Female Steppe eagle (Aquila rapax nipalensis) [Archive] - North American Falconers Exchange-Falconry Forums

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Karl Leadley

05-20-2009, 06:21 PM

I have just received a female Steppe eagle from a good friend in the south of England. I intend to use her eventually as a state of the art incubator and foster rearer for Golden eagle youngsters at a later date. She has come to me after having proven that she wasn't to be trusted with her siblings (Trying to eat them due to Cainism), which is very unusual for a Steppe eagle.
Anyway if people are interested I'll keep a bit of a diary thread going......?

Dirthawking

05-20-2009, 08:14 PM

How about some pictures too?

photoo

krazieness_2

05-20-2009, 08:51 PM

yea,keep us updated, and yes we need pictures! <3

Tanner

05-21-2009, 11:17 AM

Karl, is that your Verreaux' in your avatar? What is that bird like and what do you hunt with it, hares I suppose? They are really neat looking. Sorry, off topic I know, just thought I'd try and sneak it in while it was on my mind.

Karl Leadley

05-21-2009, 11:40 AM

Its a male that was bred by Jemima Parry Jones at the International Bird of Prey Centre (Formerly the 'national bird of prey centre' in the UK. I had a small part in the retraining of him in the early part of this year. he is used as an educational/display bird rather than as a falconry hawk.
I have been fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity of hunting with a male this coming hawking season and intend to fly brown hare with him. They (Males) average around the 6.5lb mark when being flown and posses a quite amiable temprement and disposition.

Tanner

05-21-2009, 11:56 AM

Thanks. I look forward to reading about adventures with both your eagles.

Karl Leadley

05-25-2009, 06:55 PM

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/Accipitrine/DSCF0020.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/Accipitrine/DSCF0022.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/Accipitrine/DSCF0035.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/Accipitrine/DSCF0036.jpg

GONEHAWKN

05-25-2009, 08:53 PM

man would you look at that!!! SWEEEET!!! post some pics up as it feathers out some......

Tanner

05-26-2009, 10:03 AM

I was browsing old falconry peridicals last night to alleviate the off-season pain and I came across an article about a fellow in Scotland that flew a male Steppe. (Babbington or something similar, in the 1992 NAFA journal I think). Sounds like these have a terrific personality and are really gamey--his caught rabbits (bad year for hares) and chased grouse--both cases from a soar. Sounded like his was a natural for soar hunting/waiting-on as long as the wind was blowing. Anyway, I am definitely interested to watch this thread now. I hope you have good luck with this unique character.

Karl Leadley

05-27-2009, 06:04 PM

JESUS!!!!!!!!!!! Just had a major scare from a minor issue!!!!! She managed to ingest a tiny piece of conifer that I've been using as nest material. I left her for five minutes and came back to an eaglet wheezing and throwing her head around, checked the air way and gape, nothing obvious. After ages listening to her breathing she coughed up a thumb nail sized discharge of mucus with a tiny piece of the afore mentioned conifer. My ass has just stopped flapping.

Karl Leadley

05-27-2009, 07:00 PM

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/Accipitrine/DSCF0129.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/Accipitrine/DSCF0134.jpg

Karl Leadley

05-27-2009, 07:05 PM

She seams to be sprouting feathers by the hour at the moment. Some amount of time is now being spent standing and exercising her wings. Even at this stage she has a wing span of around two feet although they don't have a great deal of stability yet.

FredFogg

05-30-2009, 08:03 AM

Lord, look at those feet! Beautiful bird Karl! I am looking forward to this thread.

Pete Kent

01-21-2012, 02:45 PM

This is causing some reaction on another falconry forum at the moment, I hope the Steppe Eagle concerned is not the cracking looking youngster in this thread.

http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/local/wakefield-news/lifetime_ban_for_bird_of_prey_man_1_4153390

Keith Denman

01-21-2012, 02:59 PM

I have had the pleasure of handling and working with Steepe, Tawny, Batleur eagle and Bald and Africian fish eagles. They are awesome birds. I am trying to get a Golden eagle to hunt with now. Hopefully we can get the Golden added to our ability to breed birds here in the States.

Squirrelhawkin

01-21-2012, 03:06 PM

Keith Denman

01-21-2012, 03:36 PM

Read the article,just horrible
I just finished reading this article, it takes one bad person to make falconry look bad. This is a horrible thing but you know we just have to keep putting a positive face on our love of these birds so people see the reality of it all and not just the negitive.

Pete Kent

01-21-2012, 03:42 PM

Keith Denman

01-21-2012, 03:50 PM

What makes this incident worse is apparently Karl was on our 'Hawk Board' here in the UK, The Hawk Board is the organisation who represent falconers and stand up for us when the sport comes under attack or is threatened by proposed restrictions, law suits etc.. I can't think of anything worse which could bring our sport into disrepute. Sad for us and more sad for the birds he kept.
Extremely sad for all invovled and like you said especially the birds. Why or what would make him do something like that? Did something bad happen in his life to break his ability to focus and properly take care of the birds? This is a bad thing for you guys over there and everywhere else. I hope you can make people see that not everyone is like that.

Squirrelhawkin

01-21-2012, 03:54 PM

What makes this incident worse is apparently Karl was on our 'Hawk Board' here in the UK, The Hawk Board is the organisation who represent falconers and stand up for us when the sport comes under attack or is threatened by proposed restrictions, law suits etc.. I can't think of anything worse which could bring our sport into disrepute. Sad for us and more sad for the birds he kept.
Not defending what he did,but I wonder if something happened to him to cause him to neglect the birds? I know a few people that were stand up guys,they got hooked on pills and just turned into wastes of space. Sounds like he was on top of things for awhile then crashed.

Keith Denman

01-21-2012, 03:56 PM

Not defending what he did,but I wonder if something happened to him to cause him to neglect the birds? I know a few people that were stand up guys,they got hooked on pills and just turned into wastes of space. Sounds like he was on top of things for awhile then crashed.
Mybe he got divorced or someone really close died, still not an excuse for it though.

Pete Kent

01-21-2012, 03:58 PM

Extremely sad for all invovled and like you said especially the birds. Why or what would make him do something like that? Did something bad happen in his life to break his ability to focus and properly take care of the birds? This is a bad thing for you guys over there and everywhere else. I hope you can make people see that not everyone is like that.
Keith, I don't know much about Karl, never met him or heard of him before today but from what I've read he split with a woman (wife possibly?) who used to feed the birds for him, he then met another woman who would have nothing to do with them. The guessing is he suffered a mental breakdown of some sort but that is just guessing. The confusing part is apparently he made emotional comments regarding cruelty to another bird by another falconer, as in saying how bad it was and the bad things he wished upon that falconer. This I believe was said at the same time his birds were not being fed. I have'nt looked it up but the comments he made were made on this forum I read.

Pete Kent

01-21-2012, 04:03 PM

Keith Denman

01-21-2012, 04:35 PM

Keith, I don't know much about Karl, never met him or heard of him before today but from what I've read he split with a woman (wife possibly?) who used to feed the birds for him, he then met another woman who would have nothing to do with them. The guessing is he suffered a mental breakdown of some sort but that is just guessing. The confusing part is apparently he made emotional comments regarding cruelty to another bird by another falconer, as in saying how bad it was and the bad things he wished upon that falconer. This I believe was said at the same time his birds were not being fed. I have'nt looked it up but the comments he made were made on this forum I read.
Man that is not a good situation. I hope the best for you guys over there. Maybe someday I will be able to come and visit our country and see how you do it over there.