Phoenix (nickname Finn the Shin)

[kimmerar]

Thanks!

Any new updates Wes?

[wesleyc6]

Any new updates Wes?

Hey Kim. He is doing good. He broke two tail feathers on my carpet . His behavior went through a little undesirable spell but is good again now. Killed a sparrow yesterday out the window at Walmart. Just car hawking at this point still.

[kimmerar]

Hey Kim. He is doing good. He broke two tail feathers on my carpet . His behavior went through a little undesirable spell but is good again now. Killed a sparrow yesterday out the window at Walmart. Just car hawking at this point still.

Thanks for the update. Congrats on the kill. It builds self esteem and agility. Keep up the good work.

[wesleyc6]

Just an update from the computer where I can type a little. Finn is doing well. He does some things that are really aggravating at times, but then other times he is perfect (well not perfect, but quite pleasurable). The first thing I noticed was he got grabby on his table perch. That came from my wife feeding him on that in the mornings. Once we changed that it quickly diminished. I now show him my hands well and then pick him up and he is fine. One of the other things he does is grab meat on the lure, then just clutch it and fuzz up and food beg. He sometimes will hold it for 20 minutes. He sometimes grabs his jess and does the same thing like he has food. You can offer him food during these times if you want, but he won't take it and I figure if he did, it would be a reward for that behavior. His glove response is pretty crazy. On slips, he won't stop until the bird is dead or disappears. Two days ago I slipped him and lost him in a parking lot. After 10 minutes of looking I walked back to the truck the sparrow went under and looked and no Finn. I whistled and down he hopped from inside the truck carriage somewhere. I bet the sparrow was still in there sayin, "I am a muffler, I am a muffler". His behavior in the car is as close to perfect as you can ask for. I try not to recall to food because it makes him grippy again on the glove and takes him a bit to settle back out. Yesterday riding he gave his alarm call. I couldn't figure out why. Today he did it in the house and again I don't know why. He also did it outside weathering. I think maybe it was the dogs. So there is a more complete update on what I am seeing. No birds in the field really in GA yet and rattlesnakes are pretty nasty right now too. I hate carhawking in small towns because it is thin compared to a big city. I have carhawked a lot in my life and always found that the big city is the best for carhawking.

[jeffandheidi]

Hey Wes, thanks for the update.

Spaz did the same thing with gripping a jess and thinking it was food. I hope it stops fr you guys soon.

Good luck with him!

[wesleyc6]

Thanks Jeff! Today Finn caught first starling he has ever seen and I was surprised how easily he handled it.

[jeffandheidi]

Congrats Wes! Thank you for the update picture

[HGlider]

I felt that the sharpies, I had, probably seemed to have the highest success ration of any hawk. Just my opinion.

[wesleyc6]

I felt that the sharpies, I had, probably seemed to have the highest success ration of any hawk. Just my opinion.

I am just starting on the hunting, but so far I would have to agree. He didn't naturally go out the window as easily as some other birds, but once he did, he makes catching birds seem pretty easy. I also don't carhawk him by "driving" by, usually I am barely moving or not moving at all, just using the car like a blind. He doesn't need a head start. LOL. Sparrows in the open, must find cover or they are overwhelmed easily. He did take a long flight on a very fast kind of bird yesterday and I got to see more of the longer top end speed and he is pretty fast. However it is the short congested slips where I see the crazy stuff they can do and how quickly they do it.

Yesterday on the starling, I was at an industrial park. I saw the starlings spilling off the power line into a freshly cut grass field. As I rolled up a quail came running out and Finn wanted it, but I was able to show him the starlings that were still in the grass and out he went, and the starling evaded him as he took his shot, he quickly (less than half a second to miss, and take off again) gathered himself and flew the airborne starling down in just a few feet. Having seen a many a starling/kestrel fight, I was really impressed with how easily the sharpie controlled the starling with those ridiculously thin toes he has.

I sure hope my season continues to be blessed with bird safety and success. If so, it will be a fun season. Won't be long till the field birds start showing up in numbers and the rattlesnakes find a hole I hope. Carhawking in small towns is really tough for finding slips.

[BestBeagler]

I am just starting on the hunting, but so far I would have to agree. He didn't naturally go out the window as easily as some other birds, but once he did, he makes catching birds seem pretty easy. I also don't carhawk him by "driving" by, usually I am barely moving or not moving at all, just using the car like a blind. He doesn't need a head start. LOL. Sparrows in the open, must find cover or they are overwhelmed easily. He did take a long flight on a very fast kind of bird yesterday and I got to see more of the longer top end speed and he is pretty fast. However it is the short congested slips where I see the crazy stuff they can do and how quickly they do it.

Yesterday on the starling, I was at an industrial park. I saw the starlings spilling off the power line into a freshly cut grass field. As I rolled up a quail came running out and Finn wanted it, but I was able to show him the starlings that were still in the grass and out he went, and the starling evaded him as he took his shot, he quickly (less than half a second to miss, and take off again) gathered himself and flew the airborne starling down in just a few feet. Having seen a many a starling/kestrel fight, I was really impressed with how easily the sharpie controlled the starling with those ridiculously thin toes he has.

I sure hope my season continues to be blessed with bird safety and success. If so, it will be a fun season. Won't be long till the field birds start showing up in numbers and the rattlesnakes find a hole I hope. Carhawking in small towns is really tough for finding slips.

Wes, what's he flying at now?

[wesleyc6]

Wes, what's he flying at now?

90 g yesterday.

[mainefalconer]

90 g yesterday.

It's amazing to hear what weights you guys are flying these little males at. There's quite a difference between the sexes. I'm flying my female daily at weights between 175 and 180 right now.

[wesleyc6]

It's amazing to hear what weights you guys are flying these little males at. There's quite a difference between the sexes. I'm flying my female daily at weights between 175 and 180 right now.

They almost don't even look like the same species do they. Someone posted a good pic of a female recently and the legs are ENORMOUS compared to Finn's. I asked on another thread if anyone remembered reading in the Imprint Accipiter that McD stated all the successful muskets he had seen were around 84g. I don't have a copy of the book, but read it many years ago and that is what I remember, but I could be wrong. I would be deeply indebted if anyone would confirm or refute that number for me.


Took Finn out this evening after church. He didn't fly the first two slips hard at all. Not really sure why at all. The next slip however he flew super hard and even though the bird was already on the wing, Finn flew him down easily, and the bird flew through an old utility type trailer and Finn was on him, but it went around an arm on the trailer and then shot up in a super thick tree and Finn went in the tree behind it and then the screaming started. I parked the car and walked over to the tree and just as I got under them, the bird tore loose. I let Finn extricate himself while I walked to the car and then called him back to the car. We went around the building again and there were sparrows outside and Finn left the window from 40-50 yds and they evaded him at the last second by flying under a shed apparently. Darkness got us at that point. So even though he caught one and had it for 30 seconds or more we went home empty handed. I did a little OC game with him and he is on his perch with a big ol' crop looking a little sleepy already

[wesleyc6]

Mc D states most start at 90 but soon find themselves at 87g. He tones on to say there is apparently very little variation of size in the males.

[FredFogg]

Mc D states most start at 90 but soon find themselves at 87g. He tones on to say there is apparently very little variation of size in the males.

I flew a rehab male and his weight was best at 89g.

[mainefalconer]

I just think the difference in size is amazing. Mine killed again this morning at 178, and it's just hard to imagine a little musket at HALF that weight. As I said to Kim earlier today, just imagine how big a female goshawk would be if she was TWICE the size of a typical male!!

[skooky20]

As I said to Kim earlier today, just imagine how big a female goshawk would be if she was TWICE the size of a typical male!!

that would be awesome to see lol

[FredFogg]

just imagine how big a female goshawk would be if she was TWICE the size of a typical male!!

I have seen that in a few falconer pairs!

[wesleyc6]

I just think the difference in size is amazing. Mine killed again this morning at 178, and it's just hard to imagine a little musket at HALF that weight. As I said to Kim earlier today, just imagine how big a female goshawk would be if she was TWICE the size of a typical male!!

What is crazy is that you have a sub 200 g falconry bird and it is still a giant lol

[Bryant Tarr]

What is crazy is that you have a sub 200 g falconry bird and it is still a giant lol

[wesleyc6]

A recent pic

[wesleyc6]

Finn is probably done for the season. I parked in the back of a parking lot and slipped him on some sparrows. The pursuit was fast, furious and long and just as Finn turned for the bind and car backed out and ran over him. I thought he was dead, but I picked him up and laid him in his hawk box. A few minutes later he was standing and now he is on his perch, but I am pretty sure he is now blind on one side and I think probably some more neuro damage. I think his head was just under the edge of the tire and it squirted it out basically instead of just killing him. I will let you know if there is any change. Sad day around the house and my son could hardly talk yesterday.

[Breeze]

Oh Wes! I'm SO SORRY to hear this! My heart goes out to you and your son. Here's hoping Finn pulls through and gets better. Just too sad. Our birds are all so fierce and yet so fragile.

[PeteJ]

Sorry to hear Wes.

[Robert Carter]

sorry buddy
Robert Carter

[rocgwp]

That stinks! Sorry man...

[skooky20]

wow that sucks

[Red-tail]

Aww so sorry

[wesleyc6]

Thank you all very much!

[hcmcelroy]

Wes,

Sad to hear. These hawks are prone to all sorts of maladies.

Harry.

[jeffandheidi]

Wes, I'm so sorry to hear about what happened. There isn't anything anyone can say to ease your pain, but please know you aren't alone in this.

[tfalconer]

Sorry to hear that Wes.

[Takasho]

Well damn. Don't know what else to say.

[JeffNH]

Sorry to hear Wes.

[wesleyc6]

Thanks everyone so much. He has improved some. I still don't think he will make it back to a falconry bird, but I do think he will make it. Hard to see the little guy not just full of fire and fury.