Saker Falcons and Eurasian Hobbies in Hungary

Hobbies, Kestrels
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Jo UK
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Saker Falcons and Eurasian Hobbies in Hungary

Post by Jo UK »

Within the international Saker conservation LIFE programme, MAVIR (the Hungarian high-voltage electricity transmission operator company) installed in 2013 a Saker Falcon web cam, closely watched by falcons on the nearby pylons.
One Saker Falcon juvenile fledged in 2013.
After the Saker Falcons left the nest box, Eurasian Hobbies started to use the nest box and three juvenile Hobbies fledged from there as well.

The observation is continuous also in the night. Infra red light – that the birds cannot detect – reflects the nest box and an infra-camera records the pictures, which are black and white that time. Night (thus 24-hour) observation of a Saker nest has not been done anywhere in the world so far.
The Saker Falcon is a strictly protected species in Hungary.


Update Camera link for 2014: http://www.mavir.hu/web/mavir/feszekmegfigyeles
Jo UK
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Post by Jo UK »

The saker falcon nest box in Hungary has new guests!

A pair of wonderful Eurasian Hobbies is nesting and the female has laid first egg yesterday.


Large frame - http://www.mavir.hu/web/mavir/madar-nagykep

Small frame - http://www.mavir.hu/web/mavir-en/monito ... th-cameras

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I guess the breeding of Hobbies would find great interest of many forum members who like raptors.
Jo UK
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Post by Jo UK »

This inofrmation taken from http://www.mavir.hu/web/mavir-en/monito ... th-cameras

Monitoring Birds of Prey with Cameras - 2013

In line with our commitment made in international LIFE+ Programme, we are continuing our artificial nest video observation process. Further details of the program can be found under the tag About us - Responsibility - Nature - Man-made nest program of our website.
On March the birds of prey, a pair of Saker Falcons, arrived into the artificial nest under observation. (The theoretical value of a specimen is 1 million HUF.) Bird protection colleagues first caught sight of a vigorous male bird and later a hen, the wingspan of which being more than one meter. They were happy to see that it was the successful Saker Falcon pair having arrived back who had hatched two healthy nestlings last year. As the layer was just consuming the prey caught by the male bird, we came to the conclusion that occupation of the nest had happened. In case no unexpected incident occures, the birds are going to breed in this nest, which one will be able to follow with the help of the camera in twenty-four hours of the day throughout spring and summer, from breeding to the young ones' flying out.
Jo UK
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Post by Jo UK »

Watching http://www.mavir.hu/web/mavir/madar-nagykep right now - there is a lot of wind noise! The nesting bird has wind-ruffled feathers but is sitting firmly in place.
I haven't known about Hobbies before now. Interesting to read about the size.

Maybe Ferenz can tell us more about this site - these birds?? Such as
How many eggs may be laid?
How long is the incubation period? When do they fledge?
Malewitsch

Post by Malewitsch »

Due to the decrease of forests and growing urbanization, many endangered, even critically endangered species of birds find its home in man-made nests set up by MAVIR on the pylons of the transmission network.

Upon the voluntary agreements signed with the Directorates of National Parks, MVM Zrt. and OVIT ZRt. mounted hatching boxes, hatching trays and man-made nests on the pylons of some transmission lines with the aid of experts, already at the beginning of 2000s. Since then, they have been serving as hatching places for several endangered bird species (especially for Saker Falcons and Common Kestrels). The transmission network tasks and a part of the related departments were transferred to MAVIR on 1 January 2006.
In relation with these activities, MAVIR maintains a close contact with the Directorates of National Parks and civil and professional organisations for bird protection. The target of the cooperation is to consider the bird protection aspects and to coordinate the demands during the operation, maintenance and establishment of networks which are in bird protection areas.

MAVIR signed agreements on bird protection with Hungarian Association of Ornithology and Nature Preservation, PRO Vértes Foundation, Natural History Museum of Bakony Mountains and Mátra Museum. The agreements lays in writing the future possibilities to set up further man-made nests and the tasks relating to the nests already mounted and the PR support of this activity.

We carry out the banding and tagging (ringing, radio or GPS transmitter)of the nestlings hatched in man-made nests on transmission network commonly with bird protection experts. With the aid of this technique, we can get valuable information on their life, flight, resting, nutrition and wintering places, migration routes. By observing their life, we can learn how our transmission networks and pylons may mean nesting possibilities for them or a hazard to be avoided. In the framework of the LIFE program we could monitor, for the first time, a nest of bird of prey by camera and photo-traps during 24 hours. Within the bird of prey protection program of LIFE European Union, MAVIR is the part of this international bird protection cooperation for four years.

At present, more than half of the Saker Falcon pairs are nesting on the pylons of MAVIR’s high voltage networks. The program for mounting the man-made nests is approaching its end and we intend to mount new nests on the pylons preferred by bird pairs.
http://www.mavir.hu/web/mavir-en/nature
http://www.mavir.hu/web/mavir-en/monito ... th-cameras

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saker_Falcon

Saker Falcon female with chick

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The saker youngster fledged on June 11th
Malewitsch

Post by Malewitsch »

On June 12th a pair of Eurasian Hobbies (Falco subbuteo) arrived and took over the nest box, mated and began laying 2 eggs till now.

Hobbies nest in old nests of crows and other birds. The tree selected is most often one in a hedge or on the extreme edge of a spinney, where the bird can observe intruders from a considerable distance. It lays 2–4 eggs. Incubation is said to take 28 days and both parents share in this duty, though the female does the greater part.

After one month the juveniles fledge. Midth of August/begin of September the families leave their territory and migrate end of September towards african winter resorts south of equator/South Africa.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Hobby
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumfalke
http://www.fokus-natur.de/bild/baumfalk ... 42490.html

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Enjoy an interesting breeding season till September!
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macdoum
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Post by macdoum »

Thanks to Jo and then Ferenz for setting up this .. :D
Now,we have a lot to learn from this pair of Hobbies.
( wish I'd seen the Saker Falcons too...I've never met one either ..next year perhaps)

Just now ? the female is brooding her eggs. Its still very windy there.
:wave:
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Malewitsch

Post by Malewitsch »

macdoum wrote:Thanks to Jo and then Ferenz for setting up this .. :D
Now,we have a lot to learn from this pair of Hobbies.
( wish I'd seen the Saker Falcons too...I've never met one either ..next year perhaps)

Just now ? the female is brooding her eggs. Its still very windy there.
:wave:
Macdoum you and others can read the 2013 breeding story of saker falcons in the italian forum and that's a topic for next year:

Falchi sacri a Budapest - http://www.birdcam.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=6073
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macdoum
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Post by macdoum »

Ferenz wrote:
Macdoum you and others can read the 2013 breeding story of saker falcons in the italian forum and that's a topic for next year:

Falchi sacri a Budapest - http://www.birdcam.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=6073
I didn't understand all of the video,nor why only one fledged :puzzled:
Not very imprtant really but I am puzzled. :mrgreen:
Female brooding her eggs now and I sincely hope the couple will have a successful nesting...and fine weather.

Time now :offtobed: ,tomorrow is another day & I hope its sunny. :wave:
Carmel a member of SHOW .. I hope you love birds too. Its economical. It saves going to heaven.
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Malewitsch

Post by Malewitsch »

Malewitsch

Post by Malewitsch »

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macdoum
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Post by macdoum »

Ferenz wrote:Image
Thank you Ferenz..all we can do now is wait. :wave: and observe.
Carmel a member of SHOW .. I hope you love birds too. Its economical. It saves going to heaven.
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Malewitsch

Post by Malewitsch »

The Lady doesn't want to lay a fourth egg.... 8-)

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macdoum
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Post by macdoum »

Ferenz wrote:The Lady doesn't want to lay a fourth egg.... 8-)

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Maybe the Lady is right given the uncertain weather conditions around Europe at the moment. :unsure:
Carmel a member of SHOW .. I hope you love birds too. Its economical. It saves going to heaven.
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Malewitsch

Post by Malewitsch »

Very short visit

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Malewitsch

Post by Malewitsch »

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macdoum
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Post by macdoum »

Ferenz,its been very hot day all over Europe now. I feel for that mom on the eggs,she must be 'baking' inside that metal box-nest. :slap:
Carmel a member of SHOW .. I hope you love birds too. Its economical. It saves going to heaven.
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macdoum
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Post by macdoum »

No cam tonight ? Anyone else
Carmel a member of SHOW .. I hope you love birds too. Its economical. It saves going to heaven.
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Malewitsch

Post by Malewitsch »

I had the same problem yesterday macdoum, maybe they updated the web site.

Cam is working since noon!! :wave:

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