Penny - Peregrine Falcon

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

This is Penny, 10 weeks old. Picked her up today from Lee Gibbs (Finnish). The pics dont do her justice, we were just in the door, so have blocked her to settle down for a while.
Weighed in at 2lb 5 1/2oz.
Will put some other pics up later.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/05072008579.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/05072008577.jpg

[richardjboyce]

She s a good looking specimen.

What are you going to fly her at ?

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Shes for pursuit flights, corvids and gulls.

[richardjboyce]

Sounds great.

Out of interest, have you flown a gyr saker pursuit style before ?

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Yeh, flew several last year.

[Taffy1]

shes a cracker all best with her :supz:

[richardjboyce]

Great. I ve got a male 5/8 Gyr Saker, ive had him since Feb. He s one year old and moulting in the aviary at the moment (nearly done!).

My question is :- is it possible to enter him on fur and feather i .e . rabbits and duck/pheasant ? ? Flying him off the fist.

P.s He had six rooks with his previous owner.

Many thanks

Rich

PPS just seen some of your photos, Very nice.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

One thing i learned very quickly, dont believe anything a previous owner tells you.

Flying off the fist as a pursuit bird is mostly for corvids and gulls, tho thats not to say he wouldnt chase ducks/pheasants. Will he catch them tho? Thats the million dollar question.

If you fancy rabbits, get a Gos/HH. I wouldnt fancy my falcon being dragged around on the ass of a rabbit.

[richardjboyce]

Very true !

I understand the million dollar question too.I guess it depends on how close you could get the duck/pheasantr to make it a succesful slip ?

I was borrowing a harris last year, your right they are efficient bunny bashers, but now I only have my gyr saker, was hoping to get him on rabbits too. would nt fly him at hares cos they could kill him, but was hoping he d be able to deal with a rabbit ??

Are falcons less efficient than killing rabbits than hawks? do you think falcons are more select than hawks and are likely to get wedded to a certain quarry ?

Many thanks

Rich

Ps I need rabbits for my lobster pots.

[Matthew Patching]

Very true !

I understand the million dollar question too.I guess it depends on how close you could get the duck/pheasantr to make it a succesful slip ?

I was borrowing a harris last year, your right they are efficient bunny bashers, but now I only have my gyr saker, was hoping to get him on rabbits too. would nt fly him at hares cos they could kill him, but was hoping he d be able to deal with a rabbit ??

Are falcons less efficient than killing rabbits than hawks? do you think falcons are more select than hawks and are likely to get wedded to a certain quarry ?

Many thanks

Rich


Ps I need rabbits for my lobster pots.

Do you not think that you should have possibly found this out before purchaseing a bird!

[QTR]

Nice falcon mate how bred her.:supz:

Aziz

[Gary F]

another nice falcon rob,,
atb
gary

[Natch]

glad u like her rob,,,,hope she do,s the bizzs ,,,,,,natch

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

I hope so too. She sits on the glove nicely, with very few bates. Hoods like a seasoned pro, lets me touch her feet and chest. Just a casual interest in food just now, but maybe tomorrow.

[Quiver]

sorry to post the same from another forum, but the feet seem very yellow for a eyass?

chris.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

They are yellowish, yeh. So what?

[Dave Johnson]

sorry to post the same from another forum, but the feet seem very yellow for a eyass?

chris.

This is the colour that they are meant to be.Good luck with her Rob,i'm sure you will have fun,she's a beauty.Dave

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

2lb 3 1/2oz. Took 3 docs from the glove tonight :supz:

[Haskins]

all the best with her. lovely bird

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

2lb 3oz.

Feeding from the fist since last night. Shes very steady now, hoods almost perfect.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/07072008592.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/07072008594.jpg

[Ned]

Hi Rob,
nice falcon,rob like the hood with the plume at the back,atb ned.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

11th July - 2lb 1 1/4oz.

Penny has been feeding well on the glove and is happy to step up now. So today i introduced her to the lure. Fixed the lure to the ground, and sat her on her block. I took her hood off, she had a rouse, spotted the lure and was straight down onto it.

Some pics.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1030626.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1030623.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1030616.jpg

[Matthew Patching]

Nice Rob, I ve just flown the male gxp free for the first time today!

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Good stuff, look forward to the updates.

[Finnish]

Looking good Rob all the best with her mate...

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Cheers Lee, hows the Gyr/Per doing?

[Finnish]

Moulting well mate 4 weeks i think...

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Perfect timing for the 12th then. Let me know how he does for you.

Rob

[Natch]

any more update or pic,s:cool:

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Yeh, 1lb 15oz. 3rd day on creance/long leash. Coming about 10 yards to her lure in the garden. Will take her into the field over the weekend and get the distance increased. Hopefully free next weekend.

[CJTaylor]

Good looking bird Rob, will catch up on thursday mate,...colin

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Today 1lb 14oz

40 yards on the creance, so should be free in the next day or so, weather permitting.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Free last night at 1lb 14 1/4oz. Passed the lure and went flyabout for a few minutes. Checked out the local wildlife and came back to her lure once she'd had a nosey around.
Off again tonight at 1lb 14 1/8oz. Just a couple of passes to lure. Will work in her fitness now for time before getting her entered.

[Gary F]

nice one rob,another cracker mate

[Gil]

A beauty
atb with her mate

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Today 1lb 13 7/8th oz's.

Still a bit hesitant from the glove, just a few seconds tho, but much more focused on her gull wing lure. Only gave her 4 passes, but each time she was reaching out for it.
Will try and get some pics for tomorrow.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Today - 1lb 13 3/4oz.

Still really hot up here, so wasnt expecting too many stoops. Was a lot quicker off the glove at this weight. Long lured her 300 yards, then 15 stoops and called it a day.

Hard to swing lure and take pics at same time.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1030650.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1030652.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1030653.jpg

[Matthew Patching]

Looks Ok Rob, how the **** do you manage to swing a lure and take pics??

Hot down here aswell, so am waiting for it to cool off a bit.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

With difficulty. I swung the lure, and as she turned, i dropped it, took a few shots, and picked it up again before she was passing.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Not been posting much on here, but heres an update on Penny.

Crow number 2.

Found a nice cut barley field with a load of corvids on. Stopped the car, jumped out and unhooded her. She was off in a flash, totally ignoring the closest crows and seemed to be making for the ones furthest away (and closest to cover). Watched her as she gained a little height, then started to power into ones that were just lifting several hundred yards away. Left binos in the other car, so only caught glimpses of her as she chased one round the stubble, then lost site of her as she disappeared over the fence and down into a little gully. Drove round and walked along to where i thought id seen her last, and found her on a little banking with an adult rook.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/Image000-2.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/Image002-3.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/Image003-3.jpg

[Wooly]

Nice one Rob, what weight is she going at now mate?

Terry.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Hi Terry,

She was 1lb 14 1/4oz today. I think she could come down another 1/4 - 1/2oz.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Today 1lb 14oz. (Cant seem to get her below that).

2 slips today. First slip she chased some crows that were mixed in with some gulls. They headed for the nearest cover, a tree, and she was unlucky not to get them as they beat her to it. She spent a little time trying to harass them out, but they werent having it.
Second slip, some out in a stubble. They lifted as soon as they seen us, so quickly jumped out and unhooded her. She looked like she wasnt interested, and just slowly climbed to maybe 80`, then wham, off she went like the clappers, closing in on the crows as they made for trees in the distance. One shat it, and baled out and tried to make for a hedge, but she cracked it just as it was about to make the cover, game over, adult Rook again.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/Image004-1.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/Image005-1.jpg

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Today 1lb 13 7/8ths.

Only one slip today. Some crows just over the fence. Slipped her and as usual, she seemed totally disinterested in the crows close by. Instead, she had a look around and screamed off way down the valley and over the tops of some trees. I could hear crows panicing in the distance. Took me a good 15 minutes to walk over. Tracked her to a hedgrow, and could hear her bells, but couldnt see her. Eventually, found her, on top of the hedge with her Rook.
What do you think? Is this self hunting, or does she prefer going for crows a long way off?

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/Image003-4.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/Image004-2.jpg

[MorFalc]

nice pics mate.

[Sparverius]

or does she prefer going for crows a long way off?

Nice thread, nice bird, nice catch.

But this is the reason why I stopped crow hawking with my female peregrine.
Most of the times the catch is out of sight and always need telemetry to find them back.
Only on rare occasions I realy did see the catch.

But that I do have a lot of respect for the ones that do, love to read threads like these, keep posting and taking pictures.

[Fraser Hamilton]

Do you not think that you should have possibly found this out before purchaseing a bird!
y not help the man then , two under stand falconry ? you love 2 keep havin a go at ppl . wots up with you ? PS dont start on me . LOL i,ll :box: your lights out in 1 :box: .