Falconry Displays

In my last blog I spoke about our friend the buzzard hunting along the fence that surrounds Safran. I mentioned that I often see a kestrel in the same spot – well yesterday I saw it high on a security lamp – hunting no doubt for rodents in the grass. You can just make out is distinctive falcon form on top of the pole. I tried again to catch a picture from my van – if I got out he would have flown off immediately – so through the windscreen it had to be. Again he was much closer than the photo suggests.

The reader will know I am very fond of the kestrel. It is  not a falconry bird like the similar sized merlin but nonetheless many older falconer learnt the skills of falconry on a kestrel. The kestrel was much more widespread and available than the rarer moorland merlin. Sadly kestrels are now much rarer – particularly on farmland – that one could speculate for a range of reasons – lack of holes for nesting in old tress or buildings where that are safe from buzzards that are much more common now and will predate young kestrels out of old crows nests. Lack of places to hunt – too many grassy areas have become afforested and of course in the urban town settings no alternative prey in the form of sparrows.

Personally I learnt more of my second kestrel who I named Emma.  She was such a wonderful flier – a very compact stocky kestrel – she would hover and wait on and fly brilliantly in a strong wind. I used to tame hack her and leave her out on the local farm at night and find her the following day to fly. She was well able to look after herself. I was very lucky to have Paul Bevan from the Falconry Centre to support my efforts and I learnt so much from him – of course I was willing to learn – but having a brilliant kestrel did help. I would have liked to have had a photo of Emma in my book ‘Falconry – aspects of care of the trained falcon and hawk’ but in those days we did not take the number we do now with digital technology and mobile phones.

In the book I used a picture of ‘Pete’ my male kestrel stooping at a show – great photo in the section on the development of the falcon. He was another great kestrel and was lofted all year round.