# Gyr/Saker Falcon



## hawksport

I put a deposit on this falcon last year. He was supposed to have been much whiter than he is but he will be nice when he moults next year.
He is an 11/16 Gyr/Saker hybrid. Gyrs being the biggest falcon in the world and Sakers being second biggest. He weighs 2lb 71/2oz and will probably need to go down to around 2lb before he will start to get responsive.
I fitted all his anklets and jesses when we got him home and left him on his block in the mews with a couple of skinned gutted chicks.
As soon as his new hood arrives training will begin and I will explain things as we go.


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## Devil-Dogz

such a beautiful animal.


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## RockRomantic

beautiful, because im thick, whats with the hat on his head


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## Guest

He is beautiful :001_wub:

That sounds quite heavy... i'm struggling to imagine how big it is 

What does training involve?


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## hawksport

RockRomantic said:


> beautiful, because im thick, whats with the that on his head


The hood keeps him calm, what he cant see doesn't upset him. Traditionaly when groups of falcons were caried onto the grouse moors on a cadge they would be hooded while each one waited their turn to fly


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## Guest

RockRomantic said:


> beautiful, because im thick, whats with the that on his head


you are not thick, I asked the same thing. I thought it was some birdy dominatrix thing 

It's to stop him getting scared i think but I am sure the expert will explain later 

It will be so interesting to see the progression and learn more as we go along. I can't wait


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## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> He is beautiful :001_wub:
> 
> That sounds quite heavy... i'm struggling to imagine how big it is


Big enough to knock a seagull out of the sky



Buster's Mummy said:


> What does training involve?


We are going through that step by step, day by day


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> Big enough to knock a seagull out of the sky


I could do that playing tennis 

Is he full size or will he grow a little more?



hawksport said:


> We are going through that step by step, day by day


I'm a bit eager


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## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> I could do that playing tennis
> 
> Is he full size or will he grow a little more?
> 
> I'm a bit eager


He is fully grown


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## RockRomantic

i understand now, he is just stunning, i'd b scared of him if he was near me! but i love him!


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## hawksport

Not done anything with him today,only fed him. He was laying down on the floor this morning when I went to check him. Threw him a skinnned and gutted chick and he got up onto his block.


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> Not done anything with him today,only fed him. He was laying down on the floor this morning when I went to check him. Threw him a skinnned and gutted chick and he got up onto his block.


He sounds lovely, I didn't think they'd lay down. I am not sure what I thought really 

But he sounds really sweet.

Not sure I like the sound of a skinned/gutted chick though


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## hawksport

Been in and picked him up today. Managed to get him to stand on my fist for about 30 minutes but he refused to eat. Left him with a chick head and legs just to keep his digestion going.


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## simplysardonic

He's stunning, I'm looking forward to reading this thread as you add to it, something a bit different:smile5:


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> Been in and picked him up today. Managed to get him to stand on my fist for about 30 minutes but he refused to eat. Left him with a chick head and legs just to keep his digestion going.


30 minutes you must have strong wrists. Nice you have handled him, he'll eat when he's hungry i'm sure


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## celicababe1986

He is absolutly gorgeous! :001_wub:


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## anora

Hey...

This bird is really very beautiful...
But what is the matter with its head???


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## hawksport

anora said:


> Hey...
> 
> This bird is really very beautiful...
> But what is the matter with its head???


He is wearing a hood because he isn't tame yet. The hood keeps him calm, what he cant see doesn't upset him. 
That's where the term "Hoodwinked" comes from


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## hawksport

Fed on the fist for the first time today 
Tomorrow I will do the same but hold the food tighter so he has to work harder and spend more time with his head down to eat

gyr/saker - YouTube










Nice long crow catching toes










For £200,000 you get a proper white falcon


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> Fed on the fist for the first time today
> Tomorrow I will do the same but hold the food tighter so he has to work harder and spend more time with his head down to eat
> 
> gyr/saker - YouTube


Wow, that is amazing. What a stunning boy, he seems to be coming along nicely


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> That's where the term "Hoodwinked" comes from


I never knew that, wow you learn something new everyday


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## hawksport

Picked him up today and weighed him. He is now 2lb 3oz. Bought him in the house to introduce him to the dog and he ate straight away. Took him for a walk with the dog around some of the land he will be flying over to get him used to being carried. Tomorrow I will take him out and try jumping him to the fist but I think he will need to lose a bit more weight.


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> Picked him up today and weighed him. He is now 2lb 3oz. Bought him in the house to introduce him to the dog and he ate straight away. Took him for a walk with the dog around some of the land he will be flying over to get him used to being carried. Tomorrow I will take him out and try jumping him to the fist but I think he will need to lose a bit more weight.


Love his eyes :001_wub:

How was Arni with him then? He's coming on well


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## Guest

Ooooh and just noticed 4.5oz lost that's great  He'll soon be flying


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## hawksport

He's not interested he has been with bops since he was 71/2 week old, seen it all before
He will need to lose a couple more ounces yet


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## Pixel

What an interesting thread and he is a lovely looking bird.


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## hawksport

His new hood came today. A perfect fit and in black to match the rest of his furniture (the things he wears)










He picked up and hooded nice and calm, put him on the scales and he is 2lb 3oz again today. Took him down to the field and he stayed quite calm for what an be a difficult hybrid. He wouldn't jump to the fist today as expected but he did lean over and reach out to me to take his food. I just gave him half a chick today so he should have dropped a bit of weight tomorrow and he should jump to me. He did a bit of flapping on his block when he felt the wind under him.


















and wasn't too bothered by the dog










Now he has calmed down a bit I have taken the boards of the windows on his mews to let more light in and put his bath in so he can tidy himself up

The next job is to fit a trackpack to carry his radio transmiter
Part 1 



Part 2


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> His new hood came today. A perfect fit and in black to match the rest of his furniture (the things he wears)
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> He picked up and hooded nice and calm, put him on the scales and he is 2lb 3oz again today. Took him down to the field and he stayed quite calm for what an be a difficult hybrid. He wouldn't jump to the fist today as expected but he did lean over and reach out to me to take his food. I just gave him half a chick today so he should have dropped a bit of weight tomorrow and he should jump to me. He did a bit of flapping on his block when he felt the wind under him.
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> Now he has calmed down a bit I have taken the boards of the windows on his mews to let more light in and put his bath in so he can tidy himself up
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> The next job is to fit a trackpack to carry his radio transmiter
> Part 1 trackpack fitting part 1-YouTube.mov - YouTube
> Part 2 trackpack fitting part 2-YouTube.mov - YouTube


Love that hood, it looks much better than the tan one. Very nice pictures, he really is stunning.

radio transmitter? wow that's technical hmy:


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## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> radio transmitter? wow that's technical hmy:


The same as they use for tracking wild life incase he goes awol


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> The same as they use for tracking wild life incase he goes awol


Is that the aerial bit on the hood?


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## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> Is that the aerial bit on the hood?


No we take the hood of when he flys else he cant see where he's going. It is going to fit onto a little back pack. Watch the 2 videos in the links


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> No we take the hood of when he flys else he cant see where he's going. It is going to fit onto a little back pack. Watch the 2 videos in the links


Should I have watched the videos before commenting? 

So that sticky out bit isn't an aerial? I feel a bit stupid now


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## Devil-Dogz

Them hoods are horrid to look at arent they - we need to see that beautiful face  - although I fully accept why they are needed/used 

- How long does training take, I mean like when will he be trained to an acceptable standard, or are each different?

Looking good in the pictures btw!


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## Guest

Devil-Dogz said:


> Them hoods are horrid to look at arent they


I thought it looked good... like a rocker dude


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## Devil-Dogz

Buster's Mummy said:


> I thought it looked good... like a rocker dude


 -lol its not for me, but if its needed for training, and used for the birds best interest I wont complain


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## hawksport

Devil-Dogz said:


> Them hoods are horrid to look at arent they - we need to see that beautiful face  - although I fully accept why they are needed/used
> 
> - How long does training take, I mean like when will he be trained to an acceptable standard, or are each different?
> 
> Looking good in the pictures btw!


When you see his hood close up you will appreciate the craftmanship that goes into making them from a single piece of leather.
At a guess I would say about 2 more weeks before he is ready to fly free and then he needs getting fit and to build muscle, that will put his weight back up.
If he was a Harris Hawk from collection to flying free would take 7 to 10 days.


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## Devil-Dogz

hawksport said:


> When you see his hood close up you will appreciate the craftmanship that goes into making them from a single piece of leather.
> At a guess I would say about 2 more weeks before he is ready to fly free and then he needs getting fit and to build muscle, that will put his weight back up.
> If he was a Harris Hawk from collection to flying free would take 7 to 10 days.


Oh that quicker than I would have guessed..Interesting to learn about!
- I have no doubt that they are made well, with alot of care - without trying/meaning to offended after working with wildlife and becoming quite interested in birds of prey, I couldnt think of anything better than seeing them where they should be, hence the thinking the hoods didnt look nice  a wee un'natural - thats not to say I dont agree with keeping, training them ect' just I dont understand it, having never been around/involved in it 
- I'll watch your threads with interest, am sure to learn from you


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## hawksport

He has had a bath this morning and tidied his train (tail) up. My youngest woke up covered in a rash so had to take him to the walk in center and then rushed about so much I forgot to weigh the falcon  who is now called Kane.
He was still to distracted to jump to me so I just fed him half a chick and sat in the field wth him for a couple of hours manning (socialising) him. A bit dissapointing but that's the way it goes.


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## Guest

Awww thats a shame, but its only one day... You will get back on track. Love his inquisitive look. And nice name


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## XxZoexX

Must have missed this first time round but boy he is absolutly stunning :001_wub:
Especially with his wings out.. Such majestic creature. 
Im so jealous :lol:


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## hawksport

He weighed 2lb 11/8oz today. Still refusing to jump to the fist, so I just walked him around for a couple of hours to get him used to seeing everything. Met a nice Staffy that used to come to training and let him watch that for a while. Then took him down to the canal to watch people and bikes going past. He's getting nice and steady now. Just need him to make that first jump so we can get back on track


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## Devil-Dogz

no glove, brave man  - Hes looking good, fingers crossed he jumps to the fist soon.


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## hawksport

Devil-Dogz said:


> no glove, brave man  - Hes looking good, fingers crossed he jumps to the fist soon.


I thought it would bive you a better idea of his size without a glove on. 
I don't understand why he is being so stubborn about jumping when he is so steady. If he doesn't jump tomorrow I might bring him home and try in his mews where there are less distractions just to get him started


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## Devil-Dogz

Good luck with that - hopefully will have some success if there are not distractions, are they not known to be stubborn?


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## hawksport

Devil-Dogz said:


> Good luck with that - hopefully will have some success if there are not distractions, are they not known to be stubborn?


Not really. The Gyr in him can make them a bit highly strung but he is nice and steady more like the Saker side of him. He is still an ounce over what I thought he would need to be so I'm not worried yet and once he makes his first jump I'm sure he will soon catch up


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## hawksport

2lb 1/4oz today and still refusing to jump. I've never had one get stuck like this before. His keel is begining to get a bit sharp now. He will stretch out to take food and will grab the glove to pull it to him, just won't make that first jump. He sit the dogs nose today when he got a bit too close. He sat in the field, roused himself and preened himself while dogs and horses went passed and wasn't bothered by them. I have another ounce or two to go before I start to worry


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## hawksport

1lb 15 1/4oz today and he jumped. His weight might be up a bit tomorrow because I fed him well for jumping. Tomorrow i will do the same again and Wednesday I will start him jumping onto the lure and then back to me. He's getting nice and steady now. He travelled in the car unhooded today


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## twilight

he is truly an amazing bird i have a soft spot for birds of prey kazx


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## dobermummy

after spending the day with Kane i have to say the photos dont do him justice, he is gorgeous :001_tt1:


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## BiKERcc

Oh wow he's stunning! 

After seeing Red Kites and Ospreys over the weekend, I have to say... I'm loving birds of prey more and more!


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## hawksport

1lb 15 1/4 oz again today. He is jumping full leash length instantly. Tomorrow I will start him jumping onto the lure to eat and then back onto the fist

MyMovie.mpg - YouTube


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## Devil-Dogz

Looking good, nice to see the progress.


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## hawksport

1lb 15 1/4 oz again today. He jumped straight onto the lure at full leash length ate his food and jumped straight back onto the glove. Took his leash off and put a creance (long piece of string) on and he flew about 6ft onto the lure ate his food and jumped back onto the glove. I need to start pulling the lure about now if he only holds it with one foot and start building the distance up

first flight to lure - YouTube


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## dobermummy

he is stunning, i cant wait to see him fly 

just wondering though, have you taught him any words yet? :lol:


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## hawksport

mumof6 said:


> he is stunning, i cant wait to see him fly
> 
> just wondering though, have you taught him any words yet? :lol:


If you give him a grape he will say hello 
Just kidding Gemma


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> If you give him a grape he will say hello
> Just kidding Gemma


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## ridgeback05

very nice mr hawksport...you will have fun with him.


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## hawksport

Non stop rain here all day. Not good weather for a hybrid with Saker in it. He weighed 1lb 15 3/8oz today, up 1/8 oz. Just did one quick flight to the lure about 12ft for a full chick and jumped him back to the fist for half a chick then bought him home before he got too wet


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## hawksport

1lb 15 1/4 oz today. Made 2 flight to the lure on the floor and finished by catching the lure as I swung it. I think he needs to lose another 1/2 oz to get him commited to the lure. Then I took him up to my daughters to let him watch the kids run around for a while.


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> 1lb 15 1/4 oz today. Made 2 flight to the lure on the floor and finished by catching the lure as I swung it. I think he needs to lose another 1/2 oz to get him commited to the lure. Then I took him up to my daughters to let him watch the kids run around for a while.


You can see how big he is in that picture


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## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> You can see how big he is in that picture


His mum was hoping he might fly away with him .


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## Dally Banjo

Absolutely stunning


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## Sled dog hotel

hawksport said:


> Fed on the fist for the first time today
> Tomorrow I will do the same but hold the food tighter so he has to work harder and spend more time with his head down to eat
> 
> gyr/saker - YouTube
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> Nice long crow catching toes
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> For £200,000 you get a proper white falcon
> ‫


Somehow missed this before, he is stunning, you get a better idea in the video just how big he is!!! I know nothing about brids of prey really, but he looks in fantastic condition.


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## Devil-Dogz

Looking good.


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## Sled dog hotel

hawksport said:


> His new hood came today. A perfect fit and in black to match the rest of his furniture (the things he wears)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> He picked up and hooded nice and calm, put him on the scales and he is 2lb 3oz again today. Took him down to the field and he stayed quite calm for what an be a difficult hybrid. He wouldn't jump to the fist today as expected but he did lean over and reach out to me to take his food. I just gave him half a chick today so he should have dropped a bit of weight tomorrow and he should jump to me. He did a bit of flapping on his block when he felt the wind under him.
> 
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> and wasn't too bothered by the dog
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> Now he has calmed down a bit I have taken the boards of the windows on his mews to let more light in and put his bath in so he can tidy himself up
> 
> The next job is to fit a trackpack to carry his radio transmiter
> Part 1 trackpack fitting part 1-YouTube.mov - YouTube
> Part 2 trackpack fitting part 2-YouTube.mov - YouTube


hes markings (if thats what they are reffered to) are really beautiful, I know in one post you mentioned the white falcon being expensive to I assume desireable, but personally I think his markings and colourings are much more attractive.


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## hawksport

Bad news this morning, I went to pick him up and he has tipped one of his tail feathers










It won't make any difference to him but its going to annoy me every time I see it. I need to get a matching feather. Cut this one off further up, glue a carbon fibre splint into the hollow shaft and then glue the new feather onto the carbon fibre.

He weighed 1lb 15oz today. Flew well to the lure in the wind and hovered about a bit in the wind when he missed it before coming back down to it


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## dobermummy

he will be like a patchwork blanket if he does it any more :lol:

It sounds like he is coming on nicely and Thom says he cant wait to see him flying for real


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## hawksport

mumof6 said:


> he will be like a patchwork blanket if he does it any more :lol:
> 
> It sounds like he is coming on nicely and Thom says he cant wait to see him flying for real


I will use a matching feather so you can't tell.
Some of our native BOPs, sparrowhawks ect are notoriously hard to keep in good condition. By the end of the season you see them with pigeon tails and all sorts imped (glued) in


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## hawksport

1lb 15oz today. He made 4 flights to the lure for half a chick each time and jumped back to the fist for a leg each time. He has started to get the idea of turning when he misses the lure rather than just carrying on in a straght line. Started at 30ft where we finished yesterday and the last 2 today were 50 yards. Not long now untill he will be ready to go free

monday - YouTube


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> 1lb 15oz today. He made 4 flights to the lure for half a chick each time and jumped back to the fist for a leg each time. He has started to get the idea of turning when he misses the lure rather than just carrying on in a straght line. Started at 30ft where we finished yesterday and the last 2 today were 50 yards. Not long now untill he will be ready to go free
> 
> monday - YouTube


awww wow that's really exciting, can't wait to see him flying 

Well done Kane, and well done you, you both seem to be progessing well


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## Sled dog hotel

Its really nice to see how its done, Seen falconary displays and its always amazed me how the birds dont just take off, so really interesting to see how its done and how much goes into it.


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## hawksport

1lb 14 7/8 oz today, down 1/8 oz due to the colder weather and his increased exercise.
Made some shorter flights and practiced his turns today. He knows the game now and is coming as I walk away before I call him. Getting nice and aggressive on the lure which he will need to be if he flys crows. A little bit sticky footed on the pickup of the lure, that is where he won't let go of the lure and tries to carry it to the fist. I don't mind that in a young birdl that will sort its self out with field time. The only thing letting him down now is his flying skill and his coordination and that again just needs flying time. He is just about ready to go free now but as much as I hate messing about with bits of string I'm going to give him a bit longer just to be sure. 
Appart from getting a bit stuck trying to get that first jump to the fist I'm pretty plased with him. I just need to make my mind up if I'm going to risk him on crows or just fly him to the lure


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## Devil-Dogz

Sounds like things are coming on great, am pleased.  - and no piccies to admire today tut tut


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## hawksport

Devil-Dogz said:


> Sounds like things are coming on great, am pleased.  - and no piccies to admire today tut tut


I posted that on my phone while I was sat in his mews with him but just for you


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## Devil-Dogz

aah let you off then  - Hes looking good, I must say I do like his colouring - looks like hes enjoying the chick to


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## Guest

Awww look at that baby chick... Kanes loving it!

He'll be free soon then, thats quite exciting


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## eagle96

this bird is so beautiful, pls post up sum more pics of her, and can u upload sum on its mews, i need some i deas come im in the process of designing one.

thankx

PUJAN KERAI


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## hawksport

eagle96 said:


> this bird is so beautiful, pls post up sum more pics of her, and can u upload sum on its mews, i need some i deas come im in the process of designing one.
> 
> thankx
> 
> PUJAN KERAI


I will get some tomorrow


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## eagle96

thanks mate,,,check out my pics of my cousins 2011 goldie,,,amazing


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## hawksport

eagle96 said:


> thanks mate,,,check out my pics of my cousins 2011 goldie,,,amazing


 Where are the pics?
Your cousin wouldn't happen to be a profesional gage fighter would he?


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## eagle96

here they are http://www.petforums.co.uk/bird-chat/187666-2011-goldie-eagle.html

i dont get the gage fighter thing:huh:


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## hawksport

eagle96 said:


> here they are http://www.petforums.co.uk/bird-chat/187666-2011-goldie-eagle.html
> 
> i dont get the gage fighter thing:huh:


I meant professional cage fighter. I was on my phone again.
I thought I might know who it was, there's not that many people taking up this years imprint goldies


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## hawksport

Wednesday
1lb 14 3/4 oz everything pretty much the same as Tuesday

Thursday
1lb 14 7/8 oz. First flight today I got a little bit complacent. As I walked away from him along the creance I didn't watch him. I just caught sight of him as he flew by over head at 30ft high. He was about 50 yards away when I blew the whistle and swung the lure out. He turned his head, looked down turned into the wind in a big arc and gained some height then came straight in and caught the lure. 
He knows everything I can teach him now, the rest he has to learn himself with flying time, fitness and experience.
I'm going to fetch his transmitter mount at the weekend then give him a couple of days to get used to the feel of it and fly him free Monday. If I don't update Monday afternoon I'm wandering the countryside waving a big ariel around looking for him.
All in I'm really pleased with him. He's steady, he handles nicely with good manners and he's quiet. For what can be a difficult hybrid I don't think I've done a bad job of him. I just need to get him ranging out and get him fit. A big falcon like this is going to use lots of sky. Hopefully he is going to give me many years fun. 
I need to get a deposit on a black one soon for next year


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## dobermummy

i cant wait to see him free flying, though i know how scared ill be watching him from half closed eyes


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## Sled dog hotel

I see what you mean about the transmitter, Its bad enough letting a dog off for the first time, must be worse with one of those guys.


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## eagle96

What are you feeding him at the moment


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## hawksport

Sled dog hotel said:


> I see what you mean about the transmitter, Its bad enough letting a dog off for the first time, must be worse with one of those guys.


He can be 100 miles away in an hour or he could be right next to you hidden in a tree. Without telemetry on you have no idea where to look. With telemetry if I cant get a signal of him other falconers up and down the country will go out and have a scan around to help recover him. It's around £700 for a decent full set but it buys a lot of peace of mind and you only have to recover a falcon once to get your moneys worth


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## hawksport

eagle96 said:


> What are you feeding him at the moment


He is just on chicks at the moment so I can give him a reasonably full crop without putting to much weight on him. Next week when he is free and his flying time increases he will start getting mice, rat and quail to help build muscle and start getting a bit of weight back on him slowly.


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## Sled dog hotel

hawksport said:


> He can be 100 miles away in an hour or he could be right next to you hidden in a tree. Without telemetry on you have no idea where to look. With telemetry if I cant get a signal of him other falconers up and down the country will go out and have a scan around to help recover him. It's around £700 for a decent full set but it buys a lot of peace of mind and you only have to recover a falcon once to get your moneys worth


Its great that its such a good community and you help each other out if ever the needs be. I can see its very handy!


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## hawksport

Learning that bare hands are there to help not to rob
wednesday - YouTube


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## Devil-Dogz

so beautiful - looks like things are going well with training.


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## hawksport

He will be flying free Monday when I have more time to track him if anything does go wrong. Completely wild to free flying in 3 weeks. People are usually suprised at how quickly training goes. 
If anyone is thinking of taking this up. Its around 2 hours a day every day during daylight hours through autum and winter, it doesn't fit in well with a 9-5 job or school hours.


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## Sled dog hotel

The trust and training that you build is amazing, obviously you do it with a dog, but not something you really think of with a bird, especially that sort. 
When I watched the clip, I kept thinking with that beak and talons it could be quite easy for your hands to end up looking like the chicken.
Just shows how intelligent they are, again something that just doesnt ever really occur to you, unless you see how its all done.


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## eagle96

at what stage would you be training him to the lure and whats hus daily intake???


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## hawksport

The thing with their feet is they get infections quite easily and with them holding raw meat you need to be able to lift them up and look at them and feel for any heat in them. The first hawk I ever had saw food in my bare hand, the speed her foot moved was unreal. Before I knew it she had her halux talon (the big one on the back) through my hand, the crushing power is unbelievable. Then they can't let go even if they want to because they are programmed to hang on. So you have to sit and wait for them to relax while you try and keep them from picking at the blood.


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## Devil-Dogz

sod that!  My hand got scratched to bits by a red kite that was enough to make me light headed!


----------



## hawksport

eagle96 said:


> at what stage would you be training him to the lure and whats hus daily intake???


As soon as he was jumping leash length to the fist he went straight onto the lure. I would call a HH or an RT much further to the fist but a falcon doesn't need to do long recalls to the fist like they do.
I'm walking away from him, showing him the lure and then hiding it now. So as he comes over he is flying round in big circles gaining height before I swing the lure out and call him down. The extra exercise means he needs 4 chick a day to keep his weight steady


----------



## eagle96

good luck with him, my dads gona go put down a deposit on some 2012 redtails


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> Learning that bare hands are there to help not to rob
> wednesday - YouTube


Brave man! :lol: good job didnt get yellow


----------



## hawksport

Fresh battery in the transmitter check
Fresh batteries in the receiver check
Full tank of petrol check
Spare trousers check

First day free. I will fly him here for a few days and let him learn about wind and lift and build his confidence then start flying him in different places each day

first day free - YouTube


----------



## Guest

Wow, that is amazing. I was in iceland and considered texting to see if you still owned a falcon :lol:

Well done, he looks stunning in the air... Did you need your spare trousers?


----------



## hawksport

Nearly, when he went over that old factory unit and I lost sight of him


----------



## Devil-Dogz

amazing, so nice to see him making good use of them wings! - glad it all went to plan, you've done fab with him.


----------



## ridgeback05

hawksport said:


> Nearly, when he went over that old factory unit and I lost sight of him


you know when he is fit he will go well out of sight....my mate flys one and when he flys his it does not takelong for it to bea speck in the distance...oh do you ever go onto the iff site.


----------



## hawksport

ridgeback05 said:


> you know when he is fit he will go well out of sight....my mate flys one and when he flys his it does not takelong for it to bea speck in the distance...oh do you ever go onto the iff site.


I just didn't want him going out of sight on his fist day.

Fitted his new backpack today. I'm really pleased with it, I think it's much safer for him than any of the old transmitter mounting methods

The backpack with the teflon ribbon preened in










With the transmitter on the mount.










Well today was a bit different, he took off and I let him range out a bit. I saw the crows lift as he went over them and that was the last I saw of him for nearly 6 hours. I tracked him on foot for about 3 hours and then in the car for about 3 hours and everytime I thought I knew where he was he moved again, presumably tail chasing crows that he has no hope of catching yet. Eventually I got a full signal as I drove down a main road, I did a circle of the block and the signal faded then as I came back around onto the main road I got a full signal again and spotted him on a roof. I jumped out of the car, swung the lure and he came straight down to the lure on the grass verge and ate his dinner as everyone slowed down to look. The joys of flying long wings


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> Well today was a bit different, he took off and I let him range out a bit. I saw the crows lift as he went over them and that was the last I saw of him for nearly 6 hours. I tracked him on foot for about 3 hours and then in the car for about 3 hours and everytime I thought I knew where he was he moved again, presumably tail chasing crows that he has no hope of catching yet. Eventually I got a full signal as I drove down a main road, I did a circle of the block and the signal faded then as I came back around onto the main road I got a full signal again and spotted him on a roof. I jumped out of the car, swung the lure and he came straight down to the lure on the grass verge and ate his dinner as everyone slowed down to look. The joys of flying long wings


I knew it, when you hadn't updated by 5pm I thought you'd be running through the countryside chasing a falcon. I hope you are OK. Bet you are worn out 

so glad you got him back, a good thing you have that transmitter


----------



## Sled dog hotel

Now I see why you said the transmitters were worth it. Still must have been a pretty stressful 6hrs.


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Bet he enjoyed his little adventure, not so enjoying for though - must have been a little worried - glad it all ended well though, and the transmitter defo sounds well worth its costs.


----------



## hawksport

His telemetry mount is completely preened in now so I have to part his feathers to mount his transmitter










I put the perches up today so he can live loose in his mews.


















While I was doing that he thought my black walking shoes looked like crows and tried to eat them.
I was a bit nervous flying him today in the wind we have here but he flew well, gained some height and even caught the lure before I was ready to let him catch it


----------



## Guest

:lol: at your shoes 

A chick is quite big isnt it?


----------



## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> :lol: at your shoes
> 
> A chick is quite big isnt it?


More or less an ounce


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Buster's Mummy said:


> A chick is quite big isnt it?


all them nasty males  

- Hes looking good HS - got a very serious looking face


----------



## hawksport

Falcons doing what falcons do. The one at .53 is what I want next year
WoodHall Spa 2010 - YouTube


----------



## Devil-Dogz

very nice, whats the one at 32


----------



## hawksport

Devil-Dogz said:


> very nice, whats the one at 32


That's a Peregrine.


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> Falcons doing what falcons do.


Fly??


----------



## hawksport

It's a bit too windy to fly an unfit young falcon today.
This is what his parents look like and what he will moult into as he matures

pair of gyrsakers 1 - YouTube


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> It's a bit too windy to fly an unfit young falcon today.
> This is what his parents look like and what he will moult into as he matures
> 
> pair of gyrsakers 1 - YouTube


Awww I love the sound they make :001_wub: I prefer that sound to the talking one


----------



## Sled dog hotel

Are the eggs naturally incubated and raised, or are the eggs incubated and the chicks raised by hand, just something that occured to me and I wondered about, I can see hand reared making sense btw, if they are. Considering there has to be a bond between human and bird in falconary, just something I never thought about until now.


----------



## hawksport

Sled dog hotel said:


> Are the eggs naturally incubated and raised, or are the eggs incubated and the chicks raised by hand, just something that occured to me and I wondered about, I can see hand reared making sense btw, if they are. Considering there has to be a bond between human and bird in falconary, just something I never thought about until now.


He is parent reared. It's hard to hand rear/imprint a falcon without getting behavioral problems. They often scream at you for food as soon as their weight is cut the same as they would to their parents. They can be aggressive to you. It can be done but a parent reared falcon is much simpler.


----------



## hawksport

Peregrine/Saker hybrid in the clouds

Pere/saker-2 - YouTube


----------



## Sled dog hotel

hawksport said:


> He is parent reared. It's hard to hand rear/imprint a falcon without getting behavioral problems. They often scream at you for food as soon as their weight is cut the same as they would to their parents. They can be aggressive to you. It can be done but a parent reared falcon is much simpler.


I just wondered that was all, but I can see it could have the opposite effect to what I thought hand rearing would be and make things harder instead of easier.


----------



## hawksport

It was windy again today. I took him to a couple of new places. He learnt to use cover to stay out of the wind and his fitness is improving

video 2011 09 07 12 06 26 - YouTube

He traveled home in the car unhooded and then fell asleep while I changed his bath water


----------



## Sled dog hotel

hawksport said:


> It was windy again today. I took him to a couple of new places. He learnt to use cover to stay out of the wind and his fitness is improving
> 
> video 2011 09 07 12 06 26 - YouTube
> 
> He traveled home in the car unhooded and then fell asleep while I changed his bath water


Never thought I could say it but he almost looks cute and cuddly in the Pic, hard to believe seeing him like that what he is really capable of.


----------



## Guest

beautiful, couldn't see him around 0.18 was a bit scary. He is coming on so well. Does he just sit in the car on a seat then?


----------



## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> beautiful, couldn't see him around 0.18 was a bit scary. He is coming on so well. Does he just sit in the car on a seat then?


He starting to range out a bit now. Once he has learnt about wind and how to use it to get lift he could go a mile to find it. 
At the moment he travels on the fist but a couple more days and he will sit on a perch to travel


----------



## dobermummy

i went out today with Hawksport and Kane to watch him fly. It was absolutely amazing. we walked up a hill and HS set him down and off he flew, he went over some trees till we couldnt see him any more. As we were watching for him we saw a load of crows and HS told me they were mobbing Kane so we went to him, HS swung the lure and Kane came back to us 

I got to hold Kane on the glove and put him on the post so he could start flying a few times, which was fantastic, and he seemed to like me which is good as they can be a bit funny with strangers (he obviously has good taste )

Kane also met horses for the first time and wasnt fazed at all by them, even when they came over and had their head right by him as he was eating his last chick. 

When we sat down to eat Kane was on a perch next to us and he was so relaxed and unfazed, a lot calmer than last time i saw him.

i am loving learning all the new things with Kane and he is so stunning, i really have fallen in love with him :001_wub: and know when he is stronger and fitter and flying further away i will be watching him with half closed eyes and holding my breath until he is back in view 

(sorry about the essay but i am just trying to get over how amazing Kane is )


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Lucky lady mumof6!


----------



## hawksport

Devil-Dogz said:


> Lucky lady mumof6!


She is. She even got to eat all my strawberries


----------



## Devil-Dogz

what more could one ask for!


----------



## hawksport

Good girls that sit on Santas knee get everything they ask for


----------



## Devil-Dogz

I wondered where I was going wrong


----------



## hawksport

He flew nice again for me today and I even got pics on my camera instead of my phone. His fitness is improving and the crows weren't so confident today.


----------



## hawksport

Got a little bit of video before the battery went flat but it's getting hard keeping him in the frame now. Before he was flying he needed 2 chicks a day to maintain his weight, now he needs 6 chicks or their equivalent to maintain his weight. Shows how much energy he is burning while flying

saturday - YouTube


----------



## Devil-Dogz

I can imagine the sheer pleasure of watching him fly around..amazing!!


----------



## hawksport

I need someone else to video him really while he flies. I'm going out with a friend soon who got a Pere/Saker hybrid in June so we will be able to video each other. 
It will be interesting to see the different flying styles of a falcon that stoops at quarry and one that is more of a direct pursuit hunter


----------



## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> I need someone else to video him really while he flies. I'm going out with a friend soon who got a Pere/Saker hybrid in June so we will be able to video each other.
> It will be interesting to see the different flying styles of a falcon that stoops at quarry and one that is more of a direct pursuit hunter


That will be good, hopefully you will get to post the videos for us a to see the differences between the two


----------



## hawksport

Kane flew nice again and if I ever learn to swing a lure properly we will be ok. Managed to get some better video today
sunday - YouTube


----------



## Guest

great video, were you swinging the lure to get him to swoop?


----------



## hawksport

That's right I have to make him work harder each day to improve fitness and coordination


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Brilliant video of one man and his bird.


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> That's right I have to make him work harder each day to improve fitness and coordination


Well you are a pretty good swinger


----------



## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> That's right I have to make him work harder each day to improve fitness and coordination


and hope he learns to notice the fences :lol:


----------



## hawksport

mumof6 said:


> and hope he learns to notice the fences :lol:


He clipped another fence today  I need some bigger fields


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> He clipped another fence today  I need some bigger fields


I've just spent 2 hours trying to escape a massive field


----------



## Nico0laGouldsmith

hawksport said:


> Got a little bit of video before the battery went flat but it's getting hard keeping him in the frame now. Before he was flying he needed 2 chicks a day to maintain his weight, now he needs 6 chicks or their equivalent to maintain his weight. Shows how much energy he is burning while flying
> 
> saturday - YouTube


I wish I could fly :wink: 

I could eat loads then!


----------



## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> He clipped another fence today  I need some bigger fields


Is he ok? Hope he didn't hurt himself


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Pictures?


----------



## hawksport

mumof6 said:


> Is he ok? Hope he didn't hurt himself


He's ok but if he carries on I'm going to cut eye holes in his hood and use it as a crash helmet



Devil-Dogz said:


> Pictures?


He was too fast in this wind to get any pics


----------



## Devil-Dogz

okies will let you off then, as he was having fun!


----------



## hawksport

Devil-Dogz said:


> Pictures?


So what do you think after seeeing him fly?


----------



## Devil-Dogz

hawksport said:


> So what do you think after seeeing him fly?


totally amazing  - and thinking about it when I left, you werent around I so could have pinched him


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Disappointed in you HS - still no photos  

(hows things going?)


----------



## hawksport

I don't know if you saw the ones Cassia took at camp


----------



## Devil-Dogz

I do love that one before the last, proper special


----------



## hawksport

Devil-Dogz said:


> I do love that one before the last, proper special


I like that one. She did well to get that shot with the speed he goes when he comes in to the lure


----------



## dobermummy

Devil-Dogz said:


> I do love that one before the last, proper special





hawksport said:


> I like that one. She did well to get that shot with the speed he goes when he comes in to the lure


its a fantastic photo taken by an amazing person :thumbup:


----------



## hawksport

After wandering off and catching a crow at camp, I tracked him down to a graveyard with his 2nd crow today. 
If I leave him on a post then show him the lure we are ok, but if I fly him off the fist and let him fly for a while before showing him the lure he wanders off looking for crows.


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> After wandering off and catching a crow at camp, I tracked him down to a graveyard with his 2nd crow today.
> If I leave him on a post then show him the lure we are ok, but if I fly him off the fist and let him fly for a while before showing him the lure he wanders off looking for crows.


graveyard and crows that sounds quite scary 

isnt that weird how he connects the fist with flying away.


----------



## hawksport

I think he is sitting on the fist until he sees a crow to chase and then going for it. I'm going to take his to a farm that has some big open fields with lots of crows and see what he does


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> I think he is sitting on the fist until he sees a crow to chase and then going for it. I'm going to take his to a farm that has some big open fields with lots of crows and see what he does


crows are quite big aren't they? 

does he actuallly chase and kll them? or find dead ones?


----------



## hawksport

He catches live ones.
They are quite big with a big stabbing beak that can take an eye out quite easily. The Saker part of him gives him long legs to hold a crow at a safe distance and makes him more willing than a lot of the falcons to carry the fight on once he is on the ground.


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> He catches live ones.
> They are quite big with a big stabbing beak that can take an eye out quite easily. The Saker part of him gives him long legs to hold a crow at a safe distance and makes him more willing than a lot of the falcons to carry the fight on once he is on the ground.


wow, bet that's amazing to watch. It's what he was bred to do


----------



## hawksport

I just left him to play in the thermals for a while today. He's so fit and persistant he can stoop at the lure for as long as i can swing it now. Seriously thinking about flying him to a kite on alternate days










































Catching his breath before he eats


----------



## Guest

Beautiful lad, amazing piccies too. I think I got the wrong impression completely readi g 'kite'. Lovely weather you have there today


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Looking good!


----------



## Blondie

Have just noticed this and spent a good time readgthis whole thread. Have throughrily enjoyed and look ofrwardto the updates now. I am sooooo jealous I would seriously love to have a go at something like this, have always been a huge admirer of these kinds of birds ever since watching 'Flight of the Condor' as a young 'un. 

Thanks for posting Hawksport - and keep up the good work, its awesome!!


----------



## hawksport

Ceearott said:


> Have just noticed this and spent a good time readgthis whole thread. Have throughrily enjoyed and look ofrwardto the updates now. I am sooooo jealous I would seriously love to have a go at something like this, have always been a huge admirer of these kinds of birds ever since watching 'Flight of the Condor' as a young 'un.
> 
> Thanks for posting Hawksport - and keep up the good work, its awesome!!


Glad you enjoyed it. I thought it might give a bit of insight into the mysterious art of training BOPs. The thing that suprises people the most is how quickly training progresses from completely wild to free flying, in this case 19 days my quickest being 7 days. The thing that suprised me the most is no one asked why a hybrid and not a pure Gyr


----------



## hawksport

Video from today







[/URL][/IMG]


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> The thing that suprised me the most is no one asked why a hybrid and not a pure Gyr


Why a hybrid and not a pure Gyr? 

Im not one to disappoint


----------



## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> Why a hybrid and not a pure Gyr?
> 
> Im not one to disappoint


Because that little bit of Saker in him knocks a zero off the price tag
Pure Gyr £6000
11/16 Gyr 5/16 saker £600


----------



## Guest

Great video had to watch twice as distracted by flags,and fairground 

You'll hace to position yourself better next time


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> Because that little bit of Saker in him knocks a zero off the price tag
> Pure Gyr £6000
> 11/16 Gyr 5/16 saker £600


That wasn't the answer I was expecting... I had wondered a few months back but thought there was a good reason like part is one thing and the other part gives something else


----------



## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> Great video had to watch twice as distracted by flags,and fairground
> 
> You'll hace to position yourself better next time


If the camera was the other way you would of been distracted by 2 Beagles that came past



Buster's Mummy said:


> That wasn't the answer I was expecting... I had wondered a few months back but thought there was a good reason like part is one thing and the other part gives something else


There are other reasons for crossing them but my reasons were just price. £6000 flying around the countryside is just a bit too much excitement


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> There are other reasons for crossing them but my reasons were just price. £6000 flying around the countryside is just a bit too much excitement


they'd see an increase in the sale of boxer shorts at matalan or asda hey?



hawksport said:


> If the camera was the other way you would of been distracted by 2 Beagles that came past


Ah now I know your telling porkies, if two beagles walked past your camera wouldnt have survived


----------



## hawksport

Buster's Mummy said:


> Ah now I know your telling porkies, if two beagles walked past your camera wouldnt have survived


I threw rocks at them to keep them away


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> I threw rocks at them to keep them away


Rocks? Thats not too bad could have been worse!

Could have been a dead rabbit


----------



## hawksport

After flying so well at 1lb 15 1/4 oz yesterday I put his weight up to 2lb today. Big mistake, there was no way he was going to chase a lure around at that weight. He went and sat on top of a pylon and would only come down to the lure thrown out on the floor. Back to 1lb 15oz tomorrow


----------



## hawksport

Flew him on a big park today. I watched him through binoculars as he went about a mile to some hills and caught the updrafts before coming back over nice and high. Then he stooped at the lure for as long as I could swing it. 
I'm going to get an application in to the Civil Aviation Authority for a licence to fly a kite and kite train him


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Things sound as if there going well HS, hes looking fab to!


----------



## hawksport

Because there is always a chance of him going awol and because I could find him and need to lure him down anywhere, with any distraction I flew him on a park where there was a kids football team practicing. All went well until he was on the lure and we were surrounded by the footballers little brothers and sisters. I was so busy answering their questions I didn't notice he had finished the food on the lure until he attached himself to my hand with the food in that I was going to use to trade him off the lure with. It's ok, it's stopped bleeding now


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Hows things going? - Pictures?


----------



## hawksport

He went awol chasing a crow today. I got a general direction with the telemetry and started driving. Stopped at a school field and got a good signal. I whistled and swung the lure and just as all the kids came out for lunch break he came in to the lure. I then spent about half an hour talking to the kids and the teacher about him. I will get some pics over the weekend


----------



## Sled dog hotel

Bet the kids were fascinated and thrilled with it all, even though it wasnt a planned talk for you.


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Bet that was interesting for the kids, he is a beaut to watch up in the sky!  Look forward to the piccies - must meet him again soon, sounds like things are going well though.


----------



## hawksport

The kids were most interested in the way he tore the mouse on the lure apart.
He's. Doing okay. This is the first time since camp he has wandered too far. I think we need to fine tune his weight. He has been flying quite fat to help build muscle and it might be time to just bring him down half an ounce


----------



## sailor

Only just seen this thread!
What a fantastic thread too, it has been facinating to read about Kane and watch his progress along side your dedication. It is always good to see someone with a passion, especially if its a passion that involves building bonds and working with creatures, no matter the species.



hawksport said:


> Video from today
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/URL][/IMG]


Loved 3.49  excellent shot of him flying in for the lure, then skimming the camera head on :thumbsup:


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Hope trainings still going well..


----------



## hawksport

He started to get a bit lazy and would go and sit down for a rest. Ive took a bit of weight of him and we seem to be back on track. I changed his anklets yesterday because there wasn't much leather around the brass eyelet and I was a bit worried about the metal rubbing his feet. It took ages to do because he kept playing with the bits and everytime I got them put together ready to fasten them with the tool he pulled them apart. We did it in the end and it was better to take the time and do it the nice way than grab him and wrap him up in a towel


----------



## hawksport

Steak for dinner










I had to make do with chips, egg and beans


----------



## Clare7435

BEAUTIFUL...beautiful...is the only word for these creatures...Love them...so interesting


----------



## Clare7435

hawksport said:


> Big enough to knock a seagull out of the sky
> 
> We are going through that step by step, day by day


And then some...Someone I know has a friend who keeps raptors...last week one of his took off with huge cat....I remember the first time I handled an eagle owl I think it was....the bloke doing the display tried telling me that birds where basically stupid because they had small brains. I refuse to believe that a bird like this...who'd just took off from my arm...flew across a field...then came back on a command perched on my arm and took the meat from me is thick..I don't care what anyone says no birds aren't thick....Look at the red kite....how they play dead to protect themselves...a human could pick them up in that state yet they know if they play dead they're likely to survive ....how's that thick?


----------



## hawksport

This one is a bit small for catching cats. You should see the Golden Eagles hunting wolves


----------



## Clare7435

hawksport said:


> This one is a bit small for catching cats. You should see the Golden Eagles hunting wolves


I've seen a vid of a golden taking out a mountain goat....amazing..they're huge


----------



## hawksport

He flew nice for me again Saturday after our group dog walk. He went off for about 15 minutes and found some lift before coming back nice and high. I let him catch the lure first time to teach him height will give him success


















He is off to fly for the young lad that came with me when I bought him this afternoon. It's the first time he has seen him since we put him in the box to bring him home so I hope he flys well today for him


----------



## hawksport

He flew nice for the kids. He went down off the hill we were on, then I think he spotted a rabbit and went into low level pursuit mode. Then he went over to a line of trees and caught some lift before going over to the next hill about a mile away. We let him play around in the wind there for a while before calling him back and stooping him to the lure. They even got to see him barrel roll, fold his wings and go into a vertical stoop. I've have a feeling one young lad will be getting himself a falcon when he is older


----------



## hawksport

I love flying this falcon. Not much lift about today but he flew well again


----------



## Devil-Dogz

Love that last photo, hes looking so good!


----------



## hawksport

His tail has got a bit tatty. I changed all the perches in his aviary so hopefully it wont get any worse or I will have to give him a new tail before he moults


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> His tail has got a bit tatty. I changed all the perches in his aviary so hopefully it wont get any worse or I will have to give him a new tail before he moults


He can get a new tail? Www.buildyourownfalcon.com


----------



## hawksport

Beagle Mafia said:


> He can get a new tail? Www.buildyourownfalcon.com


We save the old feathers when they moult. Then you cut the broken feathers back to where they are good and cut the new feather to match. Glue a carbon fibre splint inside the new feather shaft and then glue the other end of the splint inside the broken feather shaft.

Just like this Imping of Crow Feathers - YouTube


----------



## hawksport

Rain stopped play today 
But for anyone interested, white Gyr falcons in their natural habitat
White falcon White wolf [Part 1] - YouTube
White Falcon, White Wolf (Part 2-4) - YouTube
White Falcon, White Wolf (Part 3-4) - YouTube
White Falcon, White Wolf (Part 4-4) - YouTube


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> Rain stopped play today
> But for anyone interested, white Gyr falcons in their natural habitat
> White falcon White wolf [Part 1] - YouTube
> White Falcon, White Wolf (Part 2-4) - YouTube
> White Falcon, White Wolf (Part 3-4) - YouTube
> White Falcon, White Wolf (Part 4-4) - YouTube


Lovely  so beautiful.


----------



## hawksport

Another nice days flying after yesterdays rest


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> Another nice days flying after yesterdays rest


lovely photos, I can use some in another vid


----------



## hawksport

Kane is now flying well at 2lb, the weight his breeder said they usually make and I'm sure he will go a bit higher when the cold weather comes. I'm pleased with that because breeders often tend to exaggerate weights. The plan was next year to get either another the same but black or a male Peregrine or a male Gyr/Peregrine hybrid. Now I am seriously considering getting the same again but a female and flying her for a couple of years before pairing them up and breeding my own. I'm sure the neighbours won't mind the noise.


----------



## hawksport

Nice dark sky and wind today, just how i like it










































Until one of the local Buzzards came










and we called it a day before one of them got hurt


----------



## hawksport

Today I thought I would do a quick job on the car before flying Kane. I half expected the part I needed to replace to be siezed on, so before I bought the new part I stripped the car down and made sure the old part would come off. hen I put it all back together to go and fetch the new part. Got back home and stripped it down to put the new part on only to find the new part was wrong. So then I had to put it back together again with the old part to go and exchange the new part. The part I needed had to be ordered and wont be here until tomorrow. Not being the most patient of people I was feeling more than a little stressed. So off I go with Kane for some relaxation time. I got to the first farm and they were shooting. Off to the second farm and that has a footpath I have to use to get to an area open enough to fly. Halfway down this path I meet a nice young Dobermann bitch. Off course I had to say hello to her and as I talk to her owner I'm scratching her head. The next thing I know is this Dobermanns running down the path with 1/2 lb of steak she has stole from my bag. So Kane got 1 quick flight for the tiny piece of steak the dog had left


----------



## Sled dog hotel

hawksport said:


> Today I thought I would do a quick job on the car before flying Kane. I half expected the part I needed to replace to be siezed on, so before I bought the new part I stripped the car down and made sure the old part would come off. hen I put it all back together to go and fetch the new part. Got back home and stripped it down to put the new part on only to find the new part was wrong. So then I had to put it back together again with the old part to go and exchange the new part. The part I needed had to be ordered and wont be here until tomorrow. Not being the most patient of people I was feeling more than a little stressed. So off I go with Kane for some relaxation time. I got to the first farm and they were shooting. Off to the second farm and that has a footpath I have to use to get to an area open enough to fly. Halfway down this path I meet a nice young Dobermann bitch. Off course I had to say hello to her and as I talk to her owner I'm scratching her head. The next thing I know is this Dobermanns running down the path with 1/2 lb of steak she has stole from my bag. So Kane got 1 quick flight for the tiny piece of steak the dog had left


Days like those you just couldnt:mad2: make them up could you??!!!!


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> Today I thought I would do a quick job on the car before flying Kane. I half expected the part I needed to replace to be siezed on, so before I bought the new part I stripped the car down and made sure the old part would come off. hen I put it all back together to go and fetch the new part. Got back home and stripped it down to put the new part on only to find the new part was wrong. So then I had to put it back together again with the old part to go and exchange the new part. The part I needed had to be ordered and wont be here until tomorrow. Not being the most patient of people I was feeling more than a little stressed. So off I go with Kane for some relaxation time. I got to the first farm and they were shooting. Off to the second farm and that has a footpath I have to use to get to an area open enough to fly. Halfway down this path I meet a nice young Dobermann bitch. Off course I had to say hello to her and as I talk to her owner I'm scratching her head. The next thing I know is this Dobermanns running down the path with 1/2 lb of steak she has stole from my bag. So Kane got 1 quick flight for the tiny piece of steak the dog had left


Dobermanns


----------



## hope

your falcon is amazing


----------



## hawksport

hope said:


> your falcon is amazing


Thank you....


----------



## hawksport

Kane was down nearly an ounce today at 1llb 15 1/8oz. The sunny weather had bought out the walkers and cyclist and he had quite a crowd watching him. He flew a crow quite nicely and they rung up together to a good height before the crow bailed out and he put some good stoops in as it first tried to out fly him and then headed for some cover. I called him in to the lure from about a mile away, fed him and then sat him on a post for everyone to take pics while I answered a million questions.


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> fed him and then sat him on a post for everyone to take pics while I answered a million questions.


any good questions?


----------



## hawksport

Beagle Mafia said:


> any good questions?


There was a boy about 10 years old who asked some sensible questions and knew what the transmitter on his back was for and there was someone else who actually knew what he was but asked what percentage of Gyr was in him.


----------



## snipeblade

how do you rate him now that he,s settling ,is he an evens mix or does he show more of one than the other.there is no better sight than seeing a raptor doing his buisness.i envy the buzz you must get.


----------



## feathered bird lover

just joined in, the falcon is stunning, nothing better than to see them doing what just comes naturally. 
i had recently held a harris hawk and a eagle owl, was a fantastic feeling, especialy when they had theyr'e wings full out, owl was particularly heavy i must say. 
am enjoying this thread emensely.
will certailnly be keeping to this thread, just love all the pics, especially with the falcon in flight.



my 2 birds are sooooooooo small in comparison, lol.


----------



## hawksport

snipeblade said:


> how do you rate him now that he,s settling ,is he an evens mix or does he show more of one than the other.there is no better sight than seeing a raptor doing his buisness.i envy the buzz you must get.


 Its hard to say. I've never seen a pure gyr fly except on videos. He is very calm like my saker and flies in a similaar style but ranges out much further


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## hawksport

I'm not quite sure what to make of todays events. As usual I unhooded Kane and once he was airbourne I began to walk while he did circles of about a mile diameter above me. I then stooped him to the lure a few times and let him catch it and eat and then picked him up. Then I decided to go to the edge of a little wood where he could catch the updraughts from the wind hitting the trees. Instead of carrying him I let him fly from post to post along the footpath while he got his breath back, Then we met a man and I talked to him for a minute while Kane sat on a post waiting. By then we were at the corner of the wood but had to get to the other side to catch the wind. I walked around the corner and after about 10 minutes realised I hadn't seen Kane for a while. I had a quick scan around the sky with my binoculars and still couldn't see him. So I walked back to the corner of the wood to look. Still no sign of him but I could see this bloke about 3 fields away. I looked through my binoculars and there on a post just behind him is Kane. So I stood watching and every few steps this bloke was turning around and whistling Kane to him. I don't know if he was going to try and steal him or what he was trying to do


----------



## spid

Kane is marvellous - hope that bloke didn't steal him.


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## Devil-Dogz

Oh dear, that doesnt sound good. - Just cant trust any one these days. Glad nothing come of it.


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## Guest

Any updates? 

We've not had photos for a couple of weeks and thats not very good now... is it Mister?


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## hawksport

There's not much to tell. He's flying well every day. I'm just waiting to see what next years prices are going to be to see if santa might bring me a female next summer


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## Guest

hawksport said:


> I'm just waiting to see what next years prices are going to be to see if santa might bring me a female next summer


you are talking about the avian kind?


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## hawksport

Beagle Mafia said:


> you are talking about the avian kind?


Of course, they are quicker to train


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> Of course, they are quicker to train


i can beg for chocolate


----------



## hawksport

Not much to report really, Kane has been flying well up until today. After being away from home for a few days and Kane not being flown for a week when I got back he was 2 oz over his flying weight at 2lb 2oz. His behaviour in his aviary suggested he would be ok at this weight so he was flown and was ok. So I kept him at his new weight. Today for the first time in ages he disappeared for about an hour. I had just been back to the car to get the telemetry out to track him down when he came back over just as it started to rain. He should be down to 2lb 1 oz tomorrow so we will see how he is at that for a while.


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## Guest

I can't believe 1oz makes all that difference!! glad he came back though!


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## hawksport

He is right on the edge of not caring whether he eats or not at this weight so there's not much room for mistakes. We are relying much more on him coming back through routine now rather than hunger that we relied on earlier


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## Sled dog hotel

Wondered how it was going, must admit as I said before It always amazed me when seeing displays just how do you do it, and this thread has been facinating reading how. Just goes to show how an exact science it is though.
As always really interesting.


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## hawksport

But to the exact science you have to factor in the unpredictability of a wild animal. Things can go perfect for years and for no apparent reason one day it can go wrong in a big way. One of the reasons I feel so strongly about using telemetry these days. When everyone was flying native species a lost bird either died or survived and bred with the wild population, either way it caused no impact on our wildlife. These days with all the non native species being flown there is a risk of hybridization with some species and with the more commonly flown species there is the risk of breeding populations being formed. There are reports of breeding pairs of Harris hawks living in the wild now although no one seems to have solid proof


----------



## 8tansox

In January, I'm going to spend the day with a Falconer, I've done this before and loved it! She's has a Golden Eagle, a few various types of Owls, and some Falcons. I'll know more when I've been again. This is my birthday present from my husband (although my birthday was in November) this was the earliest I could get to spend the day with Sharon.

I will post pictures, but don't know anyone in bird chat, so I might post in dog-chat, unless I'm told otherwise!

I've been counting the days.....


----------



## hawksport

Have a great day. Which center is it you are going to?


----------



## 8tansox

Sharandy's Birds of Prey in Langport, not far from me. 

I always thought it very odd that she came to me for training her Staffie to come back when called, yet she could get her Eagles etc. to come back with ease from the sky! Very odd for a mere dog trainer to understand, but I get the gist of keeping the weight precise and how important it is.:biggrin:


----------



## hawksport

I don't know them but their birds all look in good condition which is more than can be said for a lot of the places that have sprung up over the last few years. 
Having trained dogs and birds I know which is easier but there is a lot you can learn in each that is useful in the other.
When I bought the dog I have now he was the one in the litter that was possibly going to be a problem and needed homing carefully. I was looking for a dog to work and the thing that made up his breeders mind to let me have him was when I went one day with Big Bird in my sig and flew her.


----------



## Guest

hawksport said:


> When I bought the dog I have now he was the one in the litter that was possibly going to be a problem and needed homing carefully.


You lie :skep:


----------



## hawksport

Beagle Mafia said:


> You lie :skep:


The dog you saw was the worst behaved puppy you could imagine. He was the one that had to be doing something and learning something all the time. He could of quite easily of been a liability with the wrong owner


----------



## Sled dog hotel

hawksport said:


> But to the exact science you have to factor in the unpredictability of a wild animal. Things can go perfect for years and for no apparent reason one day it can go wrong in a big way. One of the reasons I feel so strongly about using telemetry these days. When everyone was flying native species a lost bird either died or survived and bred with the wild population, either way it caused no impact on our wildlife. These days with all the non native species being flown there is a risk of hybridization with some species and with the more commonly flown species there is the risk of breeding populations being formed. There are reports of breeding pairs of Harris hawks living in the wild now although no one seems to have solid proof


There are so many things and implications and ones you dont immediately think of. Your probably aware but around london an surrounding areas we have flocks of parakeets that have escaped and breeding like mad and they I believe have started to cause problems, so I can see the impact something like a hawks may have in the wild breeding and inter breeding.


----------



## hawksport

I've seen the wild Ring neck populations


----------



## hawksport

A quick video from today. Sorry about the quality it was just on my phone and its hard swinging the lure and filming. If you can't see him most of the time neither can I when I'm flying him


----------



## hawksport

Kanes last flight of the year, Dark sky and wind, just how we like it


----------



## Guest

Whats that red bit on him? it looks very dark! did he fly well today then?


----------



## hawksport

Beagle Mafia said:


> Whats that red bit on him? it looks very dark! did he fly well today then?


I put arrows on the pics so you could see where he was.
I do worry about you sometimes
He flew very well. Finished with a high catch and then dropped his lure in the top of a Hawthorne tree, I have to go back tomorrow with a pole and get it back


----------



## Guest

I was looking at the pictures on my mobile  it wasnt very clear!! 

Without lowering the tone of your informative thread... you need to go and poke your pole in a bush to find the meat??? that sounds rude  xx


----------



## hawksport

Tuesday
Flew Kane in the wind om a hill side. While I was taking pics he got bored and wandered a bit too far in the wind. After about half an hour with no sign of him i got the telemetry out and got a good signal from the north. As I went down the hill and across the field the signal faded telling me there was something between us blocking it. By now it was starting to get dark so I drove home and picked up some warm clothes and a sleeping bag and prepared for a night out. Drove north about 6 miles to the next high point and got a good signal again but south this time. Then I went back about half way and got a strong signal to the east. I circled around a housing estate and the telemetry told me he was somewhere in the middle. After about an hour of walking ever decreasing circles I found what I thought as him on a roof, I whistled and I could just make out his head was bobbing in the darkness. I marked our position on the sat nav and went to get the car. Now I had to decide whether to try to lure him down in the dark with only the headlights for him to fly by and risk him going off in the dark or spend the night in the car watching him to make sure he didn't move. I didn't fancy a cold night in the car so out came the hawking bag only to find that at some point I had lost my glove, this was going to be painful.
I stood in the light from the car, whistled him, threw the lure on the ground and down he came. He wasn't in the best of moods when he found there was no food on the lure and took his temper out on my hand as I picked him up, first footing me badly and then as the blood started to flow chewing on me.
He's grounded now for a week or so while I get a new glove made


----------



## dorrit

ohhh that sounds painful.. Glad you got him back though..


----------



## hawksport

I've just been on a bird sales site looking for a possible future mate for Kane so I can breed my own falcons to fly.
Can you believe anyone would think this is an acceptable way to keep a hawk


----------



## dorrit

That photo just makes me so angry .. the box is filthy quite apart from the fact its a bloody box on the ground with no light or space ...

If they cannot respect and house the birds properly why keep them at all?

I think if a person chooses to take on an animal (any animal ) then they should do their absolute best for that animal..


----------



## Mese

Just found this thread & I have to say I love it 

Kane is absolutely gorgeous :001_wub:


----------



## hawksport

dorrit said:


> That photo just makes me so angry .. the box is filthy quite apart from the fact its a bloody box on the ground with no light or space ...
> 
> If they cannot respect and house the birds properly why keep them at all?
> 
> I think if a person chooses to take on an animal (any animal ) then they should do their absolute best for that animal..


If it is kept low to the ground like that over winter it will get a condition like frost bite called wing tip odema and the ends of its wings will fall off


----------



## Guest

Thats disgusting 

i wouldnt keep any animal in a box that small... but a bird thats shocking  its filthy!

a wooden box that small in wet weather would make the wood damp and cold! 

He/she is beautiful though, very pretty colours


----------



## hawksport

Almost at the end of his first season now. He has a few more weeks flying and then I jwill cope his beak (file it back into shape), fit new anklets and put him back up to his fat weight to moult. Hopefully he will be finished by mid August and then we can start again. In can't wait to see what he will look like in his adult plumage


----------



## 8tansox

Fabulous. I can easily see how people get "hooked" on this sport, I've been five times now and I absolutely love it. 

We've flown:

A golden eagle x saker (sp)
A female Harris Hawk
A female Barn Owl and 
An American Kestrel - so far.


----------



## hawksport

8tansox said:


> Fabulous. I can easily see how people get "hooked" on this sport, I've been five times now and I absolutely love it.
> 
> We've flown:
> 
> A golden eagle x saker (sp)
> A female Harris Hawk
> A female Barn Owl and
> An American Kestrel - so far.


Next time you go check on the first one, you have mixed that up. I think it will be a Golden Eagle x Steppe Eagle
Are you still going to do your volunteer work at the center?


----------



## Pointermum

I've just sat and read all 26 pages  Great thread HS 

Is it purely a hobby ? Do you still have/fly the other birds in your siggy?


----------



## hawksport

Glad you liked the thread
It's more a way of life than a hobby. Everything has to fit around the birds.
I still have Sky the Saker falcon here. He is being flown by a young lad up the road at weekends and I fly him a couple of times through the week. Big Bird the Haris hawk is on loan to a friend in Yorkshire. I'm going to give him a call sometime and give her to him


----------



## hawksport

Flew Kane in the snow today. He went about a mile over to the next hill and circled over the kids on sledges for a while before coming back and stooping to the lure nicely. He was a bit confused when his dinner sunk under the snow


----------



## BeagleOesx

Wow, love the pics in the snow of your beautiful Kane. What a wonderful sight it must be to see them flying round. You are so lucky


----------



## Superash

What can i say ? Totally stunning


----------



## Guest

Isnt snow the conditions they live in in the wild? must have been amazing to see. i cant believe how much snow you have! its warm here just watched the sun set from the cliffs.


----------



## 8tansox

hawksport said:


> Next time you go check on the first one, you have mixed that up. I think it will be a Golden Eagle x Steppe Eagle
> Are you still going to do your volunteer work at the center?


You could well be right!  I knew he was crossed with something. 

Yes, I'm still going and volunteering/helping out etc.  I'm still totally hooked on it can't wait until tomorrow. I hope it's another day like today, cool but sunny, and we have NO SNOW here in Somerset, plenty of mud though.

Not sure what I'm doing at the centre tomorrow, always something new to learn though with Sharon, never a dull moment.


----------



## hawksport

Beagle Mafia said:


> Isnt snow the conditions they live in in the wild? must have been amazing to see. i cant believe how much snow you have! its warm here just watched the sun set from the cliffs.


The Gyr in him is from the Arctic and the Saker in him is from Mongolia so he is well equipped for the cold



8tansox said:


> You could well be right!  I knew he was crossed with something.
> 
> Yes, I'm still going and volunteering/helping out etc.  I'm still totally hooked on it can't wait until tomorrow. I hope it's another day like today, cool but sunny, and we have NO SNOW here in Somerset, plenty of mud though.
> 
> Not sure what I'm doing at the centre tomorrow, always something new to learn though with Sharon, never a dull moment.


Have fun


----------



## shamykebab

Fantastic thread, thanks for sharing this.

A couple of years ago I was out training one of my dogs when she went awol on a long distance retrieve. I was getting very p-ed off whistling her back when I heard another whistling nearby. I moved over the hill to check it out and saw a man and his young son with a glove. His comment "if you think it's hard getting a dog back, try getting one of these back when he decides to go off road!" has had me intrigued in BOP training ever since!

(I think he got his bird back before I found my dog.)


----------



## hawksport

It doesn't go wrong often but when it does it can go very wrong


----------



## shamykebab

I can imagine - I've seen the guys around the Hadrian's Wall region with transmitters on their 4x4's!


----------



## hawksport

It's very reasuring when you can hear the "beep" on the receiver when the go awol


----------



## x PIXIE x

Wow Kane is absolutely stunning :001_wub:


----------



## hawksport

Today Kane was a pain. Instead of binding to the lure properly he just kept hitting it and then flying over. I ended up having to leave him out while I took the dog home. When I went back without the dog he was ok again. Looks like I will need to do some more work with him with the dog around after he has moulted


----------



## x PIXIE x

hawksport said:


> Today Kane was a pain. Instead of binding to the lure properly he just kept hitting it and then flying over. I ended up having to leave him out while I took the dog home. When I went back without the dog he was ok again. Looks like I will need to do some more work with him with the dog around after he has moulted


Even birds can be stubborn!


----------



## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> Today Kane was a pain. Instead of binding to the lure properly he just kept hitting it and then flying over. I ended up having to leave him out while I took the dog home. When I went back without the dog he was ok again. Looks like I will need to do some more work with him with the dog around after he has moulted


I cant wait to watch him fly again


----------



## hawksport

mumof6 said:


> I cant wait to watch him fly again


You can see him any time you like


----------



## hawksport

I've decided Kanes first season has come to an end. On Monday I will fit new anklets, remove his backpack and cope his beak (file it back into shape) ready for next season. He will be rested and allowed to go a bit wild now at his fat weight until he finishes his moult hopefully by around mid August while I decide what to do with him next season. Then he will be retrained at the begining of September.


----------



## 8tansox

Well, I think I'm going for the Lantra certificate.....


Mainly so I can help out a bit more; Sharandy's BOP have the contract for Glastonbury Abbey for the summer so if I can go down on my day off and help where I can, fly a few birds, talk to some people, can't be bad can it!

Been out today flying the hawks and a barn owl (not together, obviously) then back for a cuppa tea and a bit of theory. Love it!


----------



## hawksport

The Lantra certificate would be worth doing. I think it's only a matter of time before it becomes compulsory


----------



## hawksport

After nearly 4 weeks at his fat weight on prime organic quail and mice Kane is almost ready to start his moult


----------



## x PIXIE x

hawksport said:


> After nearly 4 weeks at his fat weight on prime organic quail and mice Kane is almost ready to start his moult


Awww cant wait to see what he will look like :001_wub:


----------



## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> After nearly 4 weeks at his fat weight on prime organic quail and mice Kane is almost ready to start his moult


Its all so exciting. I cant wait to see him again and see how hes changed and matured


----------



## hawksport

7 weeks after putting him down to moult kane dropped his first primary off his right wing on Wednesday followed by the same one off his left wing on Thursday. Then for some reason unexpectedly dropped the next primary off his right wing on Friday. They will be kept safe in the freezer ready for any emergencies next season


















He seems t have worked out what the bath is for and is looking a lot cleaner


----------



## dobermummy

Dylan is still talking about the man who had a full set of feathers and the moths got them :lol:

Kane is looking stunning as always.


----------



## hawksport

mumof6 said:


> Dylan is still talking about the man who had a full set of feathers and the moths got them :lol:
> 
> Kane is looking stunning as always.


Does he believe we can put the old feathers back in if the new ones get broken yet?


----------



## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> Does he believe we can put the old feathers back in if the new ones get broken yet?


Hes not totally convinced, he thinks it sounds silly like putting an old tooth back if the new one falls out :lol:


----------



## hawksport

mumof6 said:


> Hes not totally convinced, he thinks it sounds silly like putting an old tooth back if the new one falls out :lol:


Just for him

RedTailImpTrain013112.wmv - YouTube


----------



## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> Just for him
> 
> RedTailImpTrain013112.wmv - YouTube


He says thats 'well wicked' :lol:


----------



## hawksport

As transmitters can fail Kane is going to carry two this season just to be safe. One will be on his back pack that I showed you earlier, the other will be on a tail mount.
This is how I make a tail mount.

First fire off a couple of .22s










Cut off both end caps and on the first cut a slot across the end










Like so










On the second cut a slot along the length










Squish the first one a bit, line them up and epoxy them together










The one with the long slit is crimped and glued onto one of the center tail feathers.










The spring clip om the transmitter fits into the one with the slit across the end










And the whole thing looks like this


----------



## x PIXIE x

hawksport said:


> As transmitters can fail Kane is going to carry two this season just to be safe. One will be on his back pack that I showed you earlier, the other will be on a tail mount.
> This is how I make a tail mount.
> 
> First fire off a couple of .22s
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cut off both end caps and on the first cut a slot across the end
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Like so
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On the second cut a slot along the length
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Squish the first one a bit, line them up and epoxy them together
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The one with the long slit is crimped and glued onto one of the center tail feathers.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The spring clip om the transmitter fits into the one with the slit across the end
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And the whole thing looks like this


wow thats great you could write one of them ladybird books 

thanks for the pictures, you know if you'd described it on the phone i would have giggled at your technical language  slit, squish, epoxy


----------



## x PIXIE x

Is it a real feather? is it stuck onto his feather? or a fearher is then stuck on? how does that work? :confussed:


----------



## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> As transmitters can fail Kane is going to carry two this season just to be safe. One will be on his back pack that I showed you earlier, the other will be on a tail mount.


will they both be on the same frequency or will you have two areal thingies to beep where he is? does that mean when we are tracking him the signal will be stronger because there is two?

and Dylan wants to know if he can have a go with your gun :lol:


----------



## hawksport

x PIXIE x said:


> Is it a real feather? is it stuck onto his feather? or a fearher is then stuck on? how does that work? :confussed:


Its a real feather, it was just on that one to show how it goes. When Kane has moulted and grown his new feathers I will grab hold of him and glue it onto his tail


----------



## hawksport

mumof6 said:


> will they both be on the same frequency or will you have two areal thingies to beep where he is? does that mean when we are tracking him the signal will be stronger because there is two?
> 
> and Dylan wants to know if he can have a go with your gun :lol:


They will be slightly different frequencies so they will be on a different channel on the reciever but we will still use the same ariel, just like a tv. It wwont be a stronger signal but I will have the 2nd transmitter custom programmed for a slower beep cycle. That will make it harder to track but give an extended tracking time if he is still missing after the batteries run out on the first transmitter


----------



## x PIXIE x

hawksport said:


> Its a real feather, it was just on that one to show how it goes. When Kane has moulted and grown his new feathers I will grab hold of him and glue it onto his tail


So each time he moults it will fal off and you can replace? thats very clever. I can see what you ean about the bullets/shells mine would have anchored him to the ground  you cant do much damage wirh a bullet that size though... tee heehee bullet


----------



## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> They will be slightly different frequencies so they will be on a different channel on the reciever but we will still use the same ariel, just like a tv. It wwont be a stronger signal but I will have the 2nd transmitter custom programmed for a slower beep cycle. That will make it harder to track but give an extended tracking time if he is still missing after the batteries run out on the first transmitter


Im hoping when we start flying him again we wont need to be tracking him too often, as you know it does make me worry


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## x PIXIE x

Ive got the beautiful boy a present  ill post a piccy later  hope kane finds it useful


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## hawksport

kanes moult so far. He has just decided dropped feathers are good toys and made them useless for imping, I need to collect them before he gets chance to destroy them










New feathers coming through' he should look nice this season


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## dobermummy

hawksport said:


> kanes moult so far. He has just decided dropped feathers are good toys and made them useless for imping, I need to collect them before he gets chance to destroy them
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> New feathers coming through' he should look nice this season


his new feathers are a beautiful dark colour and the white is so bright. i cant wait to see him again


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## vivien

I have only just seen this thread too long for me to read right through he is gorgeous I always make for the bird of prey displays when I go to Colchester zoo. They no longer let you see them unless they are flying in a display. I particularly love their black kites the speed they fly is phenomenal and they are so clever they catch their food in the air as the keeper throws it

Viv xx


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## Pioneer

I've joined this forum just for this thread! 

The feathers getting darker at the back is beautiful. I think the front and head will lighten considerably Hawksport, fantastic thread and results with him mate. 

Who bred him? He looks and flies beautifully.


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## hawksport

Welcome to the forum 
He was bred by Ian Garland Raptor Propagation Farm - Breeding falcons

Got my eye on a female for this year


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## Pioneer

Thanks for that mate. Ian breeds some exceptional falcons. 

Will you be going for another light phase, or from Ian again? 

Look forward to seeing how Kane moults out this year. I can already tell he will look awesome


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## hawksport

His female 11/16 all go to the Arab market. I'm looking at 50/50 white gyr/sakers from a smaller breeder, I should be able to pick one up for £450ish although I would like a black gyr/peregrine


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## Pioneer

Black Gyr Pere's are pricey too for a female, it appears te Arab market loves them now too. Although males should be cheaper. Got Quoted over £3k for a female!

The female 50/50 gyr Saker won't be whiter than Kane I expect (judging by breeders descriptions and actual colouration) I was looking for the same this season and to be honest their either cream or white fronted but brown headed so not Gyr looking that's for sure. 

Let me know how you do mate, would be great to see how you get on with the search. 

Btw this place seems a lot more chilled out than IFF! That places is genuinely full of obnoxious ruffians. I've never been tempted to register there (never will either!) good on you for a full, descriptive and dedicated thread here mate.


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## hawksport

It gets a bit heated over there at this time of year, things will settle down in a couple of months when everyone is back out flying again 
If I have anything except another gyrsaker it will be a male any way 
There a 50/50 female gyr/saker not to far from me for £400 I'm just taking a chance on it not being sold before its feathered up so I can see what colour it is before i part with the cash


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## Pioneer

That's interesting. Must admit, I found it strange the breeders wanted you to pay a deposit before the bird is even feathered up. I didn't on my last one, held out till I saw her feathered up then bought her which was lucky. 

Also many call the cream ones 'white' which was confusing at first!


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## Pioneer

Hawksport, in your opinion, what are the pros and cons of having a male GS in comparison to a female? Also in terms of temperament would you say males are milder? Any thoughts on the overall package of keeping a male in terms of benefits comparing to a female to your knowledge would be greatly appreciated.


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## hawksport

I've never flown a female
Apart from the price for game a female might be a bit of an overkill, a male is plenty big enough to take anything if its conditioned properly. If you are flying at crows you might fing a lot are intimidated and bail out rather than try and outfly a female


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## Pioneer

Good points, thanks Hawksport. I'm torn between a light male, or a darker but stronger looking female. Both are hybrid saker x gyrs. 

I'm looking at crow flying, but being used to females, not sure if the reduced size of a male might be an issue...albeit beautiful colouring and much lighter!


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## hawksport

Pioneer said:


> Good points, thanks Hawksport. I'm torn between a light male, or a darker but stronger looking female. Both are hybrid saker x gyrs.
> 
> I'm looking at crow flying, but being used to females, not sure if the reduced size of a male might be an issue...albeit beautiful colouring and much lighter!


Anything over about 1lb 8 should be able to do the job. They don't mind carrying on the fight once they are on the ground. The advantage of a female would be that she would kill quicker so the rest of the crows that would be mobbing her on the ground would lose interest in helping their mate if you couldn't get to them quickly


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## Lopside

Just spent half an hour reading this brilliant thread, thanks! Loved watching Kane develop :001_wub:


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## Pioneer

Hi Hawksport, any luck with that GS female? Also how's Kane's moult coming along? Has his plumage lightened up some more?


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## hawksport

I've not bothered with the female because I'm going to need a new van.
Kanes moult is going ok. His primaries and secondries are all out now, and 8 of the 12 feathers from his tail are out. He is getting lighter on his body and wings but his new tail has come through much darker than I was hoping for


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## Pioneer

That's interesting about his colouration. Have you taken any photos?

I've gone with a light male GS, looks very similar to Kane, but redder shoulders and lighter shade of brown wings. Just dropping his weight to get him to jump to fist now. He's a stubborn little bird! But last 2 days he's stopped baiting from the glove now and is preening well on the fist


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## hawksport

I've not took any pics for a while, he's not very friendly at the moment. I will get some when I reclaim him after his moult 
What percentge is yours, put some pics up


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## Pioneer

Ah that's a shame. I'm lookin to keep te manning going through the moult next year hopefully when it comes. Here's my lad 

I've never seen reddish feathers on a falcon before. I'm told he will moult out lighter. He's already quite light with an interesting red tinge to his back feathers. He was 2lb 2oz out of the seclusion pen, not hacked so nil muscle. I'm anticipating he should fly at 1lb 10-13oz, possibly muscle up to 1lb 15oz eventually. 

Just jumped to the fist twice today (1st day) after 4days of trying to progress past eating off the falconry glove lol

He's a 50/50 Gyr Saker.


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## hawksport

Nice falcon and a decent size for a 50/50. It won't be long untill he is free now he has jumped


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## Pioneer

Thanks mate. Hope so lol!


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## hawksport

Only 2 more tail feathers to go now. The plan was to kite train him this year but I haven't got around to getting a kite yet


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## Pioneer

Can't wait to see the pics of Kane moulted into his new plumage. It will be interesting to see how much lighter he is.


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## hawksport

How's training going, he can't be far off free flying now


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## Pioneer

Weather has been awful this week, but still kept up training. Tried extending the Jump to fist and that's going well. He's dropping weight, and won't eat more than 3 chicks to help him raise his weight at any time. Seems keen and full of energy. Not aggressive or footy at all. But full crops at 3 DOCs! Will have to see to try quail this week with him to see 

Was going to try introducing the lure this weekend, but ended up building a much bigger weathering unit for a new female Gyr Saker I picked up today. She came out the aviary at 3lbs fat weight (not hack pen, nil muscle) and is very light! Biggest Falcon I've ever seen close up. Want to take a pic of her without the hood to show you how light she is. Should be a couple days. I'm going to keep the male GS lure bound, and use the female on rabbits

Here's a pic of her with the hood on:


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## hawksport

There's not many people fly long wings at ground game over here. It should be interesting if you can find rabbits far enough from cover
Kane dropped a tail feather today so he should drop the last one tomorrow and be ready to retrain in a couple of weeks


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## Pioneer

Has Kane come out any whiter like Garland assured?


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## hawksport

It's always a bit of a gamble on how hybrids turn out and Ian didn't make any promises but I'm quite pleased with his first moult. He still has a few body feathers to go but the important ones are all done. 
I picked him up, hooded and weighed him today at 2lb 6 1/4 oz empty and got tagged for my trouble. I'm going to bring his weight back down over the next week or so and re train him. He can moult the rest while he is flying





































How's your two going?


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## BeagleOesx

Wow what lovely markings he has. Hope all goes well with his flying


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## Pioneer

He looks amazing, really beautiful and much lighter than before. His front is far lighter and the almost milvipes wings look stunning!

My 2 have become one unfortunately, had to sell on the male to a friend as was too much training 2 new falcons simultaneously. Had managed it well but just wanted my life back lol. 

The female has been very stubborn, but now is flying 25ft to the lure on creance, so will be flying her in no time. Going from Saker female to a Gyr cross female, the difference in relaxed temperament to the nervous Gyr temperament is certainly obvious.

But the manning is going very well, hopefully once flying she will gain more confidence. Can't wait to see her fly!

Here's her most recent pic:


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## hawksport

I was lucky, even with his high percentage of Gyr Kane has kept the.relatively calm nature of his Saker side. He fed on the fist in the mews today so we should be in the field by the middle of next week and free flying by the end of the following week
I kknow what you mean about training 2 together. I ones trained 2 HH brothers to fly as a cast. It was bad enough training them but flying them together with a dog and ferrets on my own I needed eyes in the back of my head to keep an eye on what they were all doing


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## Pioneer

Absolutely! Hats off for managing that mate I know how tough that could have been. 

My female is much steadier than the male. it's weird, she's only 50% but in size and temperament, colour and nerves she's a total Gyr. Much more so that the male. He was great to train, very quick learner, but total bating specialist lol!!

I'm going to fit the tail transmitter holder this week, that will be interesting. My first attempt as my last falcon came with it fitted when I got her. Wish me luck!

How's Kane coming along? Any new pics?


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## hawksport

They do seem to bate a lot. Kane will even bate when he's hooded if he is kkeen to fly. 
You should have a look at the marshall track packs. I fitted my first one to kane while he sat hooded and found it much easier than expected and now its on its staying on for a few years. I don't think I would ever go back to a tail mount again now 
Kane is down to 2lb 3oz and is begining to have a change of attitude. I hope to get him out on the creance over the weekend and flying free again by next weekend


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## Pioneer

hawksport said:


> They do seem to bate a lot. Kane will even bate when he's hooded if he is kkeen to fly.
> You should have a look at the marshall track packs. I fitted my first one to kane while he sat hooded and found it much easier than expected and now its on its staying on for a few years. I don't think I would ever go back to a tail mount again now
> Kane is down to 2lb 3oz and is begining to have a change of attitude. I hope to get him out on the creance over the weekend and flying free again by next weekend


Re attitude, that's great to hear. He will be out flying in no time.

My Saker used to be so settled and steady, hardly anything would phase her. I've noticed my new female GS is getting steadier and steadiest by the day. I think gender could also be a factor? Females seem tobe less nervous than males.

You know, I've seen the track pack, love the design but am not sure how to fit them? I've seen the Marshall video on YouTube but still have questions...

Did you fit yours yourself? Also what benefits over tail mount would you say it offers?


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## Sussexplumber

I kknow what you mean about training 2 together. I ones trained 2 HH brothers to fly as a cast. It was bad enough training them but flying them together with a dog and ferrets on my own I needed eyes in the back of my head to keep an eye on what they were all doing[/QUOTE]

HS-hunting a cast of Harrises is really pretty basic in falconry terms. I`ve hunted ff/mf/mm all easy to do-provided the weight is right. Two males i find the best, in woodland. I was lucky to have an outstanding male though.

How long have you been doing it?


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## x PIXIE x

Just noticed you've had Kane a year. this thread has been so infomative and we continue to learn so much about a subject many of us had no idea about. its interesting to see the progress. After 1 year i think we all feel quite close to kane and his progress 

can't wait to see his progress next year and read more updates and see more piccies. 

HAPPY 1ST GOTCHA DAY KANE


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## hawksport

It is basic but factor in a dog and ferrets and that is enough to keep anyone busy, that's without the feral cats we sometimes bolted out of rabbit holes. 
The Harris hawk is probably the most versatile BOP in terms of quarry, terrain and conditions there is. Its also the one that is most likely not to be flown to its full potential
I flew Harris hawks at rabbit and hare mainly from a soar on hillsides for 12 years. I've flown in gales and got home to find my shed roof in the neighbours garden but with a dog working underneath the hawk will stay over a dog that knows its job whatever the weather does
You only have to look at the number of Harris Hawks lost to see that a lot of people flying such an easy hawk would be totally out of their depth flying anything else
Post some pics, I'd like to see some pics of your cast hunting


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## hawksport

Pioneer said:


> Re attitude, that's great to hear. He will be out flying in no time.
> 
> My Saker used to be so settled and steady, hardly anything would phase her. I've noticed my new female GS is getting steadier and steadiest by the day. I think gender could also be a factor? Females seem tobe less nervous than males.
> 
> You know, I've seen the track pack, love the design but am not sure how to fit them? I've seen the Marshall video on YouTube but still have questions...
> 
> Did you fit yours yourself? Also what benefits over tail mount would you say it offers?


I fitted it myself after wathing the video. It was suprisingly easy, the only awkward part was getting the ribbon from the crossover point on the chest under the wings and round to the back again but that just took a bit of patience 
The advantges
It can be fitted without having to cast the bird
Once it is on it can stay on for years 
There is very little sticking out off the bird to catch on anything once it is all preened in. I've had decks pulled out of hawks crashing though cover after game
The weight of the transmiter is more central and better supported on its back than on its tail. A transmiter might only be 5 gramms but in a turn a falcon can pull a lot of Gs making the tranny heavy
Its higher up on the bird and those few inches will give a better signal if you are tracking a falcon on the floor


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## Sussexplumber

hawksport said:


> It is basic but factor in a dog and ferrets and that is enough to keep anyone busy, that's without the feral cats we sometimes bolted out of rabbit holes.
> The Harris hawk is probably the most versatile BOP in terms of quarry, terrain and conditions there is. Its also the one that is most likely not to be flown to its full potential
> I flew Harris hawks at rabbit and hare mainly from a soar on hillsides for 12 years. I've flown in gales and got home to find my shed roof in the neighbours garden but with a dog working underneath the hawk will stay over a dog that knows its job whatever the weather does
> You only have to look at the number of Harris Hawks lost to see that a lot of people flying such an easy hawk would be totally out of their depth flying anything else
> Post some pics, I'd like to see some pics of your cast hunting


You may already have! lol I`m down to one bird now, bored with it all. I`d give it up if I could sell her but HH are so plentiful and cheap that no-one will pay a decent price now. I have to admit though when I flew casts, I wasnt using using either a dog or ferrets, but yes HH are an absolute blast on good land and very hard to beat. You are spot on though, anyone can fly HH but to get the best out of them requires skill and dedication.


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## hawksport

If you have flown mainly in woodland you should try getting on the hills in some wind. It really does bring them to life when they get updrafts under their wings. Mine used to bounce around her mews like crazy on windy days waiting to fly because she knew we were going to have a good day


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## Sussexplumber

Yes they are terrific birds and I have no time for anyone who disses them. But as I said I`m trying to get rid of the last one and jack it all in. I have a cat now and the two are probably best not enjoying the same garden because accidents, no, tragedies, will happen. I did get a pic of one of mine soaring with a pair of buzzards though! Some individuals just seem very buoyant and go up easily. And they certainly do seem to enjoy it!


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## Pioneer

I've ordered the track pack, and decided to also fit a tail mount too, it was there and can't wait any longer lol!

She's coming along an absolute treat, this week she's 'clicked' and lost all her biting and nervous behaviour. She's now very relaxed and settled, very comparably or so to the female saker I had!

Lure work and jumping to fist has been spot on. She's very keen at 2lb 7ozs, so will, God willing, fly her tomorrow free for the first time...wish me luck mate &#128522;

Hows Kane coming along? Any new pics?


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## hawksport

Good luck. Its not often they go awol the first day. 
I started a new thread for kane but have been. Too busy to update it. I will get it done over the weekend


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## dobermummy

Pioneer said:


> I've ordered the track pack, and decided to also fit a tail mount too, it was there and can't wait any longer lol!
> 
> She's coming along an absolute treat, this week she's 'clicked' and lost all her biting and nervous behaviour. She's now very relaxed and settled, very comparably or so to the female saker I had!
> 
> Lure work and jumping to fist has been spot on. She's very keen at 2lb 7ozs, so will, God willing, fly her tomorrow free for the first time...wish me luck mate 😊
> 
> Hows Kane coming along? Any new pics?


Good luck  
Why dont you start your own thread so we can follow your progress, updates and photos easier?


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## hawksport

Pioneer said:


> I've ordered the track pack, and decided to also fit a tail mount too, it was there and can't wait any longer lol!
> 
> She's coming along an absolute treat, this week she's 'clicked' and lost all her biting and nervous behaviour. She's now very relaxed and settled, very comparably or so to the female saker I had!
> 
> Lure work and jumping to fist has been spot on. She's very keen at 2lb 7ozs, so will, God willing, fly her tomorrow free for the first time...wish me luck mate 😊
> 
> Hows Kane coming along? Any new pics?


How did it go


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## welshjet

hawksport said:


> 1lb 15 1/4 oz today. Made 2 flight to the lure on the floor and finished by catching the lure as I swung it. I think he needs to lose another 1/2 oz to get him commited to the lure. Then I took him up to my daughters to let him watch the kids run around for a while.


I know its from ages ago tho - he's massive! HS


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## hawksport

welshjet said:


> I know its from ages ago tho - he's massive! HS


He is but you should see the females, they are 1/3 bigger unfortunately the price tag is also much bigger


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