The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: redtail on December 29, 2009, 03:11:44 pm
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Hi,
Just discovered the forum and spent some time looking at previous posts and marketing.
I have an interest in most living things but tend to major on smaller animals plus poultry, fancy pigeons and particularly birds of prey. I am a practicing falconer and have been since 1949 (one day I'l get it right). While my main interest is the flying of hunting birds and the teaching of others, I also keep bees, ferrets and poultry. I have recently obtained a small area of land where shortly I will be able to increase my poultry flock and add pigs. In my square peg in a round hole suburban garden I am fortunate to have very tolerant neighbour's, although my stock is generally quiet. I did have peacocks for a while but they went when I thought I might be pushing my luck.I used to keep a stud of lilac rex rabbits for show, fur and meat, but now rely on the resurgence of the wild rabbit and hare - hawks providing me with both.
A you might have guessed from the time spent with birds of prey, I am not in the first flush and, trying, not very successfully, to wind down but its difficult when there are so many interesting things to do.
Redtail
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Hi Redatil, welcome. I think once you start with animals it is hard to give them up. I started with a dog years ago and now have over 50 animals, all pets.
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Hi and welcome!
I start my beekeeping course at the end of January - am a little anxious about it. Love birds of prey - got a wee shot at Cntre Parcs years ago. What a thrill it was.
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Hello and welcome from me in South Lanarkshire ;D
I too have had a wee go at falconry and loved it. Would dearly love to get a bird of my own, but only when the kids are older and I can spend the time it needs on it.
Good luck with your plans for expansion, but be warned - pigs are really addictive ;D
Look forward to hearing more from you.
Karen
I've just had a nosey at your website, lovely photos of your birds ;D
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Hi, welcome from a snowing again fife.
Out of interest what birds of prey do you work? My uncle works Birds but i could not for the life of me remember the breeds. I started with two ferrets 3 years ago as pets, and now work a team of 6. They just seemed to multiply by magic ;D ;D
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Hello and WOW
I am a practicing falconer and have been since 1949
our eyes lit up when we read your post, we also know someone who is a falconer, not sure if he still is but my son in law used to supply him with rabbitts from his shooting expo's, we re very keen, well my OH was.....I love the idea more!!!! WHere are you????? sorry, being a bit selfish here.....welcom, really really look forward to some tales and piccies from you....and it's a bit lot icy and cold here in Clackmannan.
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Just took a look at your web site as I was so impressed, very nice!!
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Being beyond the age of understanding anything technical - I'm OK with most living things, I reply to all those who have made me welcome so far in one hit.
James: 50 - all pets. I try to treat pets and workers with the same consideration, although you don't get much love reciprocated from raptors.
Rosemary: Strikes me as a trifle early to start your beekeeping course- They are, or should be, still torpid at that time. However, a gently intro to a hive before they are fully awake may be a good thing.
Happy Hippy: Birds are prey are almost the most time consuming things I have ever kept (Roller Canaries bred for song are the MOST! The trouble is that like pigs, they are very additictive. I started in 1949 with a little Kestrel, quite the wrong bird, and my collection peaked at 24 birds being flown plus several breeding pairs. Glad you liked the website. It needs an update as some birds are dead now.
CameronS: Currently I am flying several Harris Hawks(I used to fly 6 together which was exciting until they all arrive at the glove/arm/shoulder at once) Red-tailed Hawks much loved hence my pen name, my one remaining Buzzard, aSakeret (male Saker falcon) a Luggerfalcon and a gyr falcon. I no longer have any Peregrines, my male, shown flying on my website, died aged 19 last year, although I am currently caring for a wild peregrine which has no wing feathers on one side - when he grows new ones he will go out into the wild world. Ferrets - I wrote a book on ferrets 30 years ago. Just have a few now - still love em to bits. Don't breed them any more just replace them with some from my original stock when I need some.
Sandy: Pictures and stories Hmm - might be a bit blood and guts although to be honest, whenever one of my birds, feerets or dogs catches something I almost never have a camera - don't want to offend anyone although smallholders should be aware of the facts of hunting life. I carry out pest control on medium size estate with dogs, ferrets and mostly hawks. Just lately my Saluki is thinning the rabbit population at quite a rate.
I think thats all questions answered except I am in the South of England - sunny (well very wet actually) Woking in Surrey. A high proportion of my suburban neighbours think I am completely bonkers although one makes his own vodka and we make sloe and damson gin together. Next year we are going to have a crack at cider.
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Rosemary: Strikes me as a trifle early to start your beekeeping course- They are, or should be, still torpid at that time. However, a gently intro to a hive before they are fully awake may be a good thing.
My course isn't scheduled until March/April for that reason
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My course isn't scheduled until March/April for that reason
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They will be awake then - Oh Yes! I hope you enjoy the course - we need beekeepers. Until recently it seemed that most were old codgers like me but young people are taking on bees. Many keepers are losing stocks each winter and giving up so new people are vital. There is nothing like your own honey on new bread with lashings of butter
Have you heard that when a beekeeper dies you must tell him bees or they too will die. Nonsense bees are (a) deaf, and (b) Italian.
Nice story though.
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Hi and welcome from Angus. I have been looking into bees too. So much to do, so little time.
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Hello Redtail, and welcome. From a currently rainy, but previously very icy and snowy Derbyshire!
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Hello Little Blue thanks for your welcome. Surrey is wet and cold tonight after a wet but mild day. Only activity for me today was to walk my dogs. The saluki hates rain and tries to walk between my legs while the JR swims in every pond and runs through every puddle. I'm not too enthusiastic about rain - or snow. Looking forward to some dry days.
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Got a german sheherd abit like that, she loves the shower, taps, puddles and snow... but if she has to go out in the rain she is very reluctant to wee and much prefers to do it in the house! (dirty girl!)
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Little Blue
Had that for the first two years. The 'thin thing', as she is known, sleeps in the conservatory with a flap access to outside - she seemed unable to recognise the difference between stone tines and concrete slabs, but she grew out of it. She has access to outside to deal with foxes. She can't get to them in time as the garden fences are a quick escape route but she drives them off.
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Hi Redtail
I'm also new to the site but thought I would come and say 'hello' to a fellow falconer!
Kirsten
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Hi Kirsten
Sorry, I missed your post yesterday.
There was a time when virtually every falconer knew every other falconer - then along came captive breeding and the Harris Hawk
Where are you and what do you fly?
I am off out within the hour. On today's menu is Gyrkin and Sakeret followed by two Harris Hawks. Was going to one HH but a lad I taught two years ago is bringing his great lump of a female.
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Re beekeeping I think we start with theory, then go outside in the spring.
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Re beekeeping I think we start with theory, then go outside in the spring.
Sounds like you in for a lot of theory - My bees would probably benefit from a revision course but when I tilt my head all the new stuff runs out. Although I spent 9 years teaching animals sciences the work did not involve bees.
The county beekeeper kept a few stocks on campus but when the Principles wife was stung they were removed. My bees are on campus now but well hidden in a grove of poplar trees. With a huge choice of of trees I don't know what their main source of nectar was but the honey is thick enough to stay on a spoon, has a wonderful nose but has not crystallised.
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Re beekeeping I think we start with theory, then go outside in the spring.
Sounds like you in for a lot of theory - My bees would probably benefit from a revision course but when I tilt my head all the new stuff runs out. Although I spent 9 years teaching animals sciences the work did not involve bees.
The county beekeeper kept a few stocks on campus but when the Principles wife was stung they were removed. My bees are on campus now but well hidden in a grove of poplar trees. With a huge choice of of trees I don't know what their main source of nectar was but the honey is thick enough to stay on a spoon, has a wonderful nose but has not crystallised.
I am up in Scotland. We have a centre in Fife and another near Crieff. We fly quite a lot of different birds because it is a full time job for my husband and I and a couple of employees. HH's of course and we were actually out for a pleasant afternoon today with some friends flying up in the Angus Glens. When I say pleasant, I mean in a very snowy sort f way! How was your afternoon?
Kirsten
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I am up in Scotland. We have a centre in Fife and another near Crieff. We fly quite a lot of different birds because it is a full time job for my husband and I and a couple of employees. HH's of course and we were actually out for a pleasant afternoon today with some friends flying up in the Angus Glens. When I say pleasant, I mean in a very snowy sort f way! How was your afternoon?
Kirsten
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I was out all day yesterday. Hard frost with deeply rutted tracks frozen solid making walking difficult. The only quarry seen was a cock pheasant which outflew my male Harris. In spite of beating for a very switched on female we drew blank after blank.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and I walked too far so last night and most of today I have paid the price. Maybe OK tomorrow in which case I will give my old Redtail a chance to pretend he's a Gos. I have flown Peregrines in your part of the world but the hills defeat me now.
The only pere I have now is wild tiercel found with all his primaries cut off on one wing last June. He has only part moulted from red hawk but no new feathers have developed on that wing. Against my original judgement I have manned him to stop him bashing himself to bits and he has lovely manners. I am going to give him another moult before deciding his future. He has the biggest eyes of any peregrine I have ever seen and wonderful feet a real beauty - such a shame! He bathed this afternoon but did not dry so at dusk I brought him in and at 11pm he is now beside me in my study sound asleep - Bless!
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Guys, I think for us non-falconers you may have to explain some of the technical language.
found with all his primaries cut off on one wing last June
Presumably this means feathers? Sounds dreadful!
I have manned him to stop him bashing himself to bits
Completely foxed on this.
He has only part moulted from red hawk
???
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Oops-Sorry One tends to speak write in the gibberish of falconry language.
Primaries - those are the main wing feathers without which the bird is flightless. When he arrived I thought they had plucked by another predator -possible a Goshawks> Goshawks and Sparrowhawks pluck the wing feathers from their victims to stop them escaping - they don't expect their food to be dead -just to keep still! Closer examination showed they had been cut off very close to the skin - this must have been a deliberate human act. Strong suspect - local pigeon fanciers most hate peregrines.
Manned - manning: Getting the bird used to being close to people, feeding on the glove, sitting still - relaxed while strange things are going o around it. For wild birds - everything we do is strange and threatening and puts them under severe stress. The falcon is trained to respond to people, food is the key. You may note I don't use the word tame - birds of prey, specially wild ones are never tame. Put their weight up with lots of food and the moment you open your fingers and release the leather straps (jesses) which restrain it the bird is gone.
Red Hawk: A peregrine in its first year. It changes to a blue hawk over the spring and summer of its second year of life by moulting. Often many small feathers on the shoulders are not changed in the first, and even second, moult. These give a guide to age. In captivity a bird which has had a moult is called 'intermewed' Two moults = twice intermewed Three = thrice etc etc.
A bird hand-reared or taken from the nest is an eyass and is always eg: thrice intermewed eyass. A bird in its first year, reared by its parents and flying when taken is known as a passage bird. If it is fully mature when taken it is haggard. Species which change colour in the first moult are easier to age and some - Redtailed Hawks for example can be aged up to four years by their eye colour which goes from golden brown to dark brown over that time. After four they are nearly impossible to age.
A few days ago I was asked to view a buzzard which a friend wanted to buy. It was being sold as four year old. I looked at what, on first impression was a nice bird but - thin beak almost no depth or thickness to the upper beak, nostrils(cere) had been badly damaged, wing feather broken tips, legs very scaly, but the closed ring was dated 1995. Vendor swore the bird was four but had been rung with an old ring in the absence of properly dated rings (are put on when the bird is 10 days old) Yeah! Pull this one! No sale - No-one uses a 10 year old ring on a bird unless they are trying to decieve.
Gosh- Thats a long answer - the lecturer comes out at the slightest provocation.
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Gosh- Thats a long answer - the lecturer comes out at the slightest provocation.
But soooo interesting - feel free to lecture us again any time. I will feel slightly more knowledgeable when I visit my puppy and his new owners in a few weeks time. I once wrote a three part article on the Brittany for the Falconry Magazine, I'll bet it raised a lot of laughs in falconry circles. ::) Thought I knew a wee bit about the sport then - in my naivety! :-[ :-[ I do know about my breed though and it's popularity with austringers. ;D
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I once wrote a three part article on the Brittany for the Falconry Magazine, I'll bet it raised a lot of laughs in falconry circles. ::) Thought I knew a wee bit about the sport then - in my naivety! :-[ :-[ I do know about my breed though and it's popularity with austringers. ;D
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Yes Brittany Spaniels are popular with Austringers, as are Wire-hairedGP's. I was more of an Austringer than a falconer for many years and used working cockers -my father bred them and my first personal dog was golden bitch when I was 11, named 'Raq' after Romany's dog.
A few years ago I struggled to decide between a Brittany and a clumber. They both lost out to the most wonderful kind and gentle dog I ever had - A Weimaraner - she has been gone 6 years now and I miss her greatly
Perhaps we should explain Austringer- One who flies the short-winged true hawks - of which we have two in the UK Sparrowhawk and Goshawk. The others are grouped as 'Longwings' the falcons, and 'Broadwings' the buzzards, including Red-tailed Hawks which are really buzzards and Harris Hawks. The Americans call vultures - buzzards and buzzards- hawks.
I used to specialise in flying the tiny male (musket) sparrowhawk and in weather such as we have tonight (snow is falling hard) a musket low in weight can easily die overnight. If I had one now he would be here in my study warm and well fed. As it is I have my little wild peregrine and two sleepy dogs keeping me company.
Perhaps when you visit your puppy you can impress with the following (bit rude this but) How can you tell the difference between Falcons and Hawks?..... Longwings defaecate straight underneath themselves while short and broadwings defaecate a distance away, bending slightly forward, lowering their under belly feathers and squirting the droppings, sometimes several feet. To differentiate we crude falconers say "Longwings s**t short and Shortwings s**t long"
This remark I use as a closing line when giving talks to WI groups, Townswomens Guilds and the like - Well...... it makes me laugh!
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Does the name Steve Wright mean anything to you? He is a good friend of mine and on our Club Committee - his dogs, and birds, are named after Shakespeare characters - Havoc, Trouble, Hassel, Pip
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Does the name Steve Wright mean anything to you? He is a good friend of mine and on our Club Committee - his dogs, and birds, are named after Shakespeare characters - Havoc, Trouble, Hassel, Pip
I know of but have never met a Steve Wright who runs a centre in Warwickshire I vaguely recall he was/is interested in Brittany's. Likely its the same one
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Yup, breeds them, used to have two or three falconry centres I think - Hearts of Oak maybe? He's never at our AGM in February in the Midlands - always taking clients out up here in Scotland instead!
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Yup, breeds them, used to have two or three falconry centres I think - Hearts of Oak maybe? He's never at our AGM in February in the Midlands - always taking clients out up here in Scotland instead!
Yes I knew of Hearts of Oak. Sounds like a very busy man. So many centres are struggling now - mainly because there are so many.
I aspired to a centre forty years ago but could not afford the land at Surrey prices - which is probably why there are no falconry centres in Surrey even now. I expanded the teaching and just do enough to keep me amused now
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His stock is based on my lines - he used my stud dog way back in the late 80s