Any one got or flying eagles?

[Saker-Clive]

I know of a few people that have the Aquilla Rapax (Steppe Eagle) and am looking forward to seeing them fly.

Do any of you guys have one or a Baldie, Martial or even the Chillean Blue?

[Steve L]

Hi clive, can you give us some imformation about the bird in the picture

thanks steve

[Saker-Clive]

Her name is 'Liberty', when the picture was taken last year, she was 4 years old; she wont get the brilliant 'bald eagle' white head until she is 6.
She belongs to someone I know and he used to own Knockhatch Adventure Park in Hailsham. She weighed 11lb. then and had taken an 18lb. dog fox the weekend earlier.
He has now moved down to the New Forrest to take over the New Forrest Owl centre, which was closed last year.
He has numerous birds and Liberty is his 'baby'. He used to fly a griffon vulture but earlier this year, I was told that it hit or landed on a pylon and because of the size of its wing span 'fried' :cry:

He also allowed my son to hold Askari his Tawny eagle.

[Steve L]

very nice birds, cheers for the pics and info clive

[Sniper]

excellent picture of the baldy...you know what they say the owner sometimes look like there pets... top bird tho :lol:

[Snudz]

Jeez man,

That Kier sure has grown!!! What are you feeding him on!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :lol:

[Saker-Clive]

STEROIDS!!!

Unfortunately she isn't mine but I can see the resemblance!!! She is definately her dads bird; there was no way I was putting my hand any where near her :roll: :x

[Wightwings]

eagles are a superb bird, but you have to have the time, open space AND correct quarry for them if you want to hunt. After all what's the point flying a Steppe at a rabbit? I know people that have done. Sometimes owning an eagle is treated as a status symbol.
When we lived on the IoW my missus worked the Centre there and they had a Steppe and a Baldy. Both went to waste it was a blummin shame.

nice piccies Clive

[Sniper]

That bit about it taking a 18lb dog fox, whats the story behind that, i mean it must have been some sight...tell me more


Her name is 'Liberty', when the picture was taken last year, she was 4 years old; she wont get the brilliant 'bald eagle' white head until she is 6.
She belongs to someone I know and he used to own Knockhatch Adventure Park in Hailsham. She weighed 11lb. then and had taken an 18lb. dog fox the weekend earlier.
He has now moved down to the New Forrest to take over the New Forrest Owl centre, which was closed last year.
He has numerous birds and Liberty is his 'baby'. He used to fly a griffon vulture but earlier this year, I was told that it hit or landed on a pylon and because of the size of its wing span 'fried' :cry:

He also allowed my son to hold Askari his Tawny eagle.

[Saker-Clive]

Sniper,
I don't know all the ins & outs of the kill; other than they were out having a 'walk' and flying Liberty, when she saw the fox. The owner wasn't too enthralled seeing her going after it but when she got it, she killed it before he had a chance to get to it.

I bet it was a good thing to watch!!

[Sniper]

yeah cheers mate...just wanted to know because it sounded a good story

cheers
Sniper,
I don't know all the ins & outs of the kill; other than they were out having a 'walk' and flying Liberty, when she saw the fox. The owner wasn't too enthralled seeing her going after it but when she got it, she killed it before he had a chance to get to it.

I bet it was a good thing to watch!!

[Wightwings]

ooooww i was looking forward to that myself, never mind :cry:

[Saker-Clive]

I think she is about 5-6lb. not too sure though! Maybe Debbs could ask next time she see Giles at the New Forrest Owl Sanctuary.

[Kevin Massey]

i went out last year with a steppes/goldie in cumbria....although i had a cracking day i would say its not my cup of tea.

plus you really do need access to a vast amount of land she covered miles in a very short time when she got the lift she was looking for.

kev

also two weeks after i went out ....she took a roe-deer......now that may have changed my ideas on eagles

[Shaun Byrne]

Just done a deal on a F Goldie for the centre, let you know how it goes

[Ian Wileman]

I fancy trying my hand at a tawny in a couple of seasons, once I am at the top of the scale (wage) and can afford it.

[Shaun Byrne]

I've got a M Steppe, to be honest they're really only any good for display work, I really fancy hunting with a Hawk Eagle though

[Wightwings]

you need the space AND th relevent prey for eagles i think.

[Shaun Byrne]

Got both WW but some eagles aren't worth trying to hunt with, the Hawk Eagle is quite small but really powerful and fast.

[Ian Wileman]

sounda a bit like me! I must have been a hawk eagle (or was that seagull), in a past life....

[Kornie]

tawny eagles look a hell of a lot bigger then the red tails, but a female red can weigh the same as a male tawny I guess.

[Barry]

I am flying a female Golden Eagle, a Female Verreaux Eagle, a male Tawny and a cast of female Wahlbergs Eagles. Our Gathering of Eagles for January 2005 up here in Scotland already has this lot and among others a Cillean Blue, a Crowned Eagle and a Bonelli's.

[Kornie]

Barry whats the name of your verruax eagle? Stunning birds by the way.

Tawny eagles are scavengers If im right? So i'd guess not the best bird for hunting.

[Barry]

Kornie,

Like most of my birds my Verreaux has no name, . She is wonderful. It's a bit harsh to call Tawny's scavengers. That's a bit of a misnoma put on them by folk who have not had the tenacity to plug on to get them going. Mine does great on rabbits from a pitch so high you can't see him which is something from a bird with a 4' 10'' wing span. He is a little odd in that he has a name, He is called Floyd.

Barry.

[Kornie]

lol. Yes like everything in captivity, birds can be pushed beyond there limits, but in the wild does the tawny eagle not survive well on just carrion. Obviously if pushed resorting to hunting?

[Barry]

It certainly does not have to be pushed, just presented with oportunity. Carrion eating is exploitation that all birds will use. In Wyoming last year the Golden Eagles we were trapping could be trapped because they were living almost exclusively on carrion. No better than a Tawny huh?
Barry.

[North East Harris Hawker]

we just had martin hollinshead do a talk at our local BFC, he told us the only eagles worth using for true hunting in the uk is the golden eagle :shock: :?

[Hawkmaster]

Tawny Eagles in South Africa can be seen in their droves, most the time scavenging. Only on rare occaisions have I seen them there hunting. But all that said, I know they do make real good hunters over there too, in Natal, they are regularly taking Guinnies, Francolin and even monkey with them!

[Mr. Fong]

Anyone konw how are the Bonnellis to fly (temper, speed etc.)?!? Someone told me they were like a bit like a large Gos. I haven't seen one live and hunting. If they are anything like a Gos, I'll be goin to Austria to get me one! My wife will kill me for spending money but tough cookies to her!

[Parahawker]

OK.
Lets start with the price.
You will be bidding against the whole of germany!
A male was sold in the UK a year ago for £7000
Ive seen quite a few of races of the bonelli fly.
& quite honestly for the price, go with a Black chested buzzard
or chilean Blue eagle as their known.
In style of flight the two can be pretty simular
Both are very ariel & very very fast.
I have seen both take a pheasant off the fist in a flight a Gos would be proud
Bonelli can be a little unsteady at times with other birds being as confident around strangers as harris hawks.
Most the bird i have had time with were wild trapped.
i have also seen a lot of african hawk eagles. a bird often confused with the Bonelli.
I will load a few pictures up when i get the camera online.
I just got back from the Bonelli breeding centre in france.
If you put the time in to a female redtail you wont be far off and at a seriously smaller % of bucks
thing you have to consider in thie situation is that the Bonelli has a huge amount of people waiting for it.
They are willing to pay a huge amount of money in Germany.
Why should a guy who breeds / sells Bonellis not have the contacts already to have this bird sold!
I wouldnt touch this bird, but then again i have permits to trap & fly this bird from the wild! draw back to it is i have to stay where i trapped it!

[Mr. Fong]

Cool thanks for the info dude, I am training a Fem redtail now but she goes back to her owner in Feb and I go to the States in June. Hopefully she'll be entered this weekend if the weather isnt total crud.
I am shocked at the price of the Bonnellis I was expecting around £4000 for them. I have seen the chilean blues fly at a center in Germany and they are awesome birds. I guess the person who told me they were big goshawks is a wee bit mistaken.

Regards

B-

[Parahawker]

Its not so far fetched to compare them to a Goshawk,
But the Bonelli can keep up with say a crow for about a further 9 miles keeping up its original speed

I found a few pics for you.

[Parahawker]

Bonelli chick
& african hawk eagle

[Trigger]

I have a Goldie X Steppe male, Bracken. He is now 7 years old. My Dad died last year and Bracken was his baby, he could do anything with him. I have spent the past 11 months working with him, he is not that big, 8 lb but he does have an attitude though! He is setterling now and I am hoping to get him going properly next year.

[Kornie]

Trinity has mastered the art of scavenging now, depressing but its food them isnt it?

[Artyruss]

Hi all just thought you might be interested in this pic, me and a tawny. This was about 8 years ago when i worked at the Yorkshire Dales falconry centre. We had a pair that we flow together on demonstrations. The male was great but the female didn't like me at all.

We also had a great Bonelli's eagle which was a great and clinically insane hunter, would take on anthing, any time, any place.

But when all said and done I much preffer being out with a Redtail or Gos

Russ

[Parahawker]

Im guessing thats sampson?
He nearly took me in the head when i was about 15 when i worked there
Delila was a head case i got agree.

I got a pic of me standing in almost the same cave, but about 4 to the right.. lol

[Artyruss]

I Marcus I wonderd if it was you. I know you worked there just before me but I can't remember if we ever met. Went over to visit Paul the other day all is good.

i left the Falconry game for awhile I'm now a teacher, but getting myself a male Gos next year which will be great.

Russell Martin

[Varmint]

There can't be that many back gardens in britain that contain the following site?

Juv White tailed, Golden, Hybrid Golden, Mat BAld, Juv BAld, Steppe

[Varmint]

Or maybe just something plain wonderfull, this is Thaw when he was a lump .
Thaw is a Hybrid Goldie/Steppe and a full social imprint.
Anyone who's got one of these notorious Bateing monsters might want to try an imprint?
But make sure you know what your doing first?
He is wonderfull!!

[Varmint]

Or me with my old Bonelli's "Savanah" who had the nick name "Savage Anna"
Ask any hare!

[Shaun Byrne]

Cooool!! Is that your house in the background? lol!!

[Shaun Byrne]

Great collection you have there, do you still have them all?

[Varmint]

Most, i lost the whitetailed to a bacterial infection last year.
I replaced the whitetail this year

[Shaun Byrne]

Do you fly/hunt them all or are they display birds? I imagine it would take all day to give them all a bit of exercise.

[Shaun Byrne]

Sorry Varmint, if I'd been a little quicker with the research I wouldn't be asking so many questions lol!!
Nice place you've got there.

[Varmint]

Thnx Mate!

I hunt with the Goldie (not as much as i should) and i have caught game with all of them (except my battleur)

To be honest mate, flying the Goldie is a real nerve wracking experience as she can be a little keen on big things???

So i have to eye's in the back of my head LOL

[Shaun Byrne]

Know what you mean about Goldies, was flying down south with a mate and his Female, beautiful bird. She'd had 2 hares and then decided to go soaring. To cut a long story short, we tracked her over 5 miles to a farm where they bred ostrich, she was tucking into a youngster that she'd had to carry onto a rooftop to escape mummy! I must say the farmer was really good, he was more interested in the Goldie. Did cost my mate £100 and 2 days camping waiting for his bird though.

[Varmint]

Mad EH?

My worry is not the Ostrich, it's the human companions especially the little ones if you know what i mean?

Female Goldies really are a liability, which is why i will only fly mine well away from Civilisation, i dont know how you can fly them safely in England?

[Shaun Byrne]

Never did quite like the way she looked at me lol!!

[Parahawker]

Varmint.. im guessing your adrian H?

Remember me.. i was at cheshire waterlife with Jason for a bit.. till i got fed up with him..

[Shaun Byrne]

Clumsy!! Thats another name you just dropped!! LMAO!!

[Saker-Clive]

He only had to look at the pictures or failing that Varmints profile to find out.

[Shaun Byrne]

Sorry Varmint, if I'd been a little quicker with the research I wouldn't be asking so many questions lol!!
Nice place you've got there.

Do I get a prize for getting it first?

[Ian Wileman]

I hope Jason is not watching this topic then Parahawker...I noticed you told us all about his drug problem on another topic......I bet there are a few people out there could dish up some dirt on you.....BUT WONT! out of 'professional courtesy'. You should be careful youngster......you carefree attutude with other peoples lives my well be your undoing!

[Varmint]

Oh well, busted!

But be caredfull what you say about people on this forum, things have a habit of coming home to rooste,

No matter how true or untrue your statement!

Anyway, isn't this forum great! just surfed on to it at a quiet moment and now look at me, in the middle of an argument already!
[scroll:4f970de8a5]I can't have lost my touch......LOL[/scroll:4f970de8a5]

[Shaun Byrne]

Varmint, you really are hooked, haven't you got 1 or 2 birds to fly lol!!
I'm sat here eating breakfast, about to go earn a dollar or two, had to check the site first though!

[Kornie]

Aidrian Hogarth, I saw a display with your team in it. :) Do you know any falconers here in the borders/edinburgh.

[Varmint]

You'll need to re do your spelling Kornie!

Falconers in the borders?

Well im sure if you gave AKB a ring at the Scottish Hawking Club, he'd be happy to supply you with some names of falconers in your area.
The clubs pretty good too with regular field meets and mag ect...

[Varmint]

My Female making heavy work of a bunnie

[Varmint]

Wow, unreal;

I fly two bald eagles, the female who flys sharp at 10lb 10 and the male who is currently around 7lb 10.

Both are real cowards when it comes to quarry and both had to really be stripped down even to take rabbit,

That must be one agressive mama!!

Even my female Goldie would have struggled............

Good job it wasn't an 18lb salmon? she would have drowned LOLNice One

[David & Carol Newby]

Oh well, busted!

But be caredfull what you say about people on this forum, things have a habit of coming home to rooste,

No matter how true or untrue your statement!

Anyway, isn't this forum great! just surfed on to it at a quiet moment and now look at me, in the middle of an argument already!
[scroll:1696c51558]I can't have lost my touch......LOL[/scroll:1696c51558]
Hey Varmint, It's a small world... you are right here. Some us do have a bit to tell but don't in respect to the unsuspecting.

It's nice to share ideas and situations and what you have done and are doing to improve yourself in this modern day falconry world. We should overlook some peoples faults and move forward trying to say on topic... and I believe this one was on longwings and eagles? I would like to know more.

I don't like the name dropping because we all have a few, yet some people just cant help themselves :). I would like to know more of your experiences. Please do tell... On a quest for more and more knowledge, Carol :)

[Hawkmaster]

Damn! I don't know anyone, to do some name dropping? :cry:

[Varmint]

So back to the topic of Eagles!

Is anyone out there actually hunting at the moment with an Eagle (especially more serious species, Goldie, Bonelli's, Verreaux etc)

Stories? Pics?

[Shaun Byrne]

I really fancy having a go with an African Hawk Eagle, do you know anyone who flies them?

[David & Carol Newby]

Dave's working on getting another Russan Stepp but nothing that large yet. When we get the center open we were told there would be no problems getting a Golden Eagle but I'm sure it will be a non releaseable bird :( ~Carol

[Varmint]

Sorry folks, just gotta do it yet again.

Flew a Af in the 80's that i got off of Mima

Male bird that flew at 4lb 2 but to be honest it was a very old bird and had probably been really messed about as i found it to be rubbish, in saying that also flew a female Bonelli's whom i really rated and at 5lb plus was a real Hare machine.

Sorry Carol, anyone looking to get a Steppe, needs counselling LOL

[David & Carol Newby]

LOL yeah Dave does V. LOL he's had one before :)

Hey I visited your guest book... and sent you an e-mail... Chat ya, Carol

[Jay]

My sponcer just got an African Crown that he is planning on training as a falconry bird. He already has a female that he once flew on game but is now used as a breeding bird. He once flew and bred harpys but not anymore. Ill try to get some pics and storys from him next time we meet up.

[Varmint]

Most of my Images are too large to downlaod but if you want to visit my web site you see a few pics of the bonelli's there.

Never flown a crowned, but i have heard that they can be very manuverable (but also not very waterproof like the black eagle)

Would really, really like to try an Ornate (might get the chance in a couple of years as my mate bred one this year, and if all goes to plan....?)

Failing that, i want to really go to town on a Ferruginous.
I've bred them for the last five years but just haven't had the time to take one on seriously...

[Mr. Fong]

Jay, your sponsor flew harpies? DAMN!!!!!!! What did he take with it-and what type of glove did he use?

[Jay]

Took a few monkeys. He has not flown many as falconry birds. Instead he worked down in Panama and other places in South America for the Perigrine Funds Harpy breeding project. I don't know what glove he has but he has a few nice scars off the harpys and one from the crown on his upper arm.
Varmint, the crowns are very manuverable very much like a gos hawk.

[Miguel]

I've handled a harpy when I was on the U.S.... It's a really amazing bird! Just the look in her eyes... Pretty heavy too!!

[GoneHawking]

Varmint, In your opinion whats wrong with Steppe eagles and why don't you rate them? just interested to know,want to know more about them..

[GoneHawking]

H4wka, wrote: I've got a M Steppe, to be honest they're really only any good for display work, I really fancy hunting with a Hawk Eagle though

H4wka, what are your thoughts on him, what weight does he fly at and have you hunted him?

[Gozzhawk]

Anyone recommend a good book or someone friendly to get in touch with regarding eagle training? Most good advice seems to come from outside the uk. Have trained and flown gold/steppe and tawny needing to increase the knowledge base as it'll be a fish eagle next and supposedly a bit more of a handful. Help much appreciated

[GoneHawking]

Varmint is the man to ask, he will be able to point you in the right direction.