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8/4/1968 - Falcons and Me VI: A-Birding We Will Go by William G. Mattox

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Hsjsdal Falcons Me VI Hareskov Denmark A birding We Will Go August I invite morrow house breakfast after birding together I busho Wo Shakespeare The Merry Wives Windsor III Mr Richard Ho Nolle Executive Director Institute Current World Affairs adison Avenue New York New York 10017 Dear Dick My newsletter falconry WGM barely bread butter aspect sport trained falcons hunterso The trapping taming falcons making suitable equipment providing proper housing towards Falcon hunting species The picture changes final stage falconry attained The falconer himself important initial stages The skills possesses trapping taming vital least But falcon ready resume huntin after being reclaimed falconer himself takes seato In relegated observer neutral really falcon hunting The falconer decide birds animals attempt catch falcon The local prized falconer often different falcon would normally taking wildo Falcons readily small birds large flying rather swift birds Since falconer often aiming dinner table dissuade falcon taking meadow larks flickers gulls starlingso Pheasant grouse ducks larder requiremente better miscellany Other birds which falcon normal fareo Man course natural hunting instinct But falconer casually mentions guests coming Saturday evening might pheasant dinner I better Blondie newly field beans scare birds Falconers dreams stuff reality dictates another taleo In point falconry efficient means hunting today I first falconry letter HGM interested table taking legal falconry Conditions ideal succeed hunting falcons The flights often remembered recounted falconers sessions times those which ended unsuccessfully falconer returned empty handed The dashing speed excitement chase final result magnet falconry How falconer train particular species The falcon entered falconers pheasants example providing newly trained falcon pheasant catch merely allowing pheas perch In entering falcon quickly dispatches pheasant twist It allowed pheasant If falconer interested magpie hawking however entering straightforward Pheasant flesh quite tasty falcons falcons would order choice But entering falcon first which while hunting never tastes So falconer contrives obtain which falcon Then subtle falconer substitutes tasty morsel pigeon starlingo The falcon thereby believe after really After being entered certain quarry falcon normally other The process there about falcon become discouraged The falconer order event wandering provide something falcon chase This situation which falconers built areas country usually results falconer either throwing bagged pigeons flying falcon lureo Many promising ended chasing either pigeons artificial lureo But available falconers bagged pigeonso What would typical dayts outing falcons My repertoire stories successful hunting falcons Some falconers annual vacation limited leasto wheat stubble lands Saskatchewan where their birds Hungarian partridge Others fields Nebraska Iowao Many falconers content variety local under terrain conditions ideal I place myself category In years I lived Phila delphia Ne Hampshire Norway Sweden Iceland Germany Montreal Labrador Denmark There international stating falconer lives unsuitable terrain lives ideal place hawking hardly breathe But beginning typical falconry truth broke spring New Hampshire years Blackie Blondie female passage peregrine falcons caught eastern coast United States during autumn migraiono They manned entered pheasan Blondie rather chunky light headed falcono She flying weight usually around ounces A ounces might perch She usually hunting appear particu larly swift graceful flighto Blackie lighter weigh about ounces She falcon almost black She small likes moments displeasure Blackie seems prefer early morning huntingo I herefore keeping hooded avoid broken feathers thrashes about screen perch Blackie Blondie house Both falcons flown Wednesday Thursday rainy strong gusty winds Friday filled lectures preparing special bulletin board display Professor Carlson prevented getting hunting Friday afternoon Saturday On Wednesday Blackie caught pigeon Blondie shared Both birds getting other Thursday birds large pellets pigeon feathers They heart Thursday Friday Saturday morning I seminar Both falcons appeared hungry I early Saturday When I untied screen perch I oticed Blondiets mutes excrement appeared somewhat greenish I weighed At ounces Blondiels weight slightly lower should She stepped glove looked around received bobbed passing As I walked muted luckily roused shaking feathers vigorously Then series rapid flappings another rouse I block began taking local sights sounds Blackie still hooded night before stepped glove which I eased around behind Out I block unhooded roused vigorously It clear The falcons might bathe ready flying I seminar Blondie bated towards inverted trash I carrying block Blondie often headed local stream I meant wasted field feathers While I breakfast Blondie splashed about When I geography department I Blackie block The glimpse I drove showed Blondie sitting quite bedraggled block wings spread Blackie sitting shallow peering something tilted funny Way She using which telescopic vision could readily discern flying birds impossible When I later returned seminar falcons sitting motionless their blocks Blondie tucked Blackie bated I drove driveway I untied hooded Each jumped gulped morsel meato To field I their leashes swivelso I rolled between fingers lessen caused swivelo This would avoid possible branch fence Several pigeons their carrying station wagono The lures fresh chicken heads clipped I because enough falcons The Some fields clear should thermals above their Surfaces Falcons liking local hermals which circle Uwait In station wagon falcons which spanned width seato They loose hooded short flying field For longer journeys falcons pillow become Not Hanover north along river large field below Oak Hill vhere buffs Dartmouth slope handy Arr iving field I reminded previous December Don Foote I flying Blondie hoping All sudden began climbing earnest drifting river valley I right interest whistleo Don drove south along river Blondie gradually spiraling higher motionless wings Soon drifted sight heading south Connecticut river Two dejected falconers returned Hanover afternoon Blondie The sight empty block tinge remorse through Three weeks later Christmas vaeation businessman arrived Philadelphia after having traveled Pitts burgh train He friend father spent evening After I found newspaper which coffee table small mining Alleghenieso A short article caught The before foreman local lumber pigeon warehouse hotly pursued havko The pigeon darted another window landed rafter quite confused The foreman pointed shock flying outstretched The leather straps brass bells With commendable foreman slowly reached straps The caught The shipped local arden Pennsylvania Game Hershey As I short article excitement coursed through Could Blondie It seemed I phoned Hershey peregrine protected Pennsylvaniao I explained Blendie which occurred Ne Hampshire Finally Corny cFadden phoned someone Harrisburg cleared I could Blondie josses But I bells which leather bewits At Hershey I shown where brown perch corner In flash across It Blondieo But quite I shuddered stubs feathers presumably brken during Hershey The keeper convinced Blondie And since I described bells their leather strips warden handed Blondie almost sigof relief Once Philadelphia tried imping feathers almost hopeless All following spring Hanover Blondie pained ragged feathers Falconers pride themselves keeping their birds feather The whole story about getting Blondie sound incredible Blondie migrated south obviously chosen winter where found supply local pigeons Now driving Oak Hill field falcons swaying balance I swerved around potholes I wondered Blondie would thinking above migration If drift disap I where I would begin miles south valley ridge section Pennsylvania Out field I strapped hawking which contained lures pigeons Binoculars whistle about I falcons swivels leashes pockeo Blondie stepped glove I unhooded She glances around field She focused bobbing thing copse trees roused launched I clipped hawking Blackie Boh birds ground halfhearted passes other began circling bells tinkling climbed I always leery about flying falcons rivers If pride place falcons sight quarry river chase opposite Then necessary drive nearest bridge river other shore lecate place where falcon caught The common belief falcons return falconer their In flying falcon trained ground caught The falconer lcate aided bells falcon The falcon often before breaking further begin pluck feathers The falconer therefore minutes after If falcon before being located falconer inclined falconerts approach Well trained birds however taken Indeed I falcons attempt towards their I sight Falcons remember early tidbit offerings falconerts Although rivers risky areas flying falcons advantage being areas Saturday afternoon exception A minutes after falcons attained height above field ducks whistling along appar ently oblivious killers above One falcons immediately folded wings began vertical stoop A seconds later other falcon stooped But The ducks speed forced falcons longer shallow which robbed speed A conts stoop estimated between Blackie attempt after missing first further chance ducks whipping I mixed emotions They actually season purpose flying birds Falcons difficulty understanding exercise however regardless season If falconers powerful group might their hunting season arrow hunters To falcon during regular hunting season courting trouble shotgun hunters blasting other buckshot anxious anything especially For reason falconers refuse their birds during hunting season Anyway ducks Blackie cruising about field while Blondie beginning climb again Soon Blackie joined In minutes falcons waiting above again Rather I decided pigeon I recently caught midnight local The pigeon dodged Blackies stoop planned another falcon Blondie waffled pigeon after vertical Both birds sitting pigeon before feather drifted earth I falcons content share pigeon When falcons waste energy crabbing while Eventually would become I swiveled Blondie leash hawking ground During process occasional glance continued eating gusto I Blackie hereat chicken glove The daily after flying Hanover Hampshire She finished quickly cleaned glove roused closed proective eyelids I hooded After putting Blackie I Blondie hooded placed Hawking A final little episode illustrates another hawking Corny lcFadden I hunting rolling fields western New Jersey following return Greenland Corny white additionwe along Bob Jordanes exercise One birds missed after vertical pulled after pursuio The chase sigho We waited minues because after unsuccessful chase falcon usually return But appeared We began searching fields direction falcon seemed heading After found falcon despite imagining heard bells every minues The waned frosty returned We rolled present sleeping field cooked around glumly until sleep Corny recounted caught Greenland Since flying regular fields Philadelphia would little familiarity terrain could expected remain longo The thing I heard before drowsiness inkling bells perhaps birds sation wagon As before I heard bells morning Poking sleeping I noiced ground covered frost The already warming upper treetops hedgerow nearby The blueo Suddenly I heard bells again As sleep finally drained I nudged Corny sleeping The waiting directly above The suntS reflection white feathers together beautiful welcome worldo Corny tossed between swooped breakfast She looking seconds sorry night Then rocked gentle movements opened Out popped casting feathers She roused began feeding lureo There feathers castingo Sincerely Wo Go Mattox Received New York August A glossary falconry terms WGM jesses swivel leash block weather creance stoop gorge house light tight leather fitting falcons strips leather attached falcon metal composed swinging rings attached falcon flying leather thong passed through swivel falcon perch perch usually stone which falcon placed outdoo action falcon trying while still being retained jesses falconer gauntlet leash swivel while block falcon perching outdoors block before flying weathering artificial exercise falcon falcon falconer light during first before falcon first adjective describing hungry falcon vertical falcon Also circling falcon above falconer after falcon attained hunting height above ground where falcons sheltered reclaim change falcon tamed state through training enter training falcon particular species quarry hunted falcons screen perch indoor perch which hawks night A development ___rundreck eventually replace screen perch casting pelle composed indigestible feathers matter regurgitated faIcon about hours after eating falcon passes excrement action short winged termed slice rouse falcon puffs feathers shakes violent motion leather plastic strip falconts ankle attach feathers original stubs using wooden metal needle possibly pride place highest pitch attained falcon while waiting above falconer Received New York August