The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

MiLisCer wrote:

christel wrote:Elvis, what a lovely name for a bird :)

They can be quite temperamental from memory. Am I right?

No! they are very simple creatures - they just need to be kept at the right flying weight and they need to be flown every day, regardless of what else you are doing, they need flying. They are not not garden ornaments and if you don't have the time to fly them everyday then you should get a goldfish - sorry rant over

Mike

Thinking about it, it was at a zoo I worked at and they were temperamental but they were not being flown and then who would not be cranky about life. They did have huge enclosures and no I cannot remember what sort of birds they were. Big :)

ovenpaa wrote:It was at the The English School of Falconry and Bird of Prey and Conservation Centre at Shuttleworth

christel wrote:Thinking about it, it was at a zoo I worked at and they were temperamental but they were not being flown and then who would not be cranky about life. They did have huge enclosures and no I cannot remember what sort of birds they were. Big :)

Birds, like dogs, need to exhibit natural behaviours - they need to fly and hunt

Mike

I love the look in Nippers eye.

These type of birds are some of the most beautiful creatures on our planet.

Bnz and I did a day at a local centre. Did the basics of making a jessie, talk about feeding and flying weight. Then we got a chance to have a hawk fly to our glove then to actually fly one ourselves. I have some pictures I could post later.

The guy stressed the point about the commitment needed to own a hawk. He didn't even go on holiday as the birds needed him around every day.

By the way, you are only a stones throw away from where Bnz was born, Hanley.

I saw my first Musvåge (Pronounced Musvo) Which is the same as our UK Buzzard however over here they display an unusual behaviour in that they walk the stubble fields looking for mice and other small rodents they look like old men stooped over slightly hands behind their backs searching and will do this just feet from the road. (the name Musvåge means 'Mouse Searcher')

ovenpaa wrote:I saw my first Musvåge (Pronounced Musvo) Which is the same as our UK Buzzard however over here they display an unusual behaviour in that they walk the stubble fields looking for mice and other small rodents they look like old men stooped over slightly hands behind their backs searching and will do this just feet from the road. (the name Musvåge means 'Mouse Searcher')

It is one and the same bird - Buteo buteo, Common Buzzard - they do the same over here in the UK - they are primarily looking for worms and beetles though, not mice!

Mike

When I said saw my first one I mean this year, they are a common sight here and I have always been told by my wife they were looking for mice! Shame on her...

Mike, have you seen this weeks Fieldsports Britain TV. Do you know that chap?

Mike357 wrote:Mike, have you seen this weeks Fieldsports Britain TV. Do you know that chap?

No, not seen it - off to find it.

Mike

Mike357 wrote:Mike, have you seen this weeks Fieldsports Britain TV. Do you know that chap?

First ugly mug on the front page was that of Roy Lupton - I guess you mean him!

I have only met him a couple of times, he was one of the founding members of the UK Eagle falconry group - as a result, it got him a seat on the Hawk Board (Governing body for falconry in the UK) - he only came to 2 meetings and then the group folded (Eagle falconers are a strange bunch!) - I also sit on the Hawk Board.

Roy is a good falconer and a nice guy, flies his eagles as they should be flown (At quarry) and breeds some cracking Goshawks

Mike

That's the chap, he seemed like a knowledgeable bloke and is into his fieldsports.