I need to find a new hunting partner for this falconry season!
Just before the beginning of this month it has been unseasonably warm, and the migration seems to be stalled. Then I left home for a vacation in Costa Rica in the middle of October for almost 2 weeks, so probably just best I didn't find anyone. It is almost the end of the month and the quest continues. Here is the journey:
No Relive Video for this one. I was following up on a lead given to me by a fellow hawk-friendly person. A juvie has been spotted/hanging out around the local community agriculture headquarters. I'll go check it out.
I found a bird . . . BUT . . .
Right SIZE!! BIG!! Wrong Age!! Adult - let it go!
I called the person who had given me the lead and she assured me there was a juvie there. I kept looking, and sure enough, there was another bird. Once I got the angle on it, it came to the trap pretty quick too.
Right Age, but still not the size I would like. Let it go too!
October 1
I'll include this video for complete disclosure of all attempts, but I didn't edit it immediately, and now I don't remember anything about the journey. So, could really just skip this one. No bird trapped. The journey continues.
Found early in the day, and chased a bit, but still not a female-sized bird.
Sidney is a most excellent bird trainer (has worked for several large raptor centers) that is currently working for Fox for awhile. She has decided to get into falconry. I'm not sponsoring her, but I welcome her coming along and helping me, and learning how to trap a bird for falconry. She took both birds off the trap today.
Let the "dinky" boy go!
Another small boy found a little later. This guy had a single red tail feather, and also did not have his full 12. He must have had some yanked out early. The first set from their nest days are always brown striped. The next set will be red, usually at the first molt, in their following summer. But if it gets pulled before its time, it will come in red.
This trip was having the help of Alyia and her little girl. It's a good example of a lot of driving, but nothing to report. No juvenile birds were seen, let alone dropping the trap even once. It was a drive out towards Owatonna, but was just a bust of a day. For completion of this season's trapping journey I include it here, but it is not a very interesting video.
November 7
SUCCESS - FINALLY!! This deserves it's own blog entry.
I will begin this . . . it will take quite a while to complete. I am home this previous evening, but so very much to do to re-integrate into my daily life. Back to work tonight.
For now, our journey was divided into several sections. I created a Relive video for much of the road trips. Several are completed. Several still need to be finished, or constructed.
Layover in Florida
We flew out on Wednesday, October 8. Because of the schedule of the planes it was just easier to fly to Florida first, and have a layover in a comfortable hotel. The following morning, beginning a sleep/wake pattern that would follow me throughout the trip, I was awake earlier than my travel companions. I left the room and walked outside into the Florida sunshine. I listened for unfamiliar birds. I did hear the familiar song of a Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). I have heard these throughout my life in Texas, but they sadly do not come up into Minnesota. At least, not often. A search of eBird show they are seen as accidentals from time to time. Maybe they will begin to extend their range up here. An unfamiliar crow turned out to be a Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus). It had a different dialect than I am used to. Only using the Merlin App allowed me to ID this crow. They are hard to differentiate by visual observation.
It is the morning of October 7, 2025. I am one day away from departure on a "Bucket List" (BL) adventure. I have always wanted to visit Costa Rica. Thanks to my friend, Foxfeather, I get to realize my dream. The best part is that I mostly didn't have to plan any of it. Fox is an expert at itinerary building, so I absolutely trust her skills.
It is 5 am as I write this. My wakeful schedule is off a bit having come off a work weekend. Yesterday after a short nap we went to the farm and brought back home my two bucks, Springer and Yodel, for Fall breeding, leading to Spring kids. I also dropped off my car for some maintenance while I'm away. Rich will be taking two weekends off from work, but will staycation at home. My BL adventure will not include him. He consoles his absence with the idea that the insects of that Central American country would probably eat him alive.
I sat outside for a little while in my hot tub. It is a clear night. A "Super Moon" rides high in the Western sky, at perigee, or closest approach, and currently full. Mostly the night is still. There is the muted crashes of thousands of rounded, dried cottonwood leaves, like so many cymbals, still clinging to the branches of the tree that looms large over our shed. The ever-present hum from I90 drops to its daily low, still present but not dominating the ear scape. Briefly, for a few tentative howls, a distant coyote calls out to its kin, and is answered.
The weather modulates, and has changed, and returned to a more moderate temperature, 40s to 60s. We had a few abnormal, uncomfortably high days into the mid 80s. Over the past week-and-a-half I have attempted to trap a passage hawk for this current hawking season, but of the four birds I caught, none met my size preferences. Also, the warm weather, to my mind, has stalled the migration. Hopefully, upon my return home, I'll have many birds on the move to choose from.
I will be going technology dark, sort of, for this trip. I am bringing an older cell phone, and will endeavor to spend much more time in the real world, and shun the digital. I will be keeping a written journal, and may upload what I write later, upon my return.
I look forward to this adventure to begin.
Pura Vida!
(Pure Life! It is what all the Ticos* and Ticas* say in CR.)
*Ticos and Ticas are the way Costa Ricans refer to themselves.
Ah, the Mystery that is the YouTube algorithm!! Somehow I never saw this video, which was created 5 years ago. This is the man that taught me falconry, way back in 2002. It is a most excellent example of the sport he introduced me into. After watching it I texted him, and he gave me permission to post it here. THIS is what falconry is for me!
Thank You Dave for giving me the opportunity to become a part of this world!
It is early September, and in a little more than a month I will set out on a "bucket list" trip to Costa Rica. Rich will be staying home and taking care of all the critters, and is allowing me to borrow his camera for this epic trip. I wanted to practice a little prior to departure.
I recently became aware of a flower farm in the bluffs just outside of Winona. The gardener, Natalia, is passionate about dahlias, and her passion is evident in the quality and beauty of her labor.
The name of this gorgeous garden is Rancho Randevu, and it can be searched out on Facebook. Natalia sells arrangements, recently made an unforgettable floral statement at a wedding, and kindly let me come out and walk among the flowers and practice with Rich's camera.
Dahlias are not hardy to our zone, so must be planted yearly in the spring, and in the fall dug up for cold (not frozen) storage. This would be a lot of work for even a small garden. Rancho Randevu takes up a considerable footprint.
Natalia plans to work with her dahlia's genetics, and try to create new varieties. She enjoys sharing their beauty with her community.
Enjoy the Colors!!
On a lower field she has planted rows of zinnias, with an edge of cosmos. They add accent and different form to her flower cuttings.
They are also some of my favorites.
The local bumblebees are big fans of the garden as well.
Thank You Natalia for sharing your garden with me today!!
Falconry! Or more appropriately for me, Hawking! It is a passion, and a way of life. I happily pursue this sport, with the loving assistance of my husband. Come along with me for our adventures with the birds. Primarily we actively pursue it in the colder months . . . the rest of the time I try to make this blog as interesting as possible. Come let me share my stories, and feel free to contact me. I always enjoy talking about my obsession with this sport.
