Song of a Screaming Harris! Diary

[FalconGriff]

Diary of a screaming Harris

I had a PM from a friend called Gentle asking for help. Could I take a 2 year old Harris that was screaming so badly he had bought the local shop out of Aspirin, off his hands Now a screaming Harris was not exactly top of my want list!! But owed the man a favor and I have always had this boast that I given time I could stop any screamer. Time to put up or shut up!! I also thought that if I kept a diary it may help others in a few ways. So it happened that Gentle turned up in the car park with a female Harris in a box. Money changed hands and after getting his permission for this post off he went.
I am going to say what I think may have gone wrong with the bird and if he doesn’t agree perhaps he will correct the post.

Next day I had a look at the bird, if Gentle had not been a friend this would have been done before I parted with money, this is for beginners who may be buying a bird for the first time. I checked the feather condition the birds feet beak and the general way it looked. If your not happy to do this take your mentor with you. I then made a list.
Birds weight 2-6 ½ Gentle told me her flying weight was 2-2ish bit surprised as she looks bigger than a 2-2 bird. Looks bright eyed and healthy
Feathers. Tail fine, primaries not so good, All the old brown feathers were frayed at the ends. Gentle told me the bird was in a state when he got it and this fits in with his story as all the new molted feathers were perfect. Not worth imping as there is enough there for her to hunt and I haven’t got any Harris primaries anyway! Nice looking bird that may have some Peru blood in there as the molted breast feather are all tipped with white.

Feet all looks well there. Beak needs a bit off the tip and a light file down the side. Done

Equipment. It all looks OK but I have a rule that when a fresh bird comes in it always get everything changed then if it breaks there is only one person to blame – yourself.
Everything done new bells and telemetry mount as it will be hunted.

OK I now make a plan (normally in my head) of what I intend to do with the bird.

Plan A

I will take the bird to my bird control site and man her for an hour a day. Bird now has a new name Gentle. She is very tame but I want her to be well used to me and the funny side of doing bird control work. I have to wear Hi Vis clothing and a hard hat. The site is a chemical works with lots of load machines and a forest of pipe work running up to over 60 feet high hissing and spitting with steam escaping. The last thing you want is a nervous bird that wont come down as I can’t go up!! She will have this manning for a week before flying there.
She will be encouraged to chase (and maybe catch gulls) There is the odd rabbits there that we may have an accident with (I am only paid to chase gulls)
When at the Center she will be used for courses and be flown by them and by my son so that she doesn’t develop a very close relationship with anybody (helps to stop the screaming)

She will be housed and tethered in her own mews which is which is wire fronted and about six foot back from the public.

We will try to lift her weight as high as we can but so that she will come instantly to the fist and hunt

If this does not succeed in stopping her screaming then :-

Plan B

There is no plan B we will succeed!!

Rather than do this daily the plan is about once a week to record progress or the lack of it so if you interested keep checking this post about every seven days or so. If we succeed no Gentle you can't have her back!! If we don't anybody know where I can buy Aspirin wholesale??:confused::confused::confused: Why do I do these stupid things!

[J.P]

Really interested in this Griff, i'll keep my eyes peeled for the thread. :yawinkle:

You said that they stop screaming if they are handled more and more by people, im guessing they begin to dissociate people as parents/siblings?

Jamie

[Claire]

Good luck Griff :rolleyes:
My Kes came from a centre I helped at, while she was there and at the home she had before she was always a noisy bird, she has been with me for years now, and has never made a sound (unless she spots a wild Kes) funny how a change in surroundings can cure it on its own.

[JayHawk]

look forward to your results griff

jay

[Gentle]

I'm really glad that your going to work her, I'm sure she'll do everything you ask of her.

I forgot to mention that she has a thing for toes. :lol:
If ever you go in to her with sandals on, you'll see what I mean. :lol:

[Frank Gallagher]

Griff you must be bloody crazy but I will be watching this thread with interest ATB

[KellsHawkEye]

I will be watching this thread with interest aswell :supz:

[Hobby]

Griff,has she made a noise yet?
Possibly just the change in location and new activities will keep her quiet!
Look forward to the thread.

[Derek Davison]

Good on you Griff, looking forward to the rest of the thread .

[Lyn Birds]

should be an interesting thread
lyn

[FalconGriff]

Griff,has she made a noise yet?
Possibly just the change in location and new activities will keep her quiet!
Look forward to the thread.

Has she made a noise? I pop my head out of the window - Oh yes she's still at it!!

[Sean D]

my hh got noisy this season due to me taking him too low to get him going, I started the season hunting him at 1.4 3/4, initially he was quite at this weight but as time went on he became vocal whenever he saw me and when we first got to the hunting ground. I have slowly brought his weight up and tonight was the first time in weeks that we had a silent start to hunting session.
When he saw me today he was noisy, so I got him ready and off we went, got to my permission and opened his box, ready for the scream and he was totally silent, as a result we nailed a rooster within 5 mins, his weight is now 1.7 1/4,
good luck

[FalconGriff]

When he saw me today he was noisy, so I got him ready and off we went, got to my permission and opened his box, ready for the scream and he was totally silent, as a result we nailed a rooster within 5 mins, his weight is now 1.7 1/4,
good luck[/QUOTE]

That's a new one on me never heard of anyone deliberately hunting chickens??:lol::confused::lol:

[Razeroo]

GOOD LUCK
i think youl be getting a few more noisy ones if you succeed.
very brave to put your money where where your mouth is ,a rare thing these days
all the best
steve

[BlueBoy]

Has she made a noise? I pop my head out of the window - Oh yes she's still at it!!

Does she shut up when its dark?

[Shaft666]

Griff,
Gentle told me all about this bird yesterday so will follow this with interest and if you're as good as he says I'm sending Mrs Paul to you for a week to see if you can cure her screaming ;)

Paul

[Sean White]

Hey Griff.... this chap used to have the same problem, thankfully his hawk is alot quieter now but do you notice anything about this picture ?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l220/pointer1967/October20060101.jpg

[Jess]

Earmuff's!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sean White]

Earmuff's!!!!!!!!!!!

Spot on !

[BlueBoy]

wigs blown off

[Sean White]

wigs blown off

:) .....

[Sean D]

wigs blown off

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Leo 1]

to come to think off it my fhh stopes screeming in the mews round about the time my dad started flying her as well as me

[Gentle]

Has she made a noise? I pop my head out of the window - Oh yes she's still at it!!


What's her weight now Griff ?

Has she been on the creance, or flown at all yet ?

[TimDog80]

Griff why dont you explain your theorys and WHY you know they will work and the principal behind your plans!?...........The way i see it your treating it as a swap imprint right?, total change of enviroment, keeping its mind occupied and getting it indepentend by killing and not just reliant on any 1 food source {i.e just one falconer handling/feeding it}
Im sure you'll succed in your quest with plenty of kills;)

Good luck
Tim
p.s kill, kill, kill;)

[FalconGriff]

Does she shut up when its dark?

Gentle said she didn't sleep so I can only assume--------- Haven't checked myself

[FalconGriff]

Griff,
Gentle told me all about this bird yesterday so will follow this with interest and if you're as good as he says I'm sending Mrs Paul to you for a week to see if you can cure her screaming ;)

Paul

Oh I'm even better with screaming women!!:supz:

[Shaft666]

Oh I'm even better with screaming women!!:supz:

Don't mind the screaming myself Griff but what with the noise abatement order and the neighbours kicking up hell :yawinkle: :lol:

Paul

[FalconGriff]

Hey Griff.... this chap used to have the same problem, thankfully his hawk is alot quieter now but do you notice anything about this picture ?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l220/pointer1967/October20060101.jpg

Do I know the hunting ground, seems familiar??

[FalconGriff]

What's her weight now Griff ?

Has she been on the creance, or flown at all yet ?

2-3 full length of the line not slow or instant but its early yet.

[Gentle]

Does she shut up when its dark?

She was quiet at night when she was fat,
as soon as the weight started to come down the slightest noise would start her off.

[FalconGriff]

Griff why dont you explain your theorys and WHY you know they will work and the principal behind your plans!?...........The way i see it your treating it as a swap imprint right?, total change of enviroment, keeping its mind occupied and getting it indepentend by killing and not just reliant on any 1 food source {i.e just one falconer handling/feeding it}
Im sure you'll succed in your quest with plenty of kills;)

Good luck
Tim
p.s kill, kill, kill;)
Yes, I think your about right that and I hope to raise the weight as I don't think is is ether very fit or hard muscled yet and that will weigh more. As I said when I saw her she looks a bigger bird that the 2-2 flying weight but we'll see. That and make sure she sees lots of people that helps She will be on the go and seeing people lots of time. I have never taken on someone else's screamer so I could well get egg on my face but you'll all know if I do.

[TimDog80]

I have never taken on someone else's screamer so I could well get egg on my face but you'll all know if I do.
If anything griff id have thought the fact that its someone else's hawk turned screamer and now it has had a sudden change of enviroment and falconer it would actually work in your favour in trying to rectify the calling/screaming?!?:idea:

Im sure you'll get your head around it;)
Tim

[Malcolm Edgar]

Good luck Griff. Look forward to reading about your trials and tribulations:lol
M

[Pure Blood]

When he saw me today he was noisy, so I got him ready and off we went, got to my permission and opened his box, ready for the scream and he was totally silent, as a result we nailed a rooster within 5 mins, his weight is now 1.7 1/4,
good luck

That's a new one on me never heard of anyone deliberately hunting chickens??:lol::confused::lol:[/QUOTE]

pmsfl

[FalconGriff]

Progress report on Female Screaming Harris

Screaming Report

Good news Gentle (birds new name) has stopped screaming at night. She doesn’t scream in the day unless she sees me and is a lot worse if I’m wearing a hawking bag! She stops after a few minutes of picking her up.
Bad News She has started screaming in her box in the van non stop.

More goods news. Whoever manned this bird made a very good job of it (Gentle must have had it done for him!!) I can walk round with her and little seems to phase her out. If she bates she quickly regains the fist on her own. She boxes beautifully. Walked for a few days and fed on the fist gradually putting her weight up now 2-3 ½ Put on a creance I was more interested in speed to the glove rather than distance. As of today, coming instantly double the length of the line - 50 yards. She is called three times a day, head, head and then 4 chicks feed. Bad news She is aggressive to the bare right hand coming up to the glove, she curses and drops her wings and shakes them at you, I would be interested to know if she has EVER had ANY food removed from the gloved hand? Harris have long and good memories!! The cure. All the time she is getting her main meal I ignore the mantling and cursing and break off bits which I feed with my bare hand, as of now its making no difference but we will overcome!!
When I am not flying her I have nothing to do with her. If she calls, I walk on by and don’t talk back to her I pretend she is not there. She sees me dozens of time a day when I don’t feed her. The worst she screams is when I have a bag on to fly other birds and she thinks I’m going to her.
Tomorrow she will be flown free and through he week I’ll start to try and get her as fit as possible as I wont her to see quarry the second week in December.
Plan A is working!! "So far so good" as the blindfolded man said as he walk out on the pirates plank!!

[Gentle]

Hi Griff.

She has never had any food taken from her on the glove , she behaved the same way for me.
Like I told you, I got her as an untouched bird as advertised on here.
As soon as I got her home and fitted her gear I realised she was not untouched.
She'd sit perfectly calm on the glove while the dogs ran around us, pretty good for an untouched bird I thought. :roll:

I can't tell you anything else about her I'm afraid.

[FalconGriff]

Joking aside fella, you made a cracking job of this bird the more I handle her the better I like her with the exception of the food on the glove thing and a bit of talking(!) she is one lovely Harris I'm sure I can sort out the problems and thank you for a lovely girl. Today we had a course and used her, first time loose for me and she was flying to the punters out of trees like a good un and say it quietly, very little noise. Hope to have a go trying to hunt Pheasants next week in the absence of rabbits. I'll report early next week.

[BlueBoy]

Any news on the hh.

[PistolPeteHurley]

Has anyone asked whether Gentle is imprinted or parent reared?

[FalconGriff]

Haven't written this weeks report yet as time is a bit short. This bird was passed on to the last owner as an untouched parent reared bird which it was nether parent reared nor untouched and as well as being in bad feather to boot, so what I am trying to do is to undo long standing faults that certainly were not put in by the last owner! I can't remember liking a Harris so much in a long time so its not hard work being with her and yse she is getting better all the time!!

[bigstevo]

Superb story so far, look forward to your updates......

[AdeyHawk1970]

Griff you cant blame the hawk for screaming,i would have screamed my head off having to live with Gentle:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[FalconFred]

Hi Griff,

I , along with many others are following your thread with great interest. I know you said you would do weekly reports on this noisey Harris, but could you give some more details of what you are doing with her during the week. It seems to be the number1 problem with the HH, mostly brought on by taking the bird too low or reducing her too fast. I am confident you will turn this bird around and would like more details of your method used, if at all possible. My FHH although great in all other aspects(feather condition and hunting skills incl.) is a screamer..my fault I dropper her weight too low to get her hunting initially:oops:. It's not continuous, mostly when she see's me(I may have that effect on the ladies!!) but stays quiet at night unless disturbed.
I am following this thread with keen interest so a few more method details would be greatly appreciated her. All the best with her, I know you'l crack it!.
ATB
Ger

[FalconGriff]

Been in hospital for a couple of days Out now and OK (ish) so will get back on with the work ASAP Sorry chaps but these things happen!!

[Gentle]

So you finally went in for the penis enlargement then Griff ?

What's it like ? Any pics ? :lol:

I'll be down for a look soon. :yawinkle:

[AdeyHawk1970]

Been in hospital for a couple of days Out now and OK (ish) so will get back on with the work ASAP Sorry chaps but these things happen!!I thought by looking at you in your avatar pic you may be doin some extra work as a santa look a like:lol::lol:.Hope your ok mate

[Malcolm Edgar]

Been in hospital for a couple of days Out now and OK (ish) so will get back on with the work ASAP Sorry chaps but these things happen!!

Hope you're well enough to enjoy the Turkey and Xmas pud:lol
M

[Mark23576]

hows it going been reading as my bird likes the sound of its own voice as well

[FalconGriff]

My lovey bird (ex Gentle) is better but not stopped. When I weas in Hospital I arranged for food to be thrown to her as I didn't want her messed about by anybody else. Big mistake, she was to clever for that and now shouts at anyone with a yellow bucket so learn from this one. As of now she shouts when she is picked up and for about the first 5 minutes when boxed in my van. Every time you stop and open the van door she starts again (clever bird this one she thinks she is coming out) When taken out for the first five minutes before settling to hunting style. She follows on as well as any bird I have ever had but shouts if I get out of site and stops as soon as she can see me again. Still a bit footy when there is food on the glove and you need to take care here as I don't fly with any jesses at al just bracelets. She is now flying and hunting at around 2-6 / 7 when I remember to weigh her (sorry don't as I do do as I tell you!) I will be off on my travels in about 14 days and can't decide wether to free loft her and moult out the damaged primaries or let no son keep her going till I get back plus and minuses on both side, but I'll let you know as I will be keeping on the forum while I'm in Dubai. Any breeding problems I'll try to help as for my sins that's what they made me a moderator for!

[Harri1210]

My lovey bird (ex Gentle) is better but not stopped. When I weas in Hospital I arranged for food to be thrown to her as I didn't want her messed about by anybody else. Big mistake, she was to clever for that and now shouts at anyone with a yellow bucket so learn from this one. As of now she shouts when she is picked up and for about the first 5 minutes when boxed in my van. Every time you stop and open the van door she starts again (clever bird this one she thinks she is coming out) When taken out for the first five minutes before settling to hunting style. She follows on as well as any bird I have ever had but shouts if I get out of site and stops as soon as she can see me again. Still a bit footy when there is food on the glove and you need to take care here as I don't fly with any jesses at al just bracelets. She is now flying and hunting at around 2-6 / 7 when I remember to weigh her (sorry don't as I do do as I tell you!) I will be off on my travels in about 14 days and can't decide wether to free loft her and moult out the damaged primaries or let no son keep her going till I get back plus and minuses on both side, but I'll let you know as I will be keeping on the forum while I'm in Dubai. Any breeding problems I'll try to help as for my sins that's what they made me a moderator for!

hi griff,
have fun in dubai ( you lucky so & so ) do'nt need a apprentice do you?
atb mike.

ps birds doing great :supz::supz: