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Post by clivew on Dec 11, 2007 7:45:47 GMT -5
I've had my male Harris since he was 12 weeks old (2002); he has taken quite a wide variety of prey both out in the field and at home. The list is as I remember without double checking my diaries are: Wrens in his enclosure, frogs and slow worms all in situ at home. He tagged a neighbours cat that decided to put it's nosey paws on his aviary front. In the field, he's taken, Jays, rabbit, weasel, partridge, moore-hen, pheasant, magpie, woodpeckecker, lark/feildfare (gone by the time I got there) and wood-pigeon. He has chased a few wood-cock which although eluded him were fantastic flights, Roe deer for 200 yards and was about to bind to the rear end before he realised it was a tad too big for him , he regularly chases Blackbirds but thankfully he's not got one yet, and a couple of foxes.
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Post by Eddie on Dec 11, 2007 14:00:02 GMT -5
Sounds like a great bird! I'm hoping to get Jasper, my tiercel HH wed to rabbits! He was CB and raised strictly on winged quarry like quail. He had never seen fur. When I got him and tried entering him onto rabbits he just stared at them like they were best of friends. Just about a week before he started the moult I dropped his weight farther than usual and was able to get him to take a baggie bunny. While it was sitting therhe had absolutely NO interest in it, not even with small movements but once it took off running he nailed it and went straight for the head. Ironically when we're out in the field, if I throw a rock into bushes or trees to flush quarry he immediately bolts and nails the rock, usually before it hits the ground or within a second or two of it hitting the ground and he really thinks he done good. He stands above it, rock clenched in the talons, all nice and proud, not really mantling above it but standing tall with his wings down to his sides so the primaries are touching the ground. One of these days I'll have to take a pic of it.
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Post by clivew on Dec 11, 2007 14:24:16 GMT -5
I take it you've been feeding him on carcases etc.? (not that I'm trying to teach you to suck eggs). When I first introduced him to the dummy bunny, he was shit scared of it. After a few days being fed off it and then throwing in a carcase he was soon into the groove From day 1, I didn't want him to 'specialise' in one specific quarry. During the moult, I regularly hide pheasant head and necks and rabbit heads in the enclosure so he has to look for his food and by only using the heads and necks when he see's them in the field, he will go straight for that part
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Post by Eddie on Dec 11, 2007 15:22:30 GMT -5
Yep! When I first got him I introduced the dummy bunny. He just looked at it, again, like it was a friend of his. Even with a large piece of tasty meat on it! Eventually he came down to it, walked over and ate the meat. This went on for about a week. Finally I got some rabbit carcasses and used them. He immediately went to them on the ground. After eating his fill for a few days on the carcasses I began using them like a lure and dragging them for him. He nailed them every time. BUT, when it came to field activity he would just watch the bunnies hop or run away! He would give them a death stare but rarely left the fist/tree for them. Only about 2 or 3 were chased vigorously and one with a near miss because the rabbit stopped on a dime and he over shot its head by only an inch or two. Then he landed in a tree and literally watched it casually hop away several yards and go under a rock! LOL
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Post by Eddie on Dec 11, 2007 16:24:07 GMT -5
Clive, I forgot to ask, what does Creche mean? I'm not familiar with that term.
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Post by clivew on Dec 11, 2007 17:10:04 GMT -5
It's basically an imprint but several birds are all raised together and fed together so they are socialised like they would be if with the parents. They can end up as screamers and/or mantle over food; their is a possibility that they may show aggression but mine is silent and very good natures.
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Post by eragon on Dec 11, 2007 17:49:05 GMT -5
This sounds like a great bird!
Creche Reared sounds like the imprinting technique where you use a box that has mirrors on the inside so the bird always sees other "birds". Is this similar?
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Post by Eddie on Dec 11, 2007 21:15:40 GMT -5
I would definately agree with that statement and it is specifically called duel-imprinting. When I take an eyass I always duel-imprint for when I release them back to the wild. That way they know they are a bird but it makes it easier for training.
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