Some days just seem to go well and everything goes according to plan. Most of course do not for some reason or other, particularly when deadlines and obligations to be somewhere else within a time period create added pressure to fit in some hawking into our daily lives. Today was one of those days that seemed to go just right and I’d like to share it with you.
The season is in full swing and after ten days away attending three different falconry gatherings across two different provinces my hawks are in good form. I have my imprint Gyrkin back from the breeder for our duck season, a first year tiercel Gyr/Barbary and a recently acquired tiercel anatum Peregrine. Each falcon requires carefully selected set ups for their own particular reasons. This was a tall order considering it does not get light until eight am and I have to be at work at eleven am. I prepare as best I can before I head out so that when I get home I can simply change and go to work which is a mere four minutes away. I head east to known duck ponds and am optimistic since each falcon is on weight and the day seems to be shaping up to be a nice sunny one. Strong winds are forecast but I should be done before they arrive.
First to fly is the tiercel anatum on a set up in a dug out beside a quiet highway with four teal swimming on it. These are dishonest quarry at best but I am banking upon both the size and the pitch of this tiercel to not intimidate the quarry. The tiercel has been going up real high and is difficult to track in the sky most days. His weight is down to 560 grams and I am seeing him tighten up in position now from his usual wide ranging style. He is up real good and I like the way he goes off flying far and wide to gain altitude then comes over still climbing. He is about a grand and I know he is wide but these teal and the dug out is big enough at about half an acre that getting them off without dogs is going to be tough. I dare not risk letting the hounds loose near the highway because that is inviting Murphy. I run in to flush yelling to add to the effect and get a sudden clean flush. Off they go and out across the stubble. I dare not look up to locate the tiercel but focus instead on ensuring the ducks get off and keep going. I know he is coming down now as I see the teal turn in panic. They don’t have time and he comes into my peripheral vision and whacks a teal down in a sharp turn. He stalls his throw up and is down on his prize. What a nice flight and nice to see it go so well and I was particularly impressed with how as a young inexperienced tiercel he managed to manoeuvre to address a potential oncoming strike. He gets a good crop as tomorrow we fly late, if at all.
Next is the Gyrkin, he is up around 1090 grams and eager to go. A difficult set up with a large body of water that is long and elongated. All three dogs are brought out to help this time. The Gyrkin goes up nicely and I drive towards the slough. Up go the ducks and as predicted they do not break out over land, instead the chase goes on for a while and I realise that no duck is going to make the mistake of breaking out over land. Unfortunately there are no mallards in the flock. I gather up two of the closer dogs and jump in the truck and drive to nearby water with more ducks on it. The third dog soon follows and I jump out to control the flush. I do not see the Gyrkin in the sky but as a white falcon he is hard to see anyway. The first wave of ducks go and I look for signs of the Gyrkin or the ducks detecting the Gyrkin. Still no sign as a second wave of ducks leave. Then suddenly they are spread in a line heading back to the water I just came from when I see the Gyrkin racing across the sky. He lines up on a
gadwall and powers down to knock it down and a quick throw up then he is on his prize. Two for two and things are looking good for finding a third flight for my Gyr/Barbary as I have a good sized pond that is nearby.
Sure enough there are two lonely gadwall on the pond; much less than expected but still a good set up. I drive up the road way past the pond and release the tiercel hybrid. I walk up with three dogs at heel. The hybrid is up nicely bot not as nice as the tiercel anatum. I estimate he is over 800 feet and still climbing when I send in the dogs. Two ducks on this water can pose a problem but gadwalls are usually honest to the flush. Sure enough both head out and I look up and see the tiercel roll over pumping all the way down. He corrected several times as he lined up on the duck as it headed out across the open stubble. A hit and throw up and he struggled a little on the ground but soon had the duck under control. Last night he had taken a drake mallard and taken a bit of a beating. He needed this confidence boost and so he too was going to get a good crop. I allowed him to kill the duck and break in. The dogs meanwhile soon got too pushy and were trying to eat his duck as the accompanying photograph shows.
First to fly is the tiercel anatum on a set up in a dug out beside a quiet highway with four teal swimming on it. These are dishonest quarry at best but I am banking upon both the size and the pitch of this tiercel to not intimidate the quarry. The tiercel has been going up real high and is difficult to track in the sky most days. His weight is down to 560 grams and I am seeing him tighten up in position now from his usual wide ranging style. He is up real good and I like the way he goes off flying far and wide to gain altitude then comes over still climbing. He is about a grand and I know he is wide but these teal and the dug out is big enough at about half an acre that getting them off without dogs is going to be tough. I dare not risk letting the hounds loose near the highway because that is inviting Murphy. I run in to flush yelling to add to the effect and get a sudden clean flush. Off they go and out across the stubble. I dare not look up to locate the tiercel but focus instead on ensuring the ducks get off and keep going. I know he is coming down now as I see the teal turn in panic. They don’t have time and he comes into my peripheral vision and whacks a teal down in a sharp turn. He stalls his throw up and is down on his prize. What a nice flight and nice to see it go so well and I was particularly impressed with how as a young inexperienced tiercel he managed to manoeuvre to address a potential oncoming strike. He gets a good crop as tomorrow we fly late, if at all.
Next is the Gyrkin, he is up around 1090 grams and eager to go. A difficult set up with a large body of water that is long and elongated. All three dogs are brought out to help this time. The Gyrkin goes up nicely and I drive towards the slough. Up go the ducks and as predicted they do not break out over land, instead the chase goes on for a while and I realise that no duck is going to make the mistake of breaking out over land. Unfortunately there are no mallards in the flock. I gather up two of the closer dogs and jump in the truck and drive to nearby water with more ducks on it. The third dog soon follows and I jump out to control the flush. I do not see the Gyrkin in the sky but as a white falcon he is hard to see anyway. The first wave of ducks go and I look for signs of the Gyrkin or the ducks detecting the Gyrkin. Still no sign as a second wave of ducks leave. Then suddenly they are spread in a line heading back to the water I just came from when I see the Gyrkin racing across the sky. He lines up on a
gadwall and powers down to knock it down and a quick throw up then he is on his prize. Two for two and things are looking good for finding a third flight for my Gyr/Barbary as I have a good sized pond that is nearby.
Sure enough there are two lonely gadwall on the pond; much less than expected but still a good set up. I drive up the road way past the pond and release the tiercel hybrid. I walk up with three dogs at heel. The hybrid is up nicely bot not as nice as the tiercel anatum. I estimate he is over 800 feet and still climbing when I send in the dogs. Two ducks on this water can pose a problem but gadwalls are usually honest to the flush. Sure enough both head out and I look up and see the tiercel roll over pumping all the way down. He corrected several times as he lined up on the duck as it headed out across the open stubble. A hit and throw up and he struggled a little on the ground but soon had the duck under control. Last night he had taken a drake mallard and taken a bit of a beating. He needed this confidence boost and so he too was going to get a good crop. I allowed him to kill the duck and break in. The dogs meanwhile soon got too pushy and were trying to eat his duck as the accompanying photograph shows.