Sick of Lockdown?

by Rick T.

20 May 2020

This is the 30th daily blog during Lockdown and I think we're all getting a bit sick!

So here's a bit of sick!!

Eagle sick (or pellets as they are correctly referred to) is pretty big stuff!!

Mike Carr's fantastic picture of Beaky (C11) below the fiesty Male Merlin (left) gives an idea of the size of the birds which is, unsuprisingly, mirrored by the size of the pellets (below)

Pellets are regurgitated (coughed up) by many bird species and comprise of fur, hair, feathers, bones and other indigestible materials. And it's not just birds of prey that cough up pellets but corvids (crows), gulls, kingfishers, cormorants and other birds do to.

The eagle pellet above belonged to Edward (C09) and was collected from a regular roost site on the root mass of a fallen Sitka Spruce by Eagle Officer John Wright (below). This particular pellet contained the remains of rabbit exclusively.

Thank You to everyone who continues to follow the Blog.

We hope you are all safe, well and getting through Lockdown as well as possible!

Incidentally does anyone else think the Eagle pellet looks a wee bit like a sad, old mouse?

Photos: Top - Beaky and Merlin - Mike Carr. Middle and Bottom - John Wright

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