Missouri Falconry Photos!

[SoutheastHawker]

Here are some falconry photos from the past couple of years in southeast Missouri:

My red-tail moulting, summer 2009:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/IMG_0228.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/IMG_0220.jpg
Turkey Vultures, spring 2009:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/157.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/179.jpg
Cottontail taken in Feb. 2009:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/Charmbunny.jpg
Self-expanitory:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/rocknrollbird.jpg
One of my various Hawking areas:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/005.jpg
Me and my latest red-tail:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/397.jpg
Wild American Kestrel, 2008:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/178.jpg
Training the red-tail to go after fox squirrels:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/012.jpg
Sunset after a day of hawkin'
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/223.jpg
Hawking, 08-09 season:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/038.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/025.jpg

Enjoy!

Bridget

[samatney]

Nice lookin bird bridget....rtsqrl

[everetkhorton]

Bridge:
What is the wt. of your Rt. that you are hawking sqr. with? Thanks for posting the pictures.

[SoutheastHawker]

Oh..let's see..by the end of season she was flying around 1280g (45 oz) so she's a fairly big girl. Odd thing is she was trapped at 1050g (37 oz) so she actually gained a lot of weight and muscle!

[SoutheastHawker]

More pictures of my female Red-Tail molting!
Note the darker feathers in her chinstrap area, plus the tan-colored body feathers coming in around/below her crop:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/body.jpg
Beautiful tail! A few are still coming down that you can't see because they aren't past the feathers that cover the base of her tail feathers:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/tail.jpg
I don't know why my camera makes Charm's feet that yellow..they aren't THIS yellow..but they are nice and yellow. xD
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/feet.jpg
Enjoy!
Bridget
Question...when are immature Red-Tails specifically called adults? Is it just by the year, or is it when they grow in their red tail?
Thanks all!
P.S.-Oh, for those of you who heard about my Red-Tail's tongue, she's perfectly fine. Turned out to be from the fat she's getting for cottontail and natural chicken in her diet.

[rembrandt]

really very very good pix thanx alot and non stop postingclapp

[EricADugan]

Need to cope that beak before problems arise. Why did you let it get so bad?
Eric

[borderhawk]

Need to cope that beak before problems arise. Why did you let it get so bad?
Eric

Oh, that aint that bad. Gila looked like a Snail Kite by the time I had her coped a couple weeks ago. :eek:
It is gettin' there though, ya probably oughta' get that fixed.....

[SoutheastHawker]

I took Charm up to the sponsor's house over the weekend for a cope and a good look-over. He said that she is looking great and healthy, and he came to the conclusion that she did not need to have the sides of her beak coped. He told me that the current condition of her beak was normal for her, and that with the bone in her diet and the feaking she does, that the excess "see-though" parts will be lost naturally. He did snip the tip of her beak off with dog nail clippers and told me that it would be shaped back in no time and that he snips the tips off of all of his birds' beaks at the beginning of the molt. I learned a lot from him regarding coping. I never thought you could use dog nail clippers in such a way! http://s4.images.proboards.com/rolleyes.gif

Along with the good look-over and snip of the tip of Charm's beak, I got to see Bob's new gyrfalcon, as well as his goshawk and prairie. Beautiful birds. I'm excited to see him get that gyr up and running!

Oh, and feather update!
She's lost all of her tail feathers. All have come in completely except for 4 that are midway down.
6 Primaries left to drop,
and 8 Secondaries left to drop...
plus minor feathers.

I'm excited. Can't wait to see what this season is gonna produce!

Bridget

[SoutheastHawker]

Pictures from today, Charm sunbathing in the late morning. :)
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/IMG_0635.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/FalconryGirl/IMG_0628.jpg
Enjoy!
Bridget
Now to get back to my mowing...fun fun