Lost Hawk seen at Stephen Foster State Park

All,

I recieved a call from the park manager as Stephen Foster State Park in Hamilton County, FL. She told me that there is a bird with jesses that has been hanging around the park for 3 days or so (today is 9/11/13). She thought that it looked like a juvenile red-tail. She said that it acted very tame and they were able to get within 5 feet of it on the ground, but were not able to catch it. She also said that she later saw it unsuccessfully try to catch an oak snake crossing the road. He seems to be camping out for now. I'm going to try with a B/C tomorrow if I can secure some bait tonight.

The park staff were able to take pictures, I'll post them if I can get them. Is anybody missing a young RTH? Maybe a Georgia bird??


-Anni Mitchell

Don't forget to just try calling the bird to the fist or to a lure first! You might not need to use the BC. This time of the year, I can see it being a passage red-tail that someone lost, it happens. Good luck!

Thanks for the advice Fred. I thought about that too especially since he was reported as being pretty tame. It doesn't hurt to try. Time to dust off that lure! I'll keep you all posted if we manage to bring him in.

Trapping season hasn't started in Florida yet!May be scared to come claim it.

a wayward falconry raptor may retreived/trapped at any time.

Here is a picture of him taken by one of the park volunteers. Handsome devil! Maybe he was somebody's eyas. No news yet.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...9cat/image.jpg

that is cool looking bird. good luck.

It seems that the bird has flown the coop. No sign of him. He was seen eating a squirrel though, so it seems that he is getting on well. The wildlife dispatch and the state parks folks will call me if they get other calls about him. Oh well, nice bird. It would have been nice to at least get his equipment off.

He was spotted again hanging out all day at Big Shoals Public Lands just south of Stephen Foster. I'm going to try for him in the morning. Still no takers?

Best of luck, Anni! I hope you can retrieve him!

Bird in hand! Whew! He smells like skunk! He came to the glove, snatched the meat and took off. Then I tried the lure. He came right to it and refused to let it go. Got one leg and then two... and he was mine! He has traditional jesses on. :(. If no one claims this bad boy I might just hang on to him.

GOOD JOB, Anni! I love it! peacee You deserve him - dealing with a skunked bird - indicates a strong desire to get that boy! :eek: :D

way to go

What are the stats? Weight? Male, female? I would think that the traditional jesses may mean it was a released or escaped bird from a non permitted individual. Have fun with him. i would think of him as a possible hacked eyass. Congrats for your persistance.

Explain to me your reasoning behind aquainting traditional jesses to a "non permitted individual".

Very few falconers fly with or even use tradional jesses these days. in some states traditional jesses are not permitted or even recommended, especially with large swivel sized jess slits. I dont know if this bird had large jess slites. And there are still cases where birds are illegally taken, or found as eyasses and raised by well meaning humans.

He did have large swivel slits in his jesses. I also think he was an eyas. I don't think he was intentionally hacked, at least hopfully not, not with those jesses.

We weighed him last night and with his equipment and after a meal of beef heart during the recapture he was 44.3oz. After casting up a bunch of bugs he was 41oz this morning. So, I'm thinking larger male instead of small female... To me he looks male, he has that short stocky build, but real big feet...bigger than my last male. I'm going to take a wing chord to try to narrow it down. Opinions anyone?

Have any pics of him?

We all love pictures! :D

Ask and ye shall recieve. I took these just after he had a meal on the glove, then roused and stretched and tucked up his foot. Interesting fellow.


http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps55de2b04.jpg


http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...psc8e9d234.jpg


This one was just as the dog walked by.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps4e93d715.jpg

Thanks for sharing photos with us, Anni! He's a downright handsome young man! "Slight" change in body language when dog went by. :D

What has to transpire, before you know you can keep him for sure? confusedd Is there a set waiting period, or specific steps, that you have to take before he can be placed on your permit/license?

good on you Anni, obviously he is in better hands.

Thanks for all the support everyone! It's heartening for sure. It's been a few seasons now since I have had a hawk and I feel like a falconer again for the first time in several years. It's nice. :)

Deb- I'm not sure about a process. But since he is not somebody's Harris or Barbary that they paid big money for, I'm not too worked up about it. I figure if someone on here claims him and they want him back then we'll talk. Who knows where he came from...could be another state... there are only a few of us in this part of Florida and he's not from any of them. He also didn't have any identifying markers on him and it's always possible that his falconer has moved on to another bird. Then again, Kitty could be right and be could be the product of a well meaning non-permitted individual. Who knows?

Aside from all that, I am pretty confident that he has to be on my permit in 10 days from capture, so I'm going to put him on there to keep everything nice and legal. I don't have a bird now so it doesn't really hurt me anyway. Of course, the longer he stays and the more that I mess with him the more attached I get ;).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Flatwoods Falconer

I figure if someone on here claims him and they want him back then we'll talk. Who knows where he came from...could be another state... there are only a few of us in this part of Florida and he's not from any of them. He also didn't have any identifying markers on him and it's always possible that his falconer has moved on to another bird. Then again, Kitty could be right and be could be the product of a well meaning non-permitted individual. Who knows?

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My bet is a non licensed individual. Just about everything points to that in my opinion....

Good for you, Anni! I'm thrilled that the two of you will become a team. :D