Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on May 19, 2007 18:33:15 GMT -5
Howdy folks, his one's for you fellow bird lovers. Just got back from working at the Raptor Center. Got me a new trainee named "Jack" (for One Eyed Jack cause he's so cool like a young Marlon Brando). Jack is a male Peregrine Falcon who used to be a falconers bird but developed a vision problem. He's actually hasn't been worked for a year or so but remembers some of this training. Really fun to work with and today came to the glove for the first time. I think him and me are gonna become good buddies but he may be shipped off to Alaska for a wildlife exhibition after training in exchange for a new small male Bald Eagle for our educational program. Anyway, I'm enjoying his company while I can and trying not to become too attached. Please excuse my shabby dress. When you train birds, protection and duds you don't mind getting dirty are the rule *L*. and Thanks for lookin....Mel Jack and I enjoying a little one on one time: Jack alone and without the homely companion *L*:
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spikeict
fully equipped rock polisher
Alba gu bra! In Promptu
Member since November 2006
Posts: 1,413
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Post by spikeict on May 19, 2007 18:56:29 GMT -5
How very cool Mel, I smiled that he came to your glove. I for one hope he stays.
Spike
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Post by sandsman1 on May 19, 2007 19:34:20 GMT -5
hey mel hes too cool -- what a beautiful bird he is
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on May 19, 2007 20:08:42 GMT -5
*S* Susan: Peregrines have that sort of white eye ring. That's a normal falcon eye. Since they are aerial hunters, they have those rather protrusive eyes to extend their field of vision to track flying prey. They do look strange compared to something like an eagle or Red-tail with their prominent brow ridges and eyes set flatter in the head for hunting ground prey. Jack's other eye has a spot from a corneal ulcer that inhibits his vision but doesn't cause him pain now that it's healed.mel
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cleo12797
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2007
Posts: 279
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Post by cleo12797 on May 19, 2007 20:17:09 GMT -5
Peregrines are amazing birds. Oh well, all birds are. Even my little Mickey (budgie).
Thanks for the pictures.
Ang
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,777
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Post by adrian65 on May 19, 2007 23:39:33 GMT -5
I like the way you look in each other's eyes in the first pic. Seems almost like a conversation.
I always wandered what makes them come back on the glove. Do they have a natural attachment to humans, or a little piece of meat is used as a reward?
Adrian
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on May 20, 2007 0:22:41 GMT -5
Adrian: Birds of Prey, being solitary hunters, don't bond with humans unless imprinted very young so they think they "are" human. We sometimes get imprint birds that someone has illegally stolen from a nest ( a very cruel act indeed!) and because of that psychological damage, they are never releasable and have to be placed in an educational program. Jack's not an imprint and goes to the glove looking for a hunk of food. We work the birds to teach them to tolerate the company of their handlers without being hooded. Falcons, being high strung and so aware of motion all around them can present special difficulties. That's why falconers keep them hooded much of the time when they have them out. We don't hood after initial training so it means a lot of extra work to get them prepared for the ed program....mel
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Post by texaswoodie on May 20, 2007 7:17:22 GMT -5
Beautiful bird Mel. Wish I could say the same about the trainer. ;D
Curt
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Post by creativeminded on May 20, 2007 9:02:03 GMT -5
That is a beautiful bird. I think it takes a special person to be a falconer. Tami
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blarneystone
spending too much on rocks
Rocks in my head
Member since March 2010
Posts: 307
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Post by blarneystone on May 20, 2007 9:07:19 GMT -5
Mel.. he's a beauty! I just love raptors.. We have several red tailed hawks that live behind our house.. lots of fun to watch 'em hunting the fields in the morning.
...Keep posting pictures from the raptor center please... I'll never get tired of 'em.
Dan
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on May 20, 2007 9:55:41 GMT -5
Curt: *LOL* Alas, so so true. I have to leave my glasses off when I shave in the morning. Otherwise it's either scary or depressing depending on the day. Gettin old is just so friggin fun! Fortunately birds ain't particular like humans *L*.....mel
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rockinmom
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2007
Posts: 481
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Post by rockinmom on May 20, 2007 10:13:13 GMT -5
Wow.. he's really beautiful. He's a little smaller then I thought.. are they smaller then Red Tainled Hawks? I guess so.. I would love to be able to work with birds like that as well. We have falcons, Eagles and hawks that are always cruising in slow circles around our house looking for prey. Tammy
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on May 20, 2007 10:23:49 GMT -5
Tammy: Jack is of course, a male and raptor males are smaller than females, but Peregries are quite a bit smaller than Red-Tails. Rosie, my female Red-tail buddy weighs at least twice what Jack does and is three or four inches taller and maybe a foot more in wingspan. Of course Jack's species can dive at over two hundred miles an hour while Rosies just pokes along *S*....Mel
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Post by krazydiamond on May 20, 2007 11:00:59 GMT -5
love the photos, Jack is such a cutie. raptors are just plain cool.
KD
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Post by beefjello on May 20, 2007 17:00:14 GMT -5
Ah, so they're Kamikazes eh? lol
Very cool Mel!
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Slydog
has rocks in the head
Member since February 2006
Posts: 555
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Post by Slydog on May 20, 2007 21:02:16 GMT -5
Wow, Mel, thanks for showing us this splendid guy! Our utility service has cameras on their Peregrine nests, and it is pretty amazing to watch. They actually have done an excellent job on 'restoring' the birds to our area. Good PR for the company, but still, it does help the birds. Your photos of the birds are always so welcome, it is neat to get to see this stuff!
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on May 21, 2007 0:19:53 GMT -5
Magnificent bird Mel! It must be very rewarding doing that kind of work - getting to handle the raptors and helping them. We have a ton of the smaller Kestrels around and plenty of Huge Red-tails. But our newest attraction here are the three pairs of Bald Eagles that have set up shop- all within 20 miles of where we live. The Raptors are the coolest of them all - Thanks for sharing!
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