Mark Martin

Farrah above, BB below.... Who said all Harris's Hawks look alike? 

Even though we didn't win the championship, this was a great day with my two Harris’s Hawks. Since Farrah is not socialized, I fly the buzzards serially, typically BB first. 

I met Mike Wiegel at Whataburger and left there with the buzzards about 0815. I drove out to the Tweener Field west of Katy, which is currently in great condition, but I'm convinced it's doomed. The falconry gods would not allow this to continue. Nearby enormous housing developments are full of single family large primate habitat. 

At the field, I parked farther in off the road, than I ever have before. It gave me visual and walking access to hundreds of acres. I got BB out, put his LF-4 transmitter on his leg. Within seconds he chased a duck out of the ditch. He chased tons of small game birds, well protected by the ubiquitous heavy brush. He reminded me why I fell in love with Harris's Hawks years ago. After 45 minutes of lots of flights, I put him back in his box.

Farrah's outing began inauspiciously. I had her hooded to keep her from jumping around in the box. When I pulled off her hood, she managed to simultaneously slash my index finger and sieze the hood. We fought for a few minutes. After a too difficult time installing the transmitter on her leg, she hopped to the t pole. She rode it, but didn't chase anything, including a flushed pair of quail. She flew about a hundred yards twice to the Honda. Boring. Well, BB still had me jazzed. Also I saw some rabbit sign. 

I decided not to give Farrah anything to eat. I put her unhooded on the perch I made for the passenger seat and  drove up to the field across from the airport. The area we used to hunt is all rice fields for a half mile in. It was super windy, but I trust Farrah. I put her on the t-pole but held her about shoulder or head high. She clicked in, now fired up. She chased so many birds I lost count, but like BB got whooped by the vegetation. We walked in a straight line, perpendicular to the road, hundreds of yards, on the very edge of the rice field. She was so close to snagging birds, so many times, that a few times, neither of us could believe it. It was fun. She also chased some ibises. A Northern Harrier came in and harried Farrah. 

Two overweight Harris’s Hawks provided a great morning.