Hawking with a Red Tail..mild gore warning
- This topic has 2 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated May 12, 2008 at 2:24 pm by
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Met up with my Falconer friend yesterday. As a treat to my wife I took both our daughters with me. My wife was estatic having an empty house on Mothers day morning and my youngest (10) was thrilled to finally see the birds.
This is Artemis and my daughter getting to hold her. I’ve shown a number of pics of Arty here in the past.
A portrait at f2.8
a 100% crop. I love their facials. Need to try this with my 400mm
On to the hunt. My friend is in the process of “rehabing” a 4yr old Red Tail/Harlans mix, who has been neglected for the past year or two. So the Harris Hawk (Artemis) stayed home while she flew the Red Tail (Apache).
We got to the field at about 7:30am. We were done at 7:45.We weren’t 10 yards into the field when the Red Tail spotted a Rabbit and the chase was on. It lasted all of about 10 seconds. Unlike the Harris who will pull up short when a Rabbit gets into brush, RTs will prusue with a single mindedness without regard to their safety.This day was no exception, Apache gave launched from his perch, zeroed in and crashed into some heavy cover after it. As quick as it started it was done. I was disspaointed as I didnt even manage a single flight shot before the day was done but the ensuing time watching the RTs behavior was cool and enthralling for my girls…they even liked the Rabbits screams (breif that they were).
Apache refusing to let go. Good Hawks get one claw in the skull and one in the abdomen. Red Tails have the strength to peirce a Rabbits skull apparently.
Enjoying and protecting a well earned meal.
Disembowling the Rabbit and discardingthe entrails. They are effecient at cleaning their prey.
Unfortunately not much more to show other than similiar shots. Hopefully I’ll get out with her again soon and Apache will get the excercise he needs. It was like limiting out on the first cast of the day.
Love the work John.
Man – now you’ve got me jonesin’ for another trip with the falconers down here. Sadly, as far as I know they’ve all stopped flying their birds for the season due to the heat.
Oh – and to clarify; it’s not that the birds get too hot, but they’re not interested in eating, and if they’re not interested in eating, it’s likely that their instinct to come to the glove won’t be strong, so it’s easy to lose birds when it’s warm.
Or so I’m lead to understand.
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