Month: September 2020

Individuals in Japan, the UK and the US have all gotten copies of the book. I look forward to any questions or discussion. IngramSpark is also publishing the book. It is possible than some non-USA readers can purchase it more easily through them. The clickable side link takes you to the Aerio store for IngramSpark.

Send a comment, if for some reason neither of these methods works. We should be able to arrange other options.

I’m going to stop free-flying Orville for a few weeks because now is the height of migration season. Even with this “vacation,” he will be kept in the mews less than most falconry birds. The fish have also slowed some. I will work with him on glove carrying, hawk boxing, and hooding.

I’ve been experimenting a lot. At weights around 1400-1440 grams, he is slow to return to small tidbits but immediately comes to large ones. He seems less eager in hunting. At 1300-1350 grams, he is reliable to the glove for about five small tidbits and also eager to hunt. He flies vigorously at all these weights.

He dives on every outing but has still only caught three fish at his home ponds. He has a much better success rate at another more heavily stocked pond.

I am very pleased with the ease of use and performance of the tail mount transmitter.

Fall is in the air and the fish are harder to find. The bream are not on their beds in shallow water, and they are more slow in coming to food.

I’m planning a long trip to a better-stocked pond, but it’s time to be concerned about migration. My last bird’s leaving surprised me, and I don’t want that to happen again. I am considering not flying this one for the fall.

This bird is the best I’ve had regarding response to tidbits. He sometimes will hold out for the larger ones, as he did today after a long tethered carry with several bates. I am trying hard to get this to work. I can move him to several ponds by tidbits and long walks with him untethered on my glove, but the bating is trouble.

He has never once been able to regain the glove. I either have to lift him back on (this one doesn’t peck me, at least). Or get him to fly back to me with a tidbit.

The tail mount telemetry is working great. It has withstood around twenty dives, and he doesn’t seem to notice it. I don’t leave it on him in the mews.

Orville, at 1350 grams, traveled in his hawk box for one and a half hours, flew well, made several dives, and caught his fourth fish.

The tail mount telemetry is working great as is the hawk box. Hooding was done twice, but it didn’t look pretty either time. He does behave once it is on.

The only flaw was carrying. It would have been avoidable if I had been less clumsy. He caught his fish and circled to his perch. He made a long flight and seemed to be considering other options. It was a new place, plus there was a running ATV with an unfamiliar person nearby. Despite all that, he returned to his perch and began eating.

He allowed me to approach and took the large tidbit I offered in his mouth. The plan was for him to use his foot to help eat this tidbit that was too big to swallow, thus he would partly release the fish so I could secure him.

In a surprise to me, he took off with a big chunk of fish in his mouth and both talons on the fish he just caught. He flew around a while and landed in the pasture a hundred yards away. He ate all the fish in about 15 minutes, looked around the ground for any he dropped, then flew straight to my glove garnished with a large tidbit.

He ate up on a perch in the strange-to-him yard. Transport and behavior on the way home was fine.

The book is now available at Amazon. The current price is in an attempt to help several people around the world have access.