The European Kestrel ...

[GoshawkRST]

Hello everybody, I was not sure where to start the post so I´ll start it here in Pursuit Falcons since I belive my Waiting On atempt with the female Kestrel, will finaly fail :lol:

For those who don´t know her yet, I will post a little update.
Her name is Maya, parent reared female kestrel, out of the chamber 230 grams fat, took and pass her on an intense and fast manning, flown free with some 15 days around 185 grams, then her weight gone every day higher because she won´t kite around and we finaly get to fat weight, 225 - 230 grams, in this wheight she makes 80 stoops to the lure daily, and also kill bagged magpies.

As for baggies, we´ve started with pigeons, no problem. Quail ( large ones ) no problem. In 2 ocasiones, Ibis and female feasent... by the head !
Magpies on the other hand, first she ignored them... then she start chasing some very few... then again ignore them. So I have started very slow with them and now I can finaly say she go for the kill witouth hesitation.

Of Corse, I only speack of Bagged Game. I plan to fly her waiting on and my first intention was this, to make her go for the magpies. Now she catch bagged magpies with some 10 meters pich ( maximum ), and I have to work a little harder on more pich !

She catch them by the neck very fast in a short stoop, and on the ground she bites the head of the magpie and the eyes, as long as the magpie fights back, and when the magpies don´t fight, she don´t bite, only put presure on the neck with both hands.

Today´s foto on another bagged magpie. I don´t know her weight now since I don´t weight her any longer and I belive she is around 230 grams since she has a very good muscles and eats a lot every day.
Best regards and keep you updated.

Sergiu...

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07327.jpg

[Alf]

Looking forward to her progression. Alf.

[Gyr69]

A Kestrel killing a pigeon? amazing

[GoshawkRST]

Pigeons are nothing, compare to magpies. Always refering to killing a large pigeon on the ground !!! ( not hunting them wich is another story....... ).
Magpies on the other hand, give a hell of a fight on the ground.

And to confirm another thing. Yes, a Kestrel can kill a large pigeon on the ground, FASTER that a female Sparrowhawk. They take the pigeon by the neck ( both hands ) and in 2 or 3 nasty, strong and bloody bites they remove the head.
Whit the Kestrel, the pigeon long time dead while the female spar still fights with it !

I compare this 2 birds since that´s what I´m flying :lol:

[Matthew Patching]

A Kestrel killing a pigeon? amazing

never mind pigeon, what about Pheasant:shock:

[Gav.Hawks]

well done mate,keep us updated:D

[Daave77]

Sergiu,


As you know i watch this thread with more interest than any others at the moment mainly because you have perservered with getting a parent reared Falco Tinnunculus to even attempt a Magpie - and she seems to continue to do so!

I can't speak for others on the forum but i attempted to get a male to hunt and would have been happy with Sparrows... well anything to be hinest but apart from getting him to hover and catch bits in the air I think his kill sheet finished with worms and a mouse that stupidly wondered into range of his block early one morning!

Just out of interest why did you not decide to try and fly her at smaller quarry such as small birds? Don't get me wrong I think its fantastic you've got her going for Magpies, along with your Spar and Apolomado killing the same anyone would think you have a personal vendetta against them!

[Daave77]

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07327.jpg

Now that is a gutsy Kessie!!!

[GoshawkRST]

Hello Dave,

for small birds I would take a male.
But what I was planing to do, is to fly her waiting on, first on bagged pigeons like in sky trial to stoop at them. But finally I was not able to get planty of pigeons, so I´ve started with the only thing I can get regularly: Magpies ( taken alive, from Taiga ;) ).

I don´t see this as a grate thing, after all, they are just Baggies !!!

Yes she fights them well and don´t let them go like before, but still, they are baggies.

We´ll see later on ;)

As for magpies and vendetta, I have nothing against them, but these flights I love the most, with spar of corse. They are very clever, you have to just let the spar from large distance and you´ll have some of the gratests flights one can see :D !

Best regards !

Sergiu...

[GoshawkRST]

As for the Pheasant, it was a female and I´ve release her inside ( a room ) and the kes jumped from her perch and caught her by the head and neck, starting to bite the head like always, but then the pheasant start beating wings and I rapidly caught her not to give a bad lesson to the kestrel and then only to looke after mices and sparrows...

Best regards !

Sergiu...

[Puzo]

How do you serve the baggies to her?

[GoshawkRST]

Hello Puzo!

Release them from my heand like pigeons on sky trials.

[Puzo]

I wondered if you released them below her & whever she took them from a height. You have my respect for getting a kestrel to this stage!:supz:

[Lenka]

dude that is one badass kestrel:supz:

[Mark Collins]

Interesting thread!!! when i was about 18 or so [long time ago!!] i was sat in my van eating my lunch [ i used to work on a farm ] this was outside the farmyard looking out over the fields, anyway i watched this collared dove feeding on some spilt grain on one of the tracks , a kestrel stooped at it and bound to it , no word of a lie , you had to see it to believe it, it then dragged it into a low bush and eat as much as it could, when it left the ground to sit on a barn it had a crop it could barely see over!!!!, i wouldnt think it was the first time it had done it and probably wouldnt be the last, kestrels are very underated they do take lots of birds, on the farm the breeding male would regulary dash into the farm buildings looking to grab spooked starlings and sparrows, good luck with your kestrel, interested to see how it turns out,cheers,mark.

[David Rampling]

I agree with that, kestrels are undervalued in this country. Brian Plummer in his hunters diary claims to have seen a Kestrel taking a magpie in the wild, and he knew the difference between a kes and a spar. A young falconer I know on exmoor claims to have seen the same. I saw one catch a Bullfinch in my garden, I wouldnt have believed it if I hadnt seen it. Mathew Mullenix in his book 'the american kestrel in modern falconry' claims to have taken an incredible count of starling with a european kes. It will perhaps take a falconer from another country, who does value them, to reach this birds full potential, Remarkable work, well done.

[Bounty]

Very nice!

It's nice to see a more experienced falconer giving them a chance to show what they're worth. Matthew Mullenix wrote an article on his experience with a common kestrel, apperentely he caught 21 starlings, 11 pigeons, 8 house sparrows, 5 mourning doves, 1 collared dove, 1 snipe and 1 boat-tailed grackle, all wild quarry, and in 3 months time... :supz:
The article can be downloaded on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kestrelfans/ .

I remember a male kestrel catching a sparrow in our frontyard when I was 7 years old, we were sitting in the car only 5 meters away. It was around the same time I used to go in the field to watch parent kestrels flying in and out of the nestbox.
A few years later the nestbox fell out of the tree, and a few months later, the whole tree was taken down by the same organisation that put the nestbox there in the first place... I couldn't believe what I saw.

Good luck with your kestrel, i'm very interested to see how it turns out.

Kurt

[Claire]

Hello everybody, I was not sure where to start the post so I´ll start it here in Pursuit Falcons since I belive my Waiting On atempt with the female Kestrel, will finaly fail :lol:

For those who don´t know her yet, I will post a little update.
Her name is Maya, parent reared female kestrel, out of the chamber 230 grams fat, took and pass her on an intense and fast manning, flown free with some 15 days around 185 grams, then her weight gone every day higher because she won´t kite around and we finaly get to fat weight, 225 - 230 grams, in this wheight she makes 80 stoops to the lure daily, and also kill bagged magpies.

As for baggies, we´ve started with pigeons, no problem. Quail ( large ones ) no problem. In 2 ocasiones, Ibis and female feasent... by the head !
Magpies on the other hand, first she ignored them... then she start chasing some very few... then again ignore them. So I have started very slow with them and now I can finaly say she go for the kill witouth hesitation.

Of Corse, I only speack of Bagged Game. I plan to fly her waiting on and my first intention was this, to make her go for the magpies. Now she catch bagged magpies with some 10 meters pich ( maximum ), and I have to work a little harder on more pich !

She catch them by the neck very fast in a short stoop, and on the ground she bites the head of the magpie and the eyes, as long as the magpie fights back, and when the magpies don´t fight, she don´t bite, only put presure on the neck with both hands.

Today´s foto on another bagged magpie. I don´t know her weight now since I don´t weight her any longer and I belive she is around 230 grams since she has a very good muscles and eats a lot every day.
Best regards and keep you updated.

Sergiu...


I have a quick question if you dont mind. Do you think the same result are achievable without the baggies, I have no objections to baggies but they are illegal here, I have an EK, she is an ex display bird and only used to do glove work, I got her going to the lure but failed to get her hunting anything other than beetles and frogs, I think her age is against me I got her 3 years ago at 6 and she is now almost 9 years old.

[JayInOz]

http://photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/images/Kite_Black-shouldered_Gordon.jpg

[JayInOz]

Oops! Yep- I can cut and paste into here. The photo is of a pretty common local bird here- Black Shouldered Kite. Viewed from below they have similar profile to our kestrels (Falco Cocenchroides) but are larger- beautiful birds. They share the same habitat as kestrels, eat the same food although more mice, and they hover. Hasn't been much wind here lately, and there is so much food now (mid summer) and so many vantage points, that the kestrels don't bother to hover much anyway.
I was turning over big rocks looking for snakes once, near the top of a high rocky hill. I was just below the skyline out of the strong wind. A kestrel was flying along just below the crest, appearing to be sort of playing in the wind. Just as she drifted over me, a rabbit shot out from under the rock I was moving, and raced off down the hill. In an instant the kestrel caught up with it, and stayed with the rabbit for probably seventy yards down the steep slope. The kestrel smacked the rabbit on the back and rump at least three times. It made no attempt to grab it- just seemed to be playing with the rabbit, which was in top gear. Then the kestrel just swung up across the slope and resumed what she had been doing. I was astonished to say the least. Any one else ever see a kestrel chase something like that? Jay.

[Illustrator]

I have seen one stoop at a Blackbird in the wild unsuccessfully and mine wouldn't attempt anything large accept for one time it tail chased a gull for a field, but i put that down to territory. I would seriously like to see a video of this rare specimen.

[GoshawkRST]

I have a quick question if you dont mind. Do you think the same result are achievable without the baggies, I have no objections to baggies but they are illegal here, I have an EK, she is an ex display bird and only used to do glove work, I got her going to the lure but failed to get her hunting anything other than beetles and frogs, I think her age is against me I got her 3 years ago at 6 and she is now almost 9 years old.

Hello Claire,

I have no idea, looke, I don´t like to give advices about kestrels since I don´t know the bird. Everything I have ever learned or heard about them is that they do nothing more that bagged quails and hunting in the field, they are only capable of mices and some butterflies...

What I do, is listening to some spanish masters falconers who claim to do more with this birds, and I tooke her and try to discover the kestrel, myself, withouth paiyng attention to falconry texts regarding kestrels. I don´t belive them no more, and I try to discover it myself.

Clarie, I belive it would be hard to teach him now since he is old. It is better if you would start with a young, parent reared, inexperienced kestrel.
Withouth baggies, I belive it is very difficult.
Start up with one young kes, if baggies are not legal there... don´t know what to say. I´ll do it anyway :lol:

And yes, today we had the gratest day of our lives. I will tell you the story and put some fotos !!

Regards!

[David Rampling]

Keep it coming, interesting stuff!!

[Ben C]

Kestrels are awesome little falcons.....I have seen footage of them hawking starlings and sparrows off a T perch....they are fast and intense. They are only limited by the falconer.

[GoshawkRST]

Well, today we get out.
First with the female spar, to catch the baggies. It was a very good day with the spar also, because in 8 flights she caught 6 birds ( 4 magpies, 1 sparrow and 1 little bird... ).
So, planty of magpies for the kestrel.

We get to the open field. I don´t know her weight now, since she is flying fat and I don´t control her because of her good response.
Remove the hood, she go and land on a post.... I walk to the middle of the field and... oh sh*t... I´ve forget the tape in the car... ( the tape to close the magpie´s beek so that she could not bite the kestrel and is she escape, she can remove it ).
I looke to the car, some 50 meters away... it´s far :lol: , I will release witouth taping the beek.
The kestrel is not following me, she is on top of the post some 50 meters away.
Move the glove... no response.
I tooke the first magpie out, large one and strong one ( no feathers removed ). I flap the magpie a little bit in the air and the kes was flying our direction but low !!! I hide the magpie and the kes start hovering over my head some 6 meters high. I release the magpie, the kestrel stoop fast and withouth even touch her she brought the magpie to the ground where the magpie made a turn and escaped the stoop, and the kes on the ground start chasing her beating wings... She tail chase the magpie some 100 meters over an open field to the pine forest, she was not loosing but maintaining the speed like the magpie !!!
But the magpie get to cover and escaped....

Second Magpie. I flap it and the kes was instantly over my head some 6 meters high looking at me. This magpie witouth tail and tooke out 3 primaries in one wing. I release the magpie, the kestrel stoop her and brought her to the ground with no problems ( did not touch her, the magpie gone for the ground itself with the kes stooping ). While on the ground, I was especting to grab her or at last to land and then to tail chase her like the other... But she did another thing !
On the first stoop, she did not intented to catch the magpie since now she was aware the magpie will be more clever and escape on the ground, so the kes made the first stoop and rapidly start climbing higher, some 10 - 15 meters above the ground,while the magpie was already flying over an open field !!!!
I looke the magpie flying away while the kes was climbing rapidly and I belive she would let her go and espect another magpie, but I was wrong, with 10 - 15 meters high, she came into a fast stoop gaining speed, and then she was flying down the magpie, tail chase her over the open field and like I say, flying her down she get to her after some 50 - 70 meters and grab her !!!!

Oh sh*t !!!! I forget !!! The magpie´s beek !!!! I start running fast as I can, and when I get there, the kes was waining me with both hand on the neck and head of the magpie... already bite the magpie´s eyes and she had PERFECTLY imobilized the magpie, biting very hard every time the magpie moved !!!!
She killed the magpie by herself without my help !!!

A large crop on top of the magpie and home we go !!!!

It was avesome to se! The " badass kestrel " every day faster and more agressive !!!

If 10 - 15 meters are suficient for her to gain the speed necesary to fly down a magpie, I belive 50 - 80 meters pich and also the fact preys don´t see kestrels as theyre natural predators... could be really really deadly !!! ( same thing, my masters always say ! ).

Today´s fotos and best regards !!!!!

Sergiu....

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07367.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07364.jpg

[Claire]

thanks for the reply, I will follow this thread with interest :D

[Yeoman]

Great acheivment for a kestrel:supz::supz:
Kev

[Daave77]

Kestrels are awesome little falcons.....I have seen footage of them hawking starlings and sparrows off a T perch....they are fast and intense. They are only limited by the falconer.

If thats the one on YouTube its an American Kestrel Ben, if its not that site and its on the internet let me know the URL i wouldn't mind seeing it.

I think Sergiu is right, attempting to get a euro Kestrel to hunt WITHOUT the use of baggies to start them off would be hard, that said simply because I (and others) didn't have much sucess doesn't mean it can't be done obviously - i'm far from being any sort of expert and i've little doubt given the right bird, the right slip and maybe an ambush or two to start them off its possible.... but I think it would the exception rather than the norm....

....why am I suddenly tempted to have a go??....:wink:

[GoshawkRST]

Mullenix hunted with european kestrels, from the car window and also at night with the flashlight.
Like he said in the article, the difference between the american and the european kestrel, is that the american is more like an accipiter while the european is more like a peregrine.

So, I belive american kestrels fly very well from the fist, but the european kestrel would be very good waiting on and stooping at prey.

My intention is not to hunt from the car window, but to achieve an waiting on kestrel, that would stoop on magpies, pigeons etc...

But like I said, it´s very hard since she don´t waits on, only 15 meters in the best days, and no more that a few moments..... :(
The male I´ve flown before, was waiting on naturally some 10 minutes at around 30 - 50 meters, he was kiting around, only had to center him with some bagged quail.

But this female.... bfffff.......

I´ll keep you posted !

Best regards !!!

[Daave77]

Mullenix hunted with european kestrels, from the car window and also at night with the flashlight.
Like he said in the article, the difference between the american and the european kestrel, is that the american is more like an accipiter while the european is more like a peregrine.

So, I belive american kestrels fly very well from the fist, but the european kestrel would be very good waiting on and stooping at prey.

My intention is not to hunt from the car window, but to achieve an waiting on kestrel, that would stoop on magpies, pigeons etc...

But like I said, it´s very hard since she don´t waits on, only 15 meters in the best days, and no more that a few moments..... :(
The male I´ve flown before, was waiting on naturally some 10 minutes at around 30 - 50 meters, he was kiting around, only had to center him with some bagged quail.

But this female.... bfffff.......

I´ll keep you posted !

Best regards !!!

I for one am really pleased you are trying Sergiu! :D

[CanadaManada]

Sergui,

I like what you're trying to do with this bird.
I think a pigeon or a magpie may not wait around for a kestrel to begin a stoop before they flush. Your theory is sound, however, in that they may not see the kestrel as a predator. I see many many kites flying around where I go duckhawking. I always thought if I could train an imprint to go down on bagged ducks, I'd have the best bird for the place I live. The ducks seem oblivious to the kites. Seeing a female kite smack my MHH while he mantled over his food oneday had me thinking it's at least possible.
Do you not have wild quail you could fly her over? Do you have a dog?

Justin

[GoshawkRST]

Hello Justin!

No dog, no quails around.

Only magpies, pigeons, doves etc...

Best regards !
Sergiu...

[GoshawkRST]

Today it was a " bad " day.

Because she wait on, 4 or 5 meters above my head !!! :(
So I´ve released a large magpie, giving her a good push so that the kestrel miss the magpie.
She tail chased the magpie some 50 meters then let her go.
She is fast but she don´t go up there.

So get her home and try again tomorrow.....

Best regards !

[GoshawkRST]

Good and bad news.

The bad news - she still won´t kite around, nor wait on. She fly to the first tree ( if the tree is far away, she would go for it ! ), or if there are no trees she land on the ground.

The good news - she is a killer. She get a tehnique of perfectly imobilizing magpies and kill them by herself it is just wonderful how she learn to deal with them, more eficient that my female spar ( the spar unable to kill them by herself ).

I´ll see how the hell would I make her kite around or wait on.... Because if she would do that, it would be an incredible bird to fly waiting on, on magpies for example !

Any imput is welcome.

Today´s fotos and best regards!

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07407.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07409.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07417.jpg

[CanadaManada]

Why not try to teach her positioning, using racing pigeons, the way U.S. falconers would? She goes off, a fast racer that she has no chance at. She comes overhead, a properly prepared youngster is served. You could use teh lure to get her to come back. Once she is coming, just hide the lure and prepare the pigeon.
Some weight control to get her focus more upon you and the area around you.
I don't know, but I'd try that

Justin.

[Alf]

If you haven’t tried it yet you could kite her for a week or so get her up a few hundred ft and baggie her from there you can do it from a 1,000 ft if you want mate its not hard to get them to come down from this height or so I am told? :yawinkle: Alf.

[Puzo]

I imagine most of her flights would be from the fist at magpies, etc, pursuit style so fitness is the main consideration, & stopping her from sitting down.
If I were to attempt to get this bird to gain height, I'd first remove the temptation to sit in trees, by taking her where there are none. Put her up in a moderate wind & allow her to circle around. When she's on the upwind leg of her circle & hopefully climbing, reward her,either with the lure or a baggie . Make sure to whistle & present the reward as she's directly upwind of you, well before she begins to tire & sit on her wings. Thus rewarding her for gaining height.
By being allowed her to sit in trees, she's learned to wait to be served from a tree rather than in the air. I wouldn't use the American way of releasing a fit pigeon or equivalent to discourage tail-chasing, as you would probably want a kestrel to tail-chase.

[Pink_Eagle]

sounds realy good, ive got a EK she is a lure bird but im working more on the hunting and in the time i have had here we have had numerous songbirds and sparrows, 1 blackbird, 1 collard dove
She has never lookd at magpie
good luck with your youngster

[GoshawkRST]

Hello everyone and thankyou for the advices ( are more that welcomed ! ).

Yesterday I´ve flown her on the cliffs by the sea, and I made a lure session , stooping her very well and serving the lure Only when she goes up in the wind and make a stoop from the high. It worked well, she get some 30 meters in the air.

Today I will serve another bagged magpie, in an open area.
I´m going now, we´ll see what happen :)

Best regards !

[CanadaManada]

Sounds good! Looking forward to reading about it after I wake up.

Justin

[GoshawkRST]

Well another... " bad " day.

A windy day, we get in a field with a small bush in the middle. I release her and she fly streight to the bush and land on top of it. I sit still and do nothing. After some 5 minutes she is on the wing but very close to the ground, no more that 1 meter high.... And she lands on my feets.

I take her on the fist and gave a push in the wind. She starts to hover over my head some 10 meters in the air, and I release the first magpie. The kes stoop her and starts to tail chase her over the field to the small bush. Then out of nowere, an wild male kestrel join the hunt and stoop the magpie very agresivly and withouth even touch her, he make her go to the ground. My female kes was approaching and the magpie tried to escaped in the bush while the male kestrel was hovering over, preparing another stoops and ignoring my female kestrel. The magpie get to the bush with the female kes on the tail, and she caught her right when she entered. The male kes was keep hovering over the bush !

It was awesome to wach ! The male kes came out of nowhere and stooped at the magpie forcing her to the ground ! He got some 30 meters of pich !

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07447.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07448.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07451.jpg

[GoshawkRST]

So I was not very pleased with the flight so decided to try another bagged magpie. The second one. Like you see, I´ve removed the tail of the magpies because of the wind ( with a little wind, magpies are extreamly agile birds ! ).

So I go to another open field. Larger this time. Everything lookes well around, and the wind was blowing. I release the female kes and she starts to fly upwind. I was very pleased when seen this, and when she got to some 10 meters high and still kiting around, I was preparing the second magpie when.... sh*t ! Another male kestrel came out of nowhere, stoop at my female and catching her in the air and falling to the ground ! They where both on the ground, wings open and caught by theyre feets. I approach and the male fly away screaming all the time, and my female was on the ground.

Tooke her and try to fly her again, and when she get off the fist, the male kes came back again and stoop her and brought her to the ground !
She was not eager to fly any longer.
Tooke her on the fist and wait for the male kes to go away.

When he get some 300 meters away, Ive released again the female, giving a good push upwind and she get to some 20 meters high withouth efort whan I rapidly released the second magpie. She made a stoop and then starts to tail chase her over the field. Meanwhile the male kestrel was on the wing ( FAST BIRD !!! ) and I was running cause my female outflown the magpie and caught her on the ground some 70 meters away.

I get first and the male kestrel was not able to do anything, just hower over us, screamming...

Best regards !

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07453.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07457.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg243/goshawkrst/DSC07460.jpg

[Daave77]

What an adventure today Sergiu! Bet you thought your luck was in when you get to see a "cast" of Kestrels on the Maggie, then that same male attacks your female (clearly jealous of her tenacity and Magpie catching abilities!)

Sounds to me on the last couple of flights she is getting better but as you're finding out they like pitching when they've learnt to do it!:rolleyes:


Keep going and keep the posts coming!:-D

[GoshawkRST]

Hello Daave !!!

There was not the same male !
First I´ve flown in one field and the male join the hunt, but then I´ve changed the field, with the car some 5 km away in the other side of a village.
Then I´ve flown there in the open and another male came out of nowhere and stoop at her.

The sight of a cast of kestrels on magpie was awesome ! But it lasted only a very few moments and the wild male kes shown his skills. Grate wiev !!!

Best regards !

[Daave77]

Ah - that'll teach me to read quickly!

Excellent stuff all the same!


daave77

[GoshawkRST]

And they say I am the no english speacking falconer :lol: :lol: :lol:

I´ll keep you updated of the badass lucha libre kestrel´s progress :lol:

Best regards !

[GoshawkRST]

Well, today we had the first flight on wild magpies, out of the car window, in a field some 50 meters away.
She Almost Got It !!!

I have seen the magpies in an open field so it was impossible to get closer, so I´ve decided to let her from the car window to see what happen since she was looking at them.
So I was expecting her to do some low flight like the female spar, with the magpies running for cover, but she did exactly the contrary !

She get out from the fist and flew in another direcction ! The magpies did not even bother looking at her ( there are plenty of kestrels kiting around and magpies don´t see them as predators ! ). She made a turn and gain some 10 meters high from the ground, made the turn and gone straight line to the 3 magpies still eating on the ground in the field !
She initiate a long stoop ( not vertical ofcorse ), and she get to the magpies ( still on the ground ) and almost caught one right there in the stoop ! The magpie simply esquivate the stoop on the ground, and then the kestrel land on the ground with the magpie half a meter away on the ground, looking at her ( side by side ) !
Now, the kes did not wanted to go after the magpie ! So they look a little bit and I get down from the car, one of the magpies flew of and the kestrel also get after her in a long flight to the covers.

She did not caught her nor touch her. She was very close ( almost got one ) in the first stoop, We´ll see if she realise in the stoop she can get them and in a long tail chase not.

The best thing, magpies waits for her. And she is not like spars, she is a kestrel but kestrels are falcons and somethimes she lookes very far in the fields and go for birds out there.
That´s good to hunt magpies in open areas, sliping her far away.

She did not wanted in the second flight, since she was still fat as I don´t control her weight....
With a little weight adjustment she will change !!!

That was awesome to watch !

Best regards keep you updated.

[Lenka]

i bet it was quite awesome to watch. i sent the pic of your kestrel on a magpie to my friend and he didnt belive it. it ****es me off how everybody undersestimated kestrels so much. they are great little birds! just need a bit of work:supz:

[FredrickFogg]

Sergui,

I am really enjoying this thread. As with our American Kestrel, the EK has never been given its due. My AK caught 50 head of game in about 2 months and I really enjoyed him. I have wanted to try an EK, but they are hard to find here in the States as there isn't a demand for them. One of these days I plan on getting one and giving it a try. I look forward to your success.

Fred

[Ramka]

She get out from the fist and flew in another direcction !

My booted eagle do the same thing when hunting crows. He wasn't too fast, so at first he look at crow, then look at place and notice best way to come closer or come to best position and then start from fist.
I think your kestrel have a good potential. Good work!

[GoshawkRST]

I belive she can be good for Carhawking on magpies or other birds.

But I want to fly her waiting on.

Today, another frustrating day.

She had 3 flights.

First flight: she make some turns , everything ok and I let her catch the lure and reward her. She flew around me like a peregrine.

Second flight: she wants to make a longer turn and fly more, everything ok until the male wild kestrel came by, catch her in the air and fall both to the ground. He released her while I was approaching.

Third flight: the male kestrel landed on a small abbandoned house in the middle of the field some 300 meters away. I was thinking she will now fly well since the male is far. But as soon as she get out of the fist, she flew to the male that far, caught it and fall both to the ground.

Now I´m running and find her with the male tooke by the neck, imobolised on the ground like a magpie ! Rapidly I tooke her and released the male kestrel.

Hood on, and back home !!!

Touching the male´s chest out there in the field, he did not had the muscles like my female flying fat. He seems in an "inferior"condition, but he was some 2 times faster in moves and flight, that my female !

As soon as I release him, he flew some 300 meters away, on top of a tree, screamming.

I really hope this does not happen anymore and I hope she don´t see them as prey now !!!!
( i did not reward her, simply put the hood on and get back home ! ).

[Falconry Favourites]

wow now that was a interesting kes ,well done mate.

[GoshawkRST]

Hello,

The spar is now down for the molt, and so I don´t have any more bagged magpies.
So the Kestrel is flying every day in an open field, to the lure ( reward her pich etc... )
I will soon start with bagged pigeons.

Regards !

[GoshawkRST]

Hello.

Sad news, this morning I´ve found Maya dead.
Tomorrow I´ll have more infos.

The diary is over.

[Daave77]

Thats very sad news Sergiu :-(. Gutted for you my friend you worked really hard with that bird and have built up a great following.

[J.P]

I've only just found this thread... since i'm looking to train a kestrel myself. i have to say i feel really sorry for you, hearing what you did with your kestrel gave a glimmer of hope that hunting with them really is very achievable.
Sorry for your loss mate.
Jamie

[GoshawkRST]

Thankyou !

I did now found any injuries nor internal parasites. So I really don`t know what could happen !

Anyhow, I will start with another female kestrel this year ;)

Best regards and thankyou!

Sergiu...

[Daave77]

Looking forward to it already Sergiu.


All the best

[Grey_Squirrel_Hawker]

i only just found this thread, and was amazed to read it. such a sad and sudden ending however.
perhaps her encounter with the wild male passed on to her some sort of virus or such.

i look forward to the next thread.

[Puzo]

Really sorry to hear this.

[01Falcon01]

hi, My name is Recep, I am from Turkey, I am 18 years old...I love Kestrel...Falco tinnunculus,Help me...help me...help me...thanks...I am not very good English.....Thank you:cry::cry::cry: my DREAM İS= FALCONER....:(( common_kestrel@hotmail

[Goshawk]

This is a very interesting thread, came across it while I was reading a thread about your sparrow hawk...Sorry about your bird, I am sure it would have made one hell of a killer...did you find out what killed it?
Regards,
Gavin

[GoshawkRST]

Hello Gavin.

Have no idea what happened. The last " strange " thing whas the encounter with a wild kestrel. Yet she did not have any injuries.
No idea !

Another " sad " news, finaly I will not fly another kestrel this year since other bird came by and I get him, a tiercel gyr x peregrine :lol:

Thankyou and best regards !

Sergiu...

[Goshawk]

Hello Gavin.

Have no idea what happened. The last " strange " thing whas the encounter with a wild kestrel. Yet she did not have any injuries.
No idea !

Another " sad " news, finaly I will not fly another kestrel this year since other bird came by and I get him, a tiercel gyr x peregrine :lol:

Thankyou and best regards !

Sergiu...
Sorry about that, look forward to hearing how you train the new bird...Gavin

[whissp]

Now that is a gutsy Kessie!!!
had no idea a kestrel could catch such large quarry the picture is fantastic could you please email it to me would like it as my wallpaper and good luck with the training though doesnt look like you will need it. from a flaberghasted and awe inspired whissp

[Falconry Favourites]

really enjoyed reading this thread,good luck with your new bird mate.

[nesher]

how high up do you think you could get a kestrel to wait on?
and if you got it to wait on how would you get slip if you couldnt get that close

[Leo 1]

ace thread

[Jonathan13]

feel really sorry for you pal

such a shame she went:cry:

[Java Falconer]

Gutted for you mate.
This has been my fav. thread :supz:

[Leo 1]

how high up do you think you could get a kestrel to wait on?
and if you got it to wait on how would you get slip if you couldnt get that close

why u flushing mice and worms :lol:

[joealshaikh]

hi
sorry for your kestrel !!
i red the treads and i loved it
last year i had a female kesrel that also died for no reason .never found why!
i bagged partridge ,tied them to a line and let her catch them while the partrige is flapping the wings in air.she would fly from some ones fist to me holding the tied partridge.

hope your succesful in your new hybrid:):)

[Stavros_]

Sorry for your kes mate.
It was one of the most interested threads......Keep posting ,thanks for the info :yawinkle:

[BarnesyBoy]

Sorry about Maya mate. Ive only just read this thread and enjoyed the diary, start to finish, you did a great job and was very informative. You should continue what you did as you really did seem to make good progress. Take it easy..!