Raptor Adventures–January 2011
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| Cal the harpy eagle. |
Beginning my adventure into falconry, I was very lucky to meet Carolyn, a local falconer who is flying a red-tailed hawk this season. She invited me to come hunting with her to get a bit more exposure to falconry in practice, and also to a wonderful seminar hosted by Neil Rettig and his harpy eagle, Cal. It was a wonderful, raptorful month!
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| Bailey being particularly noble in the road slush. Not a great perch! | Portrait of Bailey. | Hawk in flight! |
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| Carolyn and Bailey. | Perching above, waiting for us to kick up some rabbits. | Pretty, pretty bird! | Not going to get anything down there, Bailey! |
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| Hawk hat. | A fox in the field behind my house. | Bailey atop my storage shed. | Coming down to the lure after the hunt. |
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| Neil Rettig is a famous wildlife photographer and falconer. | Because of his research and experience with harpies in the wild, he was presented with a bird. | Neil uses Cal to run educational seminars across the country as well as flying him as a falconry bird. | Huge bird, impressive wingspan! Being a male, Cal is actually a small harpy. |
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| Look at that long, long neck! | Intense gaze. | Enough of this already! | |
Neil and Cal were hosted at the Friends of the Bluff seminar at Eagle Ridge learning seminar. I highly recommend checking them out!
