Falconry Displays

I was going to write a news blog on one of the lovely Spring days we have  had recently . As it turns out it is another wet and windy day when I seem to have the time – with no birds flying – and of course an inclination to do it.

Well the news is that Sprite our peregrine is flying again which is great. I check the field is free of pigeons before I fly him. He has that peregrine mantra of ‘See pigeon must chase pigeon’ so I make sure – as best I can – there are none in sight.

With the new long range transmitter that I have recently bought it is little extra insurance if he goes tearing off – chasing – and does not return a few minutes later. I talk about the dangers of falcons chasing pigeons in my book ‘Falconry – aspects of care of the trained falcon and hawk’ – things do not change. Here is a picture of him sitting on the lure – taken a couple of days ago. He is now 12 years old.

We saw a wonderful wild peregrine the other day hunting. Gliding at the typical peregrine height of a couple of hundred feet in a straight line upwind at some distance target. We watched it gather pace which developed into a long slanting stoop as it engaged its – for us an unseen – target.

Normally you see birds ‘skying up’ with the falcon somewhere lost for a moment in the crowd – having missed its target – but on this occasion we did not see that. We assumed the falcon may have killed and was at that point on the ground with its prey.

Anyway wonderful to see.