitable nest sites. Only 3% of Peregrine nests found in Victoria are on man made structures, so Alcoa Anglesea is pleased to be able to provide a safe and secure site for this pair of Peregrine Falcons.

Alcoa has an ongoing interest and involvement with Peregrine Falcons in Victoria, with both the Anglesea and Point Henry sites working alongside the Victorian Peregrine Project (VPP) to assist
with research and conservation of the species. This work is part of the environmental management work underway at each Alcoa site to reduce our environmental footprint and promote conservation