Weyhill

These are images taken on a visit to the Hawk Conservancy, Weyhill, Hampshire.

The first 3 images are of wild birds.

Magpie

Grey Heron

Kestrel

African Eagle Owl

Secretary Bird

The name is popularly thought to derive from the crest of long quill-like feathers that give the appearance of secretaries with quill pens tucked behind their ears as was once common practice. However, another hypothesis is that ‘secretary’ is borrowed from a French corruption of the Arabic name for the bird  –  saqr-et-tair or ‘hunter-bird’.

Verreaux's Eagle Owl

Perhaps a dubious privilege to be named after Jules Pierre Verreaux (1807–1873).  He was a French botanist and ornithologist and was a professional collector of and trader in natural history specimens. He was the brother of Edouard Verreaux and nephew of Pierre Antoine Delalande.  The family business (Maison Verreaux) was taxidermy!

White-backed Vulture

Black Kite

Eurasian Eagle Owl