Category Archives: Falconry
A bad Mistake
I made an awful bad mistake the other day. I put the birds out on the lawn to weather, this means to get them out of their night quarters, let them get some sun, fresh air, and to take a … Continue reading
The Old Dog.
My old Brittany died yesterday. He was over thirteen years old and had gone totally blind and deaf. Now he is gone to the great hunting ground in the sky to hunt all the rabbits and pheasants he wants – … Continue reading
When Birds Ate Us.
Not so long ago, well a few millions years ago, there was a bird that was the absolute master of its world. Today we consider the eagle to be the ultimate predator and top of the food chain, and rightly … Continue reading
Jack, The Gyr Hybrid.
I started flying a Gyr X Peregrine hybrid this week and he is the most handsome falcon. Even though he is still in his immature plumage he is such a pretty dark coloured bird. He was bred last year and … Continue reading
Lost
I lost my good female Harris Hawk “Martha” the other evening. It was five o’clock and the rabbits were just starting to pop their little heads out into the evening sunshine to feed. Just like I had done a hundred … Continue reading
Birds and more birds.
I have been watching a lot of raptors lately here in Ireland. The local pair of kestrels I see nearly everyday, battling the wind as they hover above the grassy hill, watching for beetles below and getting mobbed by the … Continue reading
Raptors and me.
When I was a kid I used to spend my time walking the hills with the dogs. I would walk for miles along the beaches in Winter-time when no one was about, or to distant fields or any piece of … Continue reading
The best and the worst of hawks
There are two types of falconers in this world; those that love Harris Hawks, and those that don’t. If everyone loved the same things, if everyone agreed on everything and thought the same the world would be a less colourful … Continue reading
An easy catch?
The other day I was out with my two year old female Harris Hawk. While waiting for the rain to stop I sat in the jeep listening to the radio before the usual ceremony of putting on my wellies and … Continue reading
Brittany
Different people have different ideas of what dog makes the perfect hunter’s companion. For some it’s the hyper-active Springer, a dog that just doesn’t let up and leaves no bush unturned. For others it’s the new world Labrador, a true … Continue reading