Falconry Journal

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It wasn’t until the 1980s that I was given a job at RAF Upper Heyford Oxfordshire, Bird Control Unit. Steve Thurgood the Manager of the unit was a very keen, experienced falconer who had flown peregrines, lanners, merlins, goshawks. I arrived with a buzzard, very naïve but keen to learn, to get what I had wanted to fly Falcons. A so called falconer was to help me with this buzzard but he said “wait until the leaves are off the trees before you get her going”, I had already had the bird 6 months already! Steve and me tried really hard to get her going, but it was too late, “Get them in the air as soon as possible” which Steve had said, which has always remained with me.1988 saw my very first falcon a male peregrine x saker “Kelt”. These birds are brave, manouverable and quick as he proved many a time, catching a rook with bits of white on it (an albino) which Steve and I thought of as prizes, this one particular bird Steve had tried to catch many a time with his Lanner Falcon “Lulu”, he was a bit distraught in a nice sort of way that I had caught this prize. Steve and I flew merlins which was a great experience flying in a cast. I have not seen Steve now for a while, I have a lot to thank him for, for his guidance, his keenest on what he wanted out of all of his birds, which I am so pleased to say and honoured has rubbed off on me. 

In 1991, I moved on to Gloucestershire working at Fairford, “Kelt” had died after being injured, I got my next falcon a female peregrine x saker “Cass”. I had flown Harris Hawks, Merlins, Sparrow Hawks by this time, I had Cass 8 years and in that time the flights were spectacular, 8-9’ stoops which were not uncommon, flying at rooks which I had done since being with Steve at Heyford. Rooks gave almost the same flights as Herons did in the old days, but since you were not allowed to fly at them any longer, rooks became the substitute. “Cass” gave me many years of enjoyment she really was spectacular with age, the best season came in 2000 with 89 kills nearly all rooks, the odd crow and Jackdaw. I particularly hunted on the Marlborough Downs, rooks were situated in between two valleys, I managed to get on them by walking, the rooks were feeding quite content. I ‘slipped’ “Cass”, the rooks rose quite quickly, already gaining height before Cass had reached them, higher than the 2 hills she had mounted with them. This you could see because it was there right in front of you, she had excellent position above the main group of rooks, she stooped after about 5-10 seconds to hit and bound to a rook, dropping with it, using her wings, tail speed to slow her descent, it took forever to finally land with her quarry in her talons. 

Cass unfortunately was stolen from Fairford, jesses cut, I could not find her and I never saw her again.