Caryl Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 We had our annual wine and food festival yesterday. At the festival they had some NZ falcons, Karearea. It is an endangered species. They are a beautiful, intelligent, playful and agile bird and the fastest moving animal in NZ. Like many of our native birds it is vulnerable to predators. The Marlborough Falcon Conservation Trust has been set up to raise funds to support the falcon, which is on the brink of extinction. www.NZfalcon.org. They are also working to conserve the falcon through a reintroduction programme within the vineyards of Marlborough's Wairau Valley. They had one male and one female at the festival. Neither seemed fazed by the surrounding crowds. For general photos of the festival - 8100 people (not counting workers) 61 wineries, 21 food outlets (including wild venison, tahr, goat and pork, mussels, crayfish, oysters, escargot, Spanish donuts, Bavarian hotdogs, whitebait, iced cherries, chocolates, strawberries and ice cream, rosti, baked potatoes, scallops, paua patties, salads, antipasto, chicken drums, sushi, kebabs, honey smoked bacon, watercress fritters, Bailey's sundaes and rib eye steaks plus entertainment (mainliners were The Black Seeds) it was a great day out. 8) Have a look here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Male Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Female Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Female back view Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 i want! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Oooo nice photos! And that festival sounds fantastic (I love tasty foods...) Saw the NZ Falcons at Wingspan in Rotorua a year and a bit ago, they are so beautiful. Only 2000 left and they get hardly any advertisement, compared with the kiwi. Now I want a Baileys Sunday :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracytrout Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Ohhhh Aren't they just beeeeeautiful birds Awesome photo's!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracytrout Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 You certainly wouldn't want to lose your concentration diving for earth at 250kmh lmao Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 I have no problem with them but I detest the Perigan Falcon Peregrine. And they say killing for fun, like all forms of play, is a sign of intelligence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diver21 Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 im shure that the fastest bird in the world is a bird called the swift Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldogod Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 wow, they are so cool,love em, you see them gliding thru the air and its like the ultimate freedom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 the swift flies the fastest. the Peregrine can dive the fastest. diving is just falling with style :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 lolz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Thank you all for attempting to ruin my post :evil: If you have a relevant comment to make regarding these falcons then feel free, if not, kindly keep your thoughts, and your spelling corrections, to yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 well i think they are v beautiful and you are truly lucky to have come so close to such a magnificent species! PS - the pics are real nice too :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 I remember years ago watching native falcons hunting a flock of sparows over a valley in the inland Kaikouras. They were a pair in the breeding season and one chased them across the valley while the other dived from above--it was a very short meal break. Language is about communication so if you understand what people have said then the excersise has been successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytawnykitten Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 We have one which visits our small garden in Wellington suburbia around March - May each year to feast on our doves I am sad to see any of our doves killed, but they breed like rabbits so easily regenerate by the next year, and I feel privileged to see the Falcon sitting out on the swing set or the play fort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedazzled Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 What absolutely stunning birds Great photos Caryl, thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Very spectacular to watch flying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave+Amy Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 when we lived on a livestyle farm there was a female nesting nearby our paddock and we used to see it carrying field mice/rats all the time, when Midori (my lil pooch) was a couple of months old (2kgs) and just learnt toilet training properly and went outside to wee - I watched from under the roof (about 2meters away from MidOri) the falcon lowered its talons the was about to swoop. THAT was a scary moment and from that day I never let Midori out without me next to her lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 Caryl wrote: It is an endangered species. They are a beautiful, intelligent, playful and agile bird and the fastest moving animal in NZ. It is awful to hear of anything endangered. Even creatures that I might not "like". What are its predators Caryl? What has put them on the endangered list, people?????? Oh, beatiful pics by the way, hope Bud isn't jealous :lol: Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 Humans wiped out their habitat plus they nest on the ground so eggs and young are easy prey to stoats, weasels, possums etc. One of the reasons snakes are not allowed in NZ is that many of our unique birds nest on the ground (not to mention the geckoes, tuatara etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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