Just Falcons today

Tami and I took the girls out yesterday to hunt, and the best they could do is pull hair, so they got very little to eat and a trip home. We had hunted them so long that it was too late to fly Jessie, so I fed her a Pigeon breast to hold her over for today. Tami has to deliver some horses to Ontario tomorrow, so the girls will not be able to fly tomorrow either. I fed them a Starling to hold them over.

Tami came over about 1:45 and she turned Jasper loose, but all the Sparrows and Starlings have been a lot more circumspect about hanging around the Chicken house. Jasper went over to his perch on the other side of the Chicken house, and I went inside to flush. Unfortunately there were a couple of Sparrows in the trap, and he wasted no time crawling through the fence to get after them. I picked up the trap, with Jasper hanging on the side, and was trying to capture one to take outside. The Sparrow settled the discussion by blasting out of the trap and through the wire of the pen. Jasper of course was after him and caught him at the bottom of the wire. Settled that I suppose.

I caught a Pigeon for Jessie, and loaded everything up, when Karen decided that she wanted to go. Fine with me. The area that I hunt on the ditch is actually just right for spectator viewing. We picked Tami up and were soon ready to release Jessie.

 After a good look around and a rouse, she took off to get some altitude and check out the possibilities.

She soon located the largest concentration of Ducks on the ditch and we moved in for the flush. I walked up to the ditch and Mallards erupted every where. She turned over in a stoop and slashed a Mallard Drake, but he only bobbled, and kept flying. She came around again and I pushed some more out of the ditch. She smacked another Drake a bit harder and tore a stream of feathers out of him, but he didn't go down either and she chased him up the ditch all the way to the houses, but could not close on him.

She began to circle further up the ditch, where I am sure the large bunch that we had flushed right in front of me had gone. She continued circling there so long that I was concerned that she would tire before she came back to where we could do some good.

Ducks kept flushing out of the ditch in front of me, whenever they thought that they could make good their escape. I began to worry that when she did come back, it would be to an empty ditch, but she finally started my way. I started up the ditch, and a bunch of Teal got up. Jessie made a quick strafing run and slashed one of the Teal out of the air. She made a quick turn and I heard the Teal squawk, so I assumed that she had caught it.

When I got over there, she had jumped to the top of a Grease Wood bush. It was obvious that the duck was in the bush. I got down on my knees looking all through the bush, but could not find it. I was very concerned that the Teal would make its escape back into the creek, so I enlisted Tami's help. I put my vest in front of the bush to hopefully block the Teal, and went back for Tami. There was no reason for her to get wet, so I carried her piggy back across the creek. While I was crossing to get her, I saw Jessie bail off the bush. By the time that we got back, there was no sign of Jessie. I began to look in the bush, but could see neither her or the Teal. I stood up to change perspective and saw another bush move. I went over to look, and there was Jessie tucked so far in the bush that she was very difficult to see.

 I went to the bush, and moved a whole bunch of stuff out of the way, so that I could see her and the teal. Peregrines are supposed to be unwilling to go into cover for game. Apparently Jessie hasn't read that book yet.

I pulled her out into the open so that she could eat, and tied her to my bag. I then carried Tami back across the creek to where Karen was standing.

I decided to let her eat the Duck rather than trading her for it. Teal are a lot more palatable than the other Ducks. Jessie for sure likes them well enough to actually eat more than the fat. She was quite happy with my decision.

 When she was done, I hooded her, and put her in the car for the trip home. We will see how long it takes her to come down to flying weight again.

 This is all she had left. I didn't have to pick this one, to my great pleasure.

Teal are the toughest quarry out there in the duck world. We normally do not get them here very much, for which I am thankful. The Teal will throw themselves to the ground to escape the falcons flight when ever possible, but this one didn't get the chance.