Moving on
My Falconry
Now and going Forward
The last bird I 'flew,' or worked with in a falconry sense, was a butcher bird – a personal favorite whose hunting spirit I find as compelling as that of true raptors. I maintain that the experience of a shrike flushing a locust shares the same essential thrill as an African Goshawk flushing a francolin; the core elements of participation and the resulting chase are fundamentally similar.
Just a fifteen-minute walk from my home, there’s a river bordered by plentiful trees and dense vegetation. I began closely observing this area following the Western Cape drought in 2017, drawn by a pair of resident Jackal Buzzards that inhabit this particular stretch. It’s a vibrant hunting ground where African Goshawks, Black Sparrowhawks, and Peregrine Falcons are seen daily. Lanner Falcons also make occasional appearances, though they are observed less frequently than the Peregrines.
In one of our local residential parks, we’ve introduced a mole trapping system. I take all the moles I trap to the river area, releasing them for these buzzards. They’ve grown accustomed to my presence; when I approach with the transport box, they often take flight, seemingly in anticipation of a meal, allowing for ongoing interaction. These buzzards roost in a tree just 50 meters from my house, so I witness their daily departures and their return at sunset. I’ve even installed a platform nearby, hoping to encourage them to breed, though I’ve been disheartened to learn that a school is planned for an area that serves as one of their alternative hunting grounds. I cover this project as a work in progress in my conservation projects.
Doves regularly find their way into my chicken coop. On weekends, I carefully box these doves, take them to the river, and release them. Often, a peregrine capitalizes on the opportunity. Daily resident peregrines hunt at break of day and sunset. My garden is frequently visited by Gymnogenes, African Goshawks, and so I can go on, no shortage of raptor activity and action.
Through these experiences, I now engage in what I term “natural falconry” – observing and interacting with raptors in their environment, appreciating them as they live and hunt naturally”. So at times it better to walk alone than to walk in the wrong crowd.
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