Robert B. Shenk

 Houston, Missouri

 

 

Dear Norma, 

 I received your newsletter and note….and there is more that I don’t know about Falconry, than I do know. I’ll try to relate some of my experiences and somebody should get some entertainment from them.

 

I’ve had a special interest in birds for many years. I started with baby crows in my teenage years before they were protected. I had one that even learned to say “ HELLO, HOW ARE YOU”. I found him dead that fall. I like to study them, but I did not like to see them caged.

 

While in High School, I discovered the December 1920 issue of National Geographic written by Louis Aggassiz Fuertes. Not only were the text and photos interesting, but also the Fuertes paintings really caught my eye. After that article, I read several by the Craigheads and they also got my intense attention. I dreamed of having the experiences they had, but in one article one of them said something to the effect that “ when we fly our trained hawks we don’t just hope they will return….we know they will”.  Then in another article they talked of a Prairie Falcon taking off after being buzzed by a Kestrel…and not returning.

 

I later acquired an interest in Great Horned Owls and spent much time searching for their nests in southern Pennsylvania. I was searching through a county that was very much like the New Jersey Pine Barrens and found several nests over a period of many years. While searching I found several Long-Eared owl nests. In actuality, what I found is a Great Horned owl nest is probably a former Red-tailed Hawk, or Red Shouldered Hawk nest, Or maybe even an old squirrel nest. I do recall one brood of Great Horned that were doing well in a dead hollow tree.

 

I remember finding a dead redstart in the nest of a Long-eared owl. I had never really seen one that close before. The Long –ear parent would usually greet me with a Whoo or a sound somewhere between a whoo and a Moo , followed by “wac wac wac” like a hybridized bark.

 

I also recall finding a Great Horned Owl nest within two miles of the Long-eared nest but it was a different year. I was rechecking a Great Horned nest and the day was going just fine until I reached the base of the tree…..and saw owl wing feathers scattered around.  I thought I might just find the owlets dead, but I thought I better find out. I was feeling disappointment as I shimmied up the Pine, but when I viewed the nest from overhead, two Great Horned owlets were snapping their beaks at me. An adult Long-eared owl lay dead at their feet. There is a difference between Great Horned feathers and Long-eared feathers but there are similarities.   

Another time I was homing in on a great horned nest “ daytime” Hooting and had seen the buff down waving in the wind. As I started up the pine tree, I heard an adult owl hooting from a tree out of my sight. I was really curious about the age of the owlets…or eggs, until I peered over the edge of the nest!  What a surprise!! A very much alive raccoon was eyeball to eyeball with me. He stared directly into my brown eyes for a very short time, possibly seconds. Then it switched ends , shifted to high gear and ran right off the outer end of the branch, and the wheels were still spinning when that coon hit the ground. After I stopped shaking, I checked out two dead owlets.

 

I thought the owls were really fascinating, but wanted to learn more about diurnal birds of prey. I flew several red-tailed hawks and learned from it, but I always thought I’d rather lose a bird by having it fly away, than to keeping it too low and have it “die away”.

I had so often heard people or read books that downgraded the Red-Tailed Hawk, but I do think a Red- Tail is a more relaxing bird to work with. I understand that a Coopers hawk is faster, but for myself they surely don’t “program” like a Red-Tail.

 

I really appreciate the accipiters, but I need to study them more. I am not really disappointed with them,    just discouraged with my ability to train them .

 

NOTES FROM JOURNAL          July 2,1999

Today I checked a previous years Sharp-shin area. When I checked at the base of the suspected Nest tree, I counted at least 11 chalk spots. When I returned later in the day “MOM” greeted me. I heard pine needles slapping behind me, when I was at the nest, but she didn’t really strike at me. I discovered 4 chicks in the nest…and had originally thought only 3, but when a larger female chick moved I discovered the runt of the litter.

 

I have been searching for hawk nests over the past few years and still I am wondering why a Missouri Falconer, can take an eyass Red- tailed Hawk or Broad-winged hawk, but can not take an eyass Sharp- shinned Hawk. The Sharp-Shins are more difficult to train,

(According to most falconry manuals), but in some parts of Missouri they are probably more common than the Coopers hawk. Even though they are a smaller bird. , Sharp-shins will also kill smaller Poultry…..Just as “dead” as a coopers hawk can, although a female Sharpy is less than half  the size of a female coopers hawk.

 

If Missouri Residents can legally Kill Sharpies or Cooper’s Hawks “when in the act of destroying livestock or poultry, why should it be illegal to take a young sharp-shinned Hawk. They are built like miniature, Coopers Hawks with only small differences such as the end of the tail. That even buffaloed me one time when I discovered a hawk nest. Glassed it thoroughly with my binoculars, and when the tail tip appeared to me to be rounded, I called it a Coopers Hawk. Yet when it yelled at me later (scolded) me, I heard a Sharp - shinned Hawk.

 

I suppose this last subject is controversial, but many things are. I am not in favor of Sharp-shins coming an endangered species, But I would almost bet …..I’m not much of a betting man, that Great Horned Owls and Coopers Hawks kill more sharpshins than would be taken by Missouri Falconers.

 

I am also guessing that more information about Hawks is obtained from falconers.

I read one article recently and the Author stated that Falconers are Specialized Birdwatchers and I agree. Although most falconers also enjoy watching other birds,

A real falconer is more concerned about the survival of raptors than the   “average citizen”.

Peregrines are more numerous today because of their efforts.