One of my Happy Places in my geographic region is the Como Zoo Conservatory It is a smaller, older zoo, attached to a botanical building, and many outside gardens in the warmer seasons. Usually at this time of the year, when it is cold and snowy and icy outside, I ask Rich to take me up to the cities to sit under the dome and breathe in some moist, fresh plant-made oxygen, and enjoy the visual inspiration of flowers and growing things.
There is a particular building, called the Sunken Garden, that changes out the floral display every couple months, and keep it fresh and blooming the entire time. I've visited probably every winter, but don't always share the pictures here on the blog. I linked below the times I have done so.
It's cheerful to boost the spirit, as it is still cold outside, and Spring feels far away.
They have a web camera that has a delay. You can stand for the camera, then capture a screen shot on your cell phone a minute or so later.
Rich and I under the dome!
Attached to the complex is a traditional indoor arboretum. They have many mature fruiting and spice plants (trees).
The mandarin orange tree was ready for harvest.
They also have an extensive orchid collection. Where they are kept is not open to the public, but you can look through a window and see the plants that are blooming, as staff moves those close to the window. They do disperse some of them throughout the dome to enjoy the blooms as you walk the paths. On this particular day they had a gathering roped off of a competition they held recently of blooms. A young man standing nearby works (volunteers) for the garden, and shared that Como has many endangered species they work with, propagate, and conserve.
Links below of other visits I have made to the Sunken Gardens, and more flowers to enjoy.
There is a little patch of very bunny infested brush I have hunted year after year. It's on private land, that I have always referred to as the "Gay Guys" place . . . because there were two guys that lived there. They were always kind and let me fly a bird in their back brushy spot which is just lousy with rabbits. Some days I would take home a prize, and sometimes not. Just depended on the quality of the hawk I was flying.
Sadly, two years ago they sold their home and moved away. It was sold to a development firm, so I just knew it would eventually all come to an end, and some stupid shopping strip or apartment complex would take its place. Well, this fall I noticed the house and dilapidated barn were gone. Surely, by Spring, the brushy rabbit hotel will be next. On a Sunny Saturday, the last day in January of 2026, I flew CT over the patch. We moved about half a dozen bunnies under the brush and snow. At the end of the field she scored one of them. That's one less bunny that will get "Watership Downed" when the tractors come to their doorstep.
As the sun was setting for the day, it was also a sunset for this hunting spot.
As the human population continues to grow, the spaces in between where animals find refuge increasingly get razed.
Cinnamon Toast was a late-trapped bird, but we are salvaging a little of the season. On January 20 we accepted the invitation of Kirk Payne to come hunt on his land out behind his house. He did not take a bird to train this year, a promise to his wife, so has asked some of the other falconers in the Minnesota Falconry Club to invite him to get a fix.
I am still feeling out how this bird likes to hunt. She obviously was taking good care of herself before I trapped her, so has a very keen prey drive. Once released she gets about the business of hunting right away. Almost to my detriment, as she seems to like to fly a distance from me sometimes. I don't think she quite understands my value in the field to kick up prey for her.
She was successful, after a time, but all three of us in the field neither saw her dive for her prey, nor knew quite where to look for her. Once we noticed she was no longer in the trees above us, we listened and would here just the occasional tink of her bells. Eventually, Kirk found her on Bunny #2.
All was great, bird hunted and caught game, bird recovered, and a great day out. The only exception was my discovering once we were back in the car and had driven away that my glasses were no longer on my head.
A quick call back to Kirk, and he walked back up his hill and found them at the kill site.
Thanks for the extra effort Kirk! Also THANKS for letting us fly in your back yard.
On November 7, 2025, after six weeks of looking (minus the time I was in Costa Rica) I finally found the BIG GIRL I wanted as a falconry partner. She was trapped at 57.20 ounces. That's 3 lbs, 9 ounces!! That is a monster of a red-tailed hawk. All previous birds caught were small males, except for one female, but she was an adult and quickly released.
She was found in Rochester, just between the Northside Wal-Mart and a park that has a community garden. She came to the trap almost immediately, but was only snagged with one noose, and broke free before I made it to her. She flew to the other side of the tree line. We relocated, my trap buddy and myself, to the other side of the tree line, and dropped the trap again. She was a little more cautious, taking her time to try out the trap again, but eventually she did, and this time was snagged good. She had a full crop! This is a very greedy girl!
Greed is GOOD in a hunting bird!
My trapping buddy, Sidney. For the time being, she is one of the trainers and care providers at my friend Foxfeather's Vulture Conservancy. She too wants to get into falconry, and has already passed her test and had facilities approved, but our state agent, last I checked, just never issued her permit for this year. SUCKS!
Fox's other staff member, Brooke, showing off the new bird's backside. Fox was out of the country at the time.
Manning and weight reduction began immediately. First in low light.
And then in full daylight.
She calmed fairly quickly. A Big Girl like her "Ain't scared of nothing"!
Foot Porn (Left)
Foot Porn (Right)
Eye Close-up
It would take her three weeks to slim down enough to be motivated to make the first jump to the fist. This led to shorter jumps inside my living room, and downstairs in my basement, all tied off to a minimal tether so no crashing towards or through any windows. I try different locations to reinforce the behavior, not create a fixed reaction to one room.
In early December I took her to visit Fox, who had returned from her journeys. We then began training outside on a creance in my yard.
In later December we were going longer creance calls outside and in different locations.
Our final few weeks of December into early January I focused on wedding the bird to her lure. All our training sessions began to focus on igniting a fire in her for her lure. I could not risk free flight until she absolutely would come every time for the lure.
On January 7, two months since she was trapped, we tried a first free flight around my yard.
Two days later we walked around my pasture. She followed pretty good, returning to me every once in awhile when I called her to the fist for a tidbit. On her final lure call she was very possessive of it, and demonstrated a behavior I will have to watch out for, trying to carry the lure away from me.
January 11 dawned clear, but a bit cold, in the high 20s. Her weight was acceptable, although a bit high. She seems to hold her weight rather stubbornly. On this third free flight I wanted to take her someplace which may have a high likelihood of actually kicking a rabbit or two out under her. The brushy area just behind our fairgrounds is perfect. It is a not too long stretch, with trees all along the way. It would turn out to be a good decision.
At the second clump of trees, after calling her to me to move forward, then tossing her in front of me, a bunny bolted for a "bunny door", just enough of a hole at the bottom of the fence to squeeze through. She caught it by the leg but could not get a better grip on it, or pull bunny through. By the time I got to her and tried to ease her over just a little to grab bunny foot, she lost her grip, and it was gone. I backtracked just a little, and whacked some more brush. I didn't see the rabbit that bolted, but she did. It ran across the railroad, past the field border to the road, across the road, and into the large semi truck yard across the street. I listened as I saw her disappear across the road, and heard the bunny scream with impact. Ok, make my way across the street.
When I got there, her bunny was knocked out cold, or mostly dead. I made sure poor bun was dead, and as I reached towards my girl to secure her jess, she grabbed her bunny and dragged it UNDER the semi truck. Well Heck! I walked towards the left side of the truck, but there was no place for me to squeeze under. I moved to the right side, and I did find a place I could get down on my belly (and my complaining knees on the ice) and scooch myself towards the bird and inch one of her jesses my way. Once I had it safely looped onto the leash, I reached and grabbed her prize, and pulled them both out.
Adventures in Falconry!
I let her gorge herself, this being her first catch with me, then made our way back across the street and to my car.
I had to get home, as it was a work night for me.
Cropped up, and safe back in the box.
I gave my hunting partner this year a silly name. Because she came from the wild all slathered in butter (hog fat) I decided to call her Cinnamon Toast.
Well, today, now that she has taken her first head of game with me as a falconry bird, she's Crunched It!
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.
