Falconry World

It’s been my quest for some time to have a good hunter of magpies. I’ve set larson traps, flown imprint sparrow hawks and now finally I’m catching them with Victor the male Goshawk. Hunting magpies is no easy task as anyone who has tried will vouch. The magpie is very common were I live and with the rise in the wild Sparrowhawk and the increase of magpies and decline in suitable habitat the grey partridge is in a spiralling decline. Before I went to the British Falconers Club meeting a couple of weeks ago at Norton Hall, myself Simon Higham and Ryan slipped my Gos from the car to successfully nail a magpie. Since returning from the BFC field meeting I’ve been really busy with Marshall Radio Telemetry and I’ve been kite-flying Ivor the Gyr to get more pitch. [Read more]

Well today wasn’t a disaster but it wasn’t far off. The rain had soaked the fields overnight but Arley Hall in Cheshire England is good for ducks and it was certainly weather for ducks. First to fly was Barry Charlton. His Gyr/pere flew nice but some trees gave the ducks some well needed cover which they used and flew through to avoid the stooping falcon. The wind was howling and I was pleased to see his bird pulled off instead of trying to take it through the tree’s like one of mine did a previous year and consequently broke its back.

Next up was John Regan, his bird flew well even though the wind was blowing and it was raining. The pond didn’t produce so on we went.

Next was Ivan. He weighed about 2.3 and was keen as could be. I Unhooded, he had a look around, he muted, he roused, he left the fist and started to mount. We had a pit marked with some teal so I was eager to get him over at a good pitch otherwise the teal would put back in. He’s now 200ft and climbing, enter stage left wild female peregrine not on cue. She clips him round the head which being pretty much a gyr he takes as no joke. He stood on he tail like I’ve never seen him do before trying to out fly the pere. She is now pumping like mad to keep above as he then gains to her height. Words are exchanged and then my bird starts to chase the pere. She’s possibly now thinking I should have left this one alone, as he is trying to tear her to bits. Off they go down wind. They eventually turn and start coming back towards us; so i was happy to flush for both, but needless to say the teal must have had a quick look in the sky and a laugh then a chat among themselves and thought today was a bad day to die and flew up wind before either bird was in pride of place. My bird flew down but didn’t have a chance and so I brought him into the fist.

I tried him again and guess what he flew at Ellis’s falcon on the fist. He was so angry he was trying to kill anything. After hovering like a Kestrel over Ellis for a couple of minuets he landed and then through some miscommunication someone flushed the teal and he chased them to the next pitt. He came back without any lure and I fed up.

On the bright side, Barry Charltons 7/8th gyr flew brilliant and so did Steve Kellys new bird. Richard Newton also got a good kill !!! Ellis bird smashed a teal in really good style as well.

So like I say not a disaster, but pretty poor for me and Ivan. We fly at Knowsley tomorrow so I hope we have some better luck…

This morning I was up at 6.30am as usual. Picked the bird up in the dark, weighed him (2.3) turned on his two marshall radio TX’s and set off for Roberts. It was still dark when I arrived and so we fed the partridge pen and then flew Roberts bird. It was a dark morning.The wind was blowing a little and it was a raining that fine rain that it wets you though (thanks Peter Kay) Roberts Gyr/red shaheen flew very well though, at times we couldn’t see her. She only became visible when she turned to get better pitch. Alas she turned and seemed to have seen something in the distance; possibly a pheasant starting out for the day, so we “Hooo” and flushed a duck. She was in pride of place and tear dropped down trying to bind, but with to much speed couldn’t hold on. She turned back over and the duck was dead.

Next up was Ivan my 7/8th Gyr. He muted, then roused, then cast off into the wind. After starting to gain pitch he turned and went down wind yet again to my frustration and then climbed like gyrs can to my delight. Yet again as he came back over he had lost he brilliant pitch but it was more than high enough. The ducks got up and he singled out a wild drake on the pond we’ve been feeding for years. He bound and came to the field with a bump but killed his duck with a bite to the neck.

Sorry for not writing more. For the last few evenings I’ve been filming the darts for ITV. I’ve been getting up at 6.30am and getting to bed at 1am. 7AM and I’m down to Robert Wolstoncrofts to have a flight at teal, (one in the bag already) and drake mallards (a couple of those as well). The Grykin has been really interesting to fly. I’ve pushed his weight up to over 2.4 and instead of wondering off he started landing and then buzzed me. I cut his weight back to 2.3 and he’s been going heigh but waiting on down wind. However today he waited on down wind and then started to hover at 600ft or so. So I flushed whilst he was out of place. He stooped and luckily didn’t kill. He then chased out of sight but came back over, not as heigh but still clipping and now was in pride of place. After some shouting and running for another point the dogs produced and as I ran around to head of the point a hen pheasant got up and down he stooped vertical, smashing the bird. He tried to bind but was going to fast. Luckily he had either killed or knocked the pheasant out; as it tumbled to the ground he flicked over and perched on his prize.

He’s had quite a few kills now and is getting better all the time. He hasn’t wondered off or had tantrums like I was led to believe gyrs do. He is however very smart and great to handle. Once he figures that over my head is the place to be, rather than waiting down wind he should prove himself at the up coming field meets. A few years ago I had a great gyr/pere whom unfortunatly died shortly ater trying to kill a pheshant at woodhall spa. He had a nasty habbit that he chased out of sight he wouldn’t think of coming back and looking for you. Thankfully Ivan seems to have the same level of flight but he does come back and seems to love to hunt. I’ll keep you posted and soon we’ll be on the moorlands on the red grouse. That should be worth a picture or two.

Yessssssssssss. Ivan got his first kill today. The dogs went on point and there was a break in the rain. He wasn’t high but high enough to fly down and make his first Kill a grey partridge. After kiting for a few weeks he seemed to be losing his focus on me so I thought I’d put him back on the lure to keep him looking in. However when the dogs went on point it was to good an opportunity to miss.