jobbyjob
Junior Member
It's sad to be lonely in a crowd.
Posts: 173
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Post by jobbyjob on Dec 2, 2005 19:33:09 GMT -5
TY wease. I cant tell you guys how horrible my flight was today. I was coming back from school and thought i could fit in a good flight or two on starlings. So of course I tramped down the path and Niko took a couple of insects but came right back to the fist. All of the sudden this huge wind comes from the beach...quite common really......and off goes my girl. She bolts for this flock of starlings and I'm so happy until I realize she is being followed by another female kestrel. This beeotch follows my girl until she stops to hover over the bird she wants...then BAM! She grabs Niko by the back, (Nikos been hovering the whole time) and I start running accross the marsh in my pinstriped slacks(of course what an idiot) slam into a pond and keep going. I finally get to my girl and finally she lands on a huge power line. This wild kestrel is going nuts! She keeps attacking Niko and grabbing on to her. At last I make my fat ass way across the marsh and my girl is miraculusly(thats spelled wrong) still alive. So I get myself together and call her to me. Guess what happens in the 90ft between us....I juvi peregrine goes after her from at least 100 ft. But after all my screaming and swimming I got my girl back and gave that peregrine an FU(with my fingers of course.) Man it's tough finding a good place to fly a kestrel.
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Post by Redkestrel88 on Dec 3, 2005 22:25:43 GMT -5
My last female did that and even after i fed her up if i left the room and came back she would chew me out. anyway about my male diablo, seems to be doing fine without the lure. he comes instantly to the fist and even when i dont have food yet or the fist up he comes and lands on my head or my shoulder. he also flies up into the tree in my front yard takes and look around and glances down at me like WHERE'S THE BEEF? he is coming along. early on his first free flight he wasn't even paying attention at the right weight. i figured he was intimidated by the new surroundings but a few flights in the field and he seems to be a pro at this game. i might try the smaller lure thing if i see need for one in the field but most of his choosen tehnique is perch hopping so he seems to stick in an area. My all you little longwingers have a successful season.
Rob
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Post by ritchiera on Dec 11, 2005 1:12:05 GMT -5
I went over to the Sponsor's house to work with a baggie sparrow today. My Kestrel was 3 grams higher today at 97g. We served up a sparrow with a short piece of stick tied to it's foot. Betty took off like a shot after the sparrow, flying about waist height. The sparrow had about 20 yards to make it to a bush/chainlink fence. Betty had twice the distance. She nailed the sparrow as it shot thru the fence/bush and I had to help her get the sparrow back thru the fence while she was holding it in her foot.
She got so excited trying to kill it that she clamped me as I was working with her. I let her kill the sparrow on the snow.
I have always picked her up with the lure and let her eat off my glove. She sat there on the snow for a second and flew up onto my glove with the sparrow.
I don't mind if she learns to carry the sparrows back to the fist... All in all she did a great job today and I can't wait till Monday. We,re going to release a unhampered sparrow in a wide open field.
It's not squirrel hawking, but it's a lot of fun.
Bob Ritchie
Orem, UT
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Post by Weasel on Dec 12, 2005 9:47:55 GMT -5
Sweeeeeet! I have been thinking about doing this myself with a kes maybe next season.
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Post by ritchiera on Dec 12, 2005 21:43:04 GMT -5
Kestrel story: The last baggie for this bird.
Today we took Betty out to a place west of my town called Eagle Mountain. We found a wide open field and served a sparrow with a 3" twig tied to it's leg. It shot out and flew 50 yards to the east. Betty was off in a flash after it. The sparrow heard the bells as she approached (It seemed) and turned right 90 degrees. My Kestrel closed the gap on each turn and kept closing. The sparrow took another 90 degree turn right and headed straight at me from accross the field. Each time the sparrow turned my kestrel shortened the angle and closed the gap. Betty gained some altitude and the sparrow made the mistake of turning up.
Betty plucked the sparrow out of the air in an upward swoop and came to the ground. It was so awsome. I can't believe how fast these little birds can fly.
I picked up Betty after she took the back of the sparrow's head off (her preferred method of dispatching sparrows). Next we go aftere unhampered sparrows in a large lot down the street from my place. She's ready and hasn't tried to carry yet.
Bob
Orem, UT
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Post by Weasel on Dec 20, 2005 9:12:46 GMT -5
Awesome!!! Keep us informed as I would love to fly a kes some day.
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jobbyjob
Junior Member
It's sad to be lonely in a crowd.
Posts: 173
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Post by jobbyjob on Dec 20, 2005 15:10:49 GMT -5
Sounds like youre having a blast Bob! Good luck with the first wild bird!
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