Ruby Tuesdays Tawny entered on unusual quarry

[Barry]

OK everybody, time for a slap on the back for a list member sticking with it.

Five years ago a young ambitious girl called at the centre here to start volunteering. She did a few weeks during holidays then college and a music career getting going meant she only came along once every five or six months for about the next four years, but her interest and passion stayed fully focused.

Just before Christmas things changed and she could again attend more freely and with a commitment to spend time here daily she bought a Tawny Eagle. I had ordered the bird from Robert Griffifths as a male. When we collected it from another bird of prey centre where Robert left it (not having time to make it this far north), it was clearly found to be female at over 6lb 8ozs! I was going to return it and wait for a male in late 2007. However, when Roxanne first came here five years ago she fell in love with my very high flying male Tawny called Floyd and after much soul searching she decided to take the bird on under our supervision.

The first knock was to discover the bird had a long term (neo-natal) wing injury that meant the bird was obviously unable to fly. She was immediately rested under supervision from Alastair Lawrie and the bird regained full mobility and strength in the wing. However, the lost manning time left a bird at nearly a year old and very spooky and timid. Roxanne put in huge time and effort and got the bird flying strongly. The aim is to have her thermalling along with Floyd.

Through time and careful understanding of wind, thermals and updrafts she has begun to get the bird going up, modest to date at a couple of hundred feet, but she is stooping hard.

Anyway, you will know there are many garden ornament eagles up and down the country, and most who know eagles know the fitness required to take a rabbit or hare, plus of course the development of the focus and desire to hunt.

Roxanne went out to the base of a small cliff today to get the bird up on the wind. She made some height but the lift was poor and after circling a little while she put into a tree. Roxanne went round to get up wind of the eagle to try to get her up again but as she moved she put up a flock of crows just over a rise, the Tawny went into them and ****** me - she caught one! Tawnys are never creditted with agility or ability to match hares very often and I have vociferously commented that they should be. We all know the ability of a crow (it was a rook to be accurate) and so I think RubyTuesday on here deserves commendation for her tenacity and Tawny Eagles should be lifted a step in most peoples estimation. The bird is outside on the weathering now making a real mess with the remains of her kill. I hope Roxanne will post some pictures for you later.

Barry.

[Pitbull]

excellent well done too the pair of you.:supz: :supz:

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

Well done Roxanne glad it all worked out in the end.

[Pogger]

A huge congrats to both bird and falconer! :D

[Elly]

Wayhey, looking forward to seeing the pics! :supz:

[FlameHairedFalconer]

Fantastic! Well done Roxanne!

FHF

[Jiff]

enjoyable tale, and well done to all involved!

[Misty]

a super tale. well done roxanne :supz:

[Harrisii]

well done to you all.
sounds great, congrats.

[RubyTuesday]

thanks guys.... here she is. with an all new taste for crow meat. :grin:

[Pitbull]

excellent, atleast you have something now that can catch the crows.:yawinkle:

[Barry]

David, I hate you! :lol: :rolleyes:

[Pendleside]

well done roxanne .:supz:

whats next on the hit list ?

[Palmer]

Nice one!!:supz:

[RubyTuesday]

next for Dune?
Hopefully hare. She's chasing the lure, and baits if i up one in the fields when im carrying her... but it'll have to wait till they stop breeding in the autumn.
i have to say though- iv never dragged a dead crow. couldn't believe it. :lol:

[Matthew Patching]

next for Dune?
Hopefully hare. She's chasing the lure, and baits if i up one in the fields when im carrying her... but it'll have to wait till they stop breeding in the autumn.
i have to say though- iv never dragged a dead crow. couldn't believe it. :lol:

Very very well done, get her going on leverets!, so much better that rabbits!:supz: 8-) 8-)

[Gary F]

well done roxanne, good post and pics,keep us informed,,,

[RubyTuesday]

Very very well done, get her going on leverets!, so much better that rabbits!:supz: 8-) 8-)

i agree with the better than rabbits bit- but Id rather not have a tawny up a tree with a leverette filled crop! :lol:

[RubyTuesday]

thanks redtail- will do.

[Hawkmaster]

Nice one Rox!

Now nurture his desires and hope you have started a new crazy with him!

:supz: Well done YOU!!!

[RubyTuesday]

thanks paul.... im well chuffed with her now. she's been so spooky,like barry said. but its beginning to look like she'll turn into something great :grin:

[Martin23]

Well done and great pic.:supz: :supz:

[Barry]

From a future prospects point of view this could be really good for Roxannes bird. Male Tawnys go up fairly readily, the females go up just as well but need more coaxing. On top of that which ever one, male or female, they get a really hard time from crows and young birds thermalling for the first few times can be really easily deterred by noisey persistent crows. So, my hope for Roxanne and Dune is that 1/ The eagle will not be intimidated by crows and thus not held down when trying to make height in marginal conditions. 2/ That the eagle may even be encouraged to go up when crows are around. Crows harass eagles but always stay above them out of harms and talons way. This could, if we can nurture it, mean we can encourage the eagle to go up to crows who in turn go up to stay above the eagle, taking her higher and higher.

As she said, the eagle is already hitting the hare lure very well and hard so we might get a high flying hare killing Tawny at next years Gathering of Eagles. :razz:

Watch this space and Roxanne and Dunes progress.

Barry.

[Matthew Patching]

i agree with the better than rabbits bit- but Id rather not have a tawny up a tree with a leverette filled crop! :lol:

Wait till they are almost full grown, and then use them for entering, they dont have the 'hardness' of adult hares, but behave in the right way.

I used them for my goldiexsteppe, and he could get a 21/2 lb hare down in about 12 gulps. which has to be seen to be belived.

Good luck I bet you are chuffed to bits with her, have you thought about trying at feather (canada geese for example) sge is obviously turned on by birds!:lol:

[Greg]

Great start, hope its the first of many. Maybe you can start a new branch of rook hawking! Success breeds success!

[RubyTuesday]

[QUOTE=Matt Eagle;558660]Wait till they are almost full grown, and then use them for entering, they dont have the 'hardness' of adult hares, but behave in the right way.

I used them for my goldiexsteppe, and he could get a 21/2 lb hare down in about 12 gulps. which has to be seen to be belived

i think getting her entered on hare is going to have to wait till september, im not keen on taking leveretts, purely because i belive she is capable of carrying something that size, and wouldnt want to turn her first hare kill into something negative. also- starting with an adult is more of a challenge to both of us.
iv never really thought about taking feather before... at least not till today... so maybe. :grin:

[Gyr]

Brill, Well done to all of you.:supz:

[TLDWB]

From a future prospects point of view this could be really good for Roxannes bird. Male Tawnys go up fairly readily, the females go up just as well but need more coaxing. On top of that which ever one, male or female, they get a really hard time from crows and young birds thermalling for the first few times can be really easily deterred by noisey persistent crows. So, my hope for Roxanne and Dune is that 1/ The eagle will not be intimidated by crows and thus not held down when trying to make height in marginal conditions. 2/ That the eagle may even be encouraged to go up when crows are around. Crows harass eagles but always stay above them out of harms and talons way. This could, if we can nurture it, mean we can encourage the eagle to go up to crows who in turn go up to stay above the eagle, taking her higher and higher.

As she said, the eagle is already hitting the hare lure very well and hard so we might get a high flying hare killing Tawny at next years Gathering of Eagles. :razz:

Watch this space and Roxanne and Dunes progress.

Barry.

This reads like she could be a excellent display bird at least.

Well done

Tom

[GenevaBloke]

Well done!! Congratulations! :-D

Jan


PS: Now your peregrine x saker has another bird to take example from... :lol: :wink:

[Barry]

Come on Rox', The season is upon us, so let everybody know what you're doing/how you're getting on with Dune.

Barry

[MickSmith]

Well done to all invovled. The forum is coming alive again now with exciting storys about hunting and flying and this is a story that has made me feel good reading it. It's is a nice touch having the photo as well. What a lovely colour the bird is.
Keep up the good work and also thank you for sharing it. You have got me buzzing now about getting out with my birds when they are ready.

Mick

[RubyTuesday]

I agree about the forum. It is getting interesting again now... thankyou for the comments, It makes me feel good to know that some people have faith in her, being a Tawny, not a Goldie- that she can make it as a hunting eagle.

I have taken her out of the moult now, with just one tail feather left to finish growing. She's looking lovely- will post a few pictures soon. Much better attiude this year, almost a different bird. After a rest up, and alot of whole carcasses in her aviary- she is mad for fur now.
I have been gradualy increasing distance in flights over the last few weeks and now she will fly 700 yards straight to the lure, totally committed, even baiting at me as she comes out of the box before released. She was so distracted last year, so spooky. terrified of everything even after hours of manning. The broken wing, and pain of flying before we realised must have put her confidence through the floor, so I am of course made up with her attitude so far. She's getting really fit and strong now- seems much more driven. Next on the agenda is to find her some live game to see what her reaction will be in a real situation. fingers crossed. watch this space.

Rox

["On Wings Like Eagles"]

Excellent Roxanne, really looking forward to some more pics too..!

ATB,
Nigel

[GregMik]

Gee almost ten days now and no pics.....Whats up with that?
Come on Rox you have to have a couple stories to tell also!!



Greg

[RubyTuesday]

sorry, lol

have been away in essex. I'll take the camera to the centre today and post some pictures tonight.

rox

[Island Lad]

Congrate on the Tawny. We will be pushing our male Steppe Eagle hard this winter. He's only two and had a serious lung infection, got him through that and after a few weeks with him back on board he bashed his foot.:roll: If I have half the success that you have had I will be well chuffed. Well done !!

[RubyTuesday]

Congrate on the Tawny. We will be pushing our male Steppe Eagle hard this winter. He's only two and had a serious lung infection, got him through that and after a few weeks with him back on board he bashed his foot.:roll: If I have half the success that you have had I will be well chuffed. Well done !!

African scavenging eagles do seem really hard to get hunting. They are lazy by nature and it takes alot of time and work to motivate them, or it has with me anyway. I was really encouraged the other day though, Was talking to a very well respected eagle breeder friend of ours- and he went to a field meet in Africa this summer. He was telling us about their Tawny eagles specking out at 3000 feet, and falling out of the sky in vertical stoops to kill francolin, and being very successful. It sounded awesome. So I think the problem with motivation must be partly to do with the climate here.

|Heres a few of the pictures I promised- Dune in a fitness session on the training line today. I fly her between two perches, it helps build up pectoral muscles. Our new 7 month old GSP, Rover is out too, but still a little nervous around her.

Rox

["On Wings Like Eagles"]

Love the pics, Roxanne, & in the 3rd one, 'Rover' looks a bit like a cartoon dog..!
It looks like the sun has been shining up there too.

ATB,
Nigel

[K.Massey]

'Rover' looks a bit like a cartoon dog..!


ATB,
Nigel

Look at the lug holes on it:supz: That picture is mint:lol: you could have a right caption comp with that one

[FlameHairedFalconer]

Excellent photos!!!

[Barry]

Roxanne deserves a good slap on the back for the progress with that bird. Remember, when she got it, it was a real nightmare to motivate and afraid of everything despite a gazzillion hours of manning. Free flight showed meant it had a lack of ability to rise out of level flight - it would try to rise and rake off sideways and land badly.
Trip to the vet showed a broken ulna at least six months old (from long before she got the bird) which was not healing through exercise but was granulating like mad. It was not possible to see earlier because it had been supported and held in place by the radius bone. Poor bird basicaly rebroke its wing every time it tried to fly!
Anyway, Roxanne heeded Alastair Lawries advice to the letter and as you can see from the pictures, the bird is healed, balanced and flying nicely. She does about three days each week on the heavy line, three days flying free/hunting and a day off. The bird was waiting on well for an hour and a half last Saturday and totally loyal to Roxanne. She just could not get game under her when in the right position.
We all know how hard Tawnys can be to get working and entered, so Roxanne - bloody well done. You have shown perseverence where many would have quit.

Barry

[GregMik]

Awesome Rox!! Keep the pics coming!

Greg

[RubyTuesday]

Well it's been a while since I updated this thread. Dune has been resting in an aviary with our male since before christmas, during which time she has moulted quite a few feathers. Unfortunately it seems both birds are still a little young to breed, so I took her out around two weeks ago.
She still has the last two tail feathers to grow down about the last third. Other than that she's looking great.
First day loose today, just a bit of fitness work, nice an easy for the first day. She did well considering the gale force wind. :D
She will fly every day through the summer now, and I'm looking forward to the thermals. I'll keep you updated.
Here are a couple of pictures from today....

[Add]

Well it's been a while since I updated this thread. Dune has been in the moult since before christmas, with our male. Unfortunately it seems both birds are still a little young to breed, so I took her out around two weeks ago.
She still has the last two tail feathers to grow down about the last third. Other than that she's looking great.
First day loose today, just a bit of fitness work, nice an easy for the first day. She did well considering the gale force wind. :D
She will fly every day through the summer now, and I'm looking forward to the thermals. I'll keep you updated.
Here are a couple of pictures from today....

stunning birds, Hope all goes well. :supz:
The dog does look a bit scoobyesque when on the run!:lol: how's he/she getting on?

[RubyTuesday]

stunning birds, Hope all goes well. :supz:
The dog does look a bit scoobyesque when on the run!:lol: how's he/she getting on?

The dog is finding his nose. He seemed to click as soon as he hit two. He was great at glen shee this year, despite some serious health issues which put him out a bit. On a slight side track- we got a bit stuck :D

[Add]

The dog is finding his nose. He seemed to click as soon as he hit two. He was great at glen shee this year, despite some serious health issues which put him out a bit. On a slight side track- we got a bit stuck :D

Glad I didnt have to dig that out :lol:

Dogs grown up lovely:)

[RubyTuesday]

Glad I didnt have to dig that out :lol:

Dogs grown up lovely:)

Yeah I'm really pleased with him. As I said some serious health/stomach issues have set us back- and are still going on, but he has huge potential. I can't believe the change out of puppyhood this year. He is a different animal. :D

[LiamBaber]

the tawny looks lovly ruby, and how bloody deep is that snow !, ****** !

[MusketMad]

OK everybody, time for a slap on the back for a list member sticking with it.

Five years ago a young ambitious girl called at the centre here to start volunteering. She did a few weeks during holidays then college and a music career getting going meant she only came along once every five or six months for about the next four years, but her interest and passion stayed fully focused.

Just before Christmas things changed and she could again attend more freely and with a commitment to spend time here daily she bought a Tawny Eagle. I had ordered the bird from Robert Griffifths as a male. When we collected it from another bird of prey centre where Robert left it (not having time to make it this far north), it was clearly found to be female at over 6lb 8ozs! I was going to return it and wait for a male in late 2007. However, when Roxanne first came here five years ago she fell in love with my very high flying male Tawny called Floyd and after much soul searching she decided to take the bird on under our supervision.

The first knock was to discover the bird had a long term (neo-natal) wing injury that meant the bird was obviously unable to fly. She was immediately rested under supervision from Alastair Lawrie and the bird regained full mobility and strength in the wing. However, the lost manning time left a bird at nearly a year old and very spooky and timid. Roxanne put in huge time and effort and got the bird flying strongly. The aim is to have her thermalling along with Floyd.

Through time and careful understanding of wind, thermals and updrafts she has begun to get the bird going up, modest to date at a couple of hundred feet, but she is stooping hard.

Anyway, you will know there are many garden ornament eagles up and down the country, and most who know eagles know the fitness required to take a rabbit or hare, plus of course the development of the focus and desire to hunt.

Roxanne went out to the base of a small cliff today to get the bird up on the wind. She made some height but the lift was poor and after circling a little while she put into a tree. Roxanne went round to get up wind of the eagle to try to get her up again but as she moved she put up a flock of crows just over a rise, the Tawny went into them and ****** me - she caught one! Tawnys are never creditted with agility or ability to match hares very often and I have vociferously commented that they should be. We all know the ability of a crow (it was a rook to be accurate) and so I think RubyTuesday on here deserves commendation for her tenacity and Tawny Eagles should be lifted a step in most peoples estimation. The bird is outside on the weathering now making a real mess with the remains of her kill. I hope Roxanne will post some pictures for you later.

Barry.Barry ,Tawny eagles are very agile ...in africa they have been know to catch lanners in flight...Its just they choose to be lazy sods :D

[David.Gook]

Nice one Roxanne and well done, good post and pic,s,

[Barry]

Barry ,Tawny eagles are very agile ...in africa they have been know to catch lanners in flight...Its just they choose to be lazy sods :D

As I noted at the end of the post Nigel, I agree, they should be creditted with more ability and agility than they attract in the falconry community. They lack nothing, just takes a lot more than usual to get it out of them.

Barry

[RubyTuesday]

A couple of pictures from today. :rolleyes: Was going through heavy showers but still got out for an hour. Dune is getting fit and strong now. Much more motivated.
Got a good point from Rover on a pheasant to top it off :D

Rox

[Flash]

A couple of pictures from today. :rolleyes: Was going through heavy showers but still got out for an hour. Dune is getting fit and strong now. Much more motivated.
Got a good point from Rover on a pheasant to top it off :D

Rox
great pics rox dune looks great

[RubyTuesday]

Cheers Flash. :D

She's been getting better every day. Motivation seems to come with fitness. I'm waiting to start lure work untill her tail is in. She still has two feathers to grow about an inch.

Rox

[Yeoman]

gsp looks well

[RubyTuesday]

Thanks Yeoman. He's a different dog over the last few months. Just turned two. His puppyhood seems to be passing, and he is starting to get serious about the job. His nose seems to have just switched on lately. I think he's finally realising what its for :yawinkle:

[RubyTuesday]

Just a few pics to update. Dune is muscling up nicely now. Can't wait to start lure work. Rover is going through a good phase, despite on going health problems, he is fit and well at the moment. Both animals starting to work well together. :D

last two

[Flash]

awesome rox

[RubyTuesday]

Thanks flash :D

[RubyTuesday]

Just an update. Had a great time flying Dune today. She made about 5 or 6 hundred feet on a thermal. She looked like she was really enjoying herself, and made a nice stoop in at the end. We don't get many days hot enough for her to go up on the soar without orographic lift, so it was a fantastic half hour. For me, this is what flying eagles is all about. :supz:

[Eagle-Eyrie]

DEAR ROX

sounds like you and your tawny are sharing some awesome moments in the field and i wish you many more. glad to hear that the birfd has the oppertunity to soar and what a wonderful way of letting the bird be a true eagle. thanks again as you have postd some increadable pics, just love the one with the rainbow :~)

good hawking

dylan

[Vulpine Hunter]

Really nice eagle, some good pics too:supz:

[RubyTuesday]

DEAR ROX

sounds like you and your tawny are sharing some awesome moments in the field and i wish you many more. glad to hear that the birfd has the oppertunity to soar and what a wonderful way of letting the bird be a true eagle. thanks again as you have postd some increadable pics, just love the one with the rainbow :~)

good hawking

dylan

Really nice eagle, some good pics too:supz:

Thanks guys. :rolleyes:

Waiting on flight is the ultimate for me. Such a buzz. I love it. Looking forward to the hunting season. I hope that with another year under her wings she'll find a new motivation. Fingers crossed :yawinkle:

Rox