Granddogs: The Kids are Alright

Photos from Terence Wright prove that the descendants of the late Plummer, the creaky Lashyn, and the still healthy Taik and Kyran are doing well at that rarest and oldest form of team pursuit hunting here in New Mexico:

Fubar is a perfect example of how falconry can rehabilitate a seemingly hopeless bird. Terence wrote: "The Prairie falcon is a 2010 bird that had severe bumble foot and trashed feathers when I got her [from a rescue outfit SB] in 2011... Here's a couple of pics of how the prairie looked when I got her, she was released in this state and found starving a week later. She has proved to be the sweetest nicest prairie falcon you could wish for despite all she has been through. The plan is to hunt her all winter and release her at the end of March."

I would have thought she might never fly again with wings like this-- and her feet were worse. Congratulations to Terence, and to all my granddogs again.

Birds of Paradise

Some marketers seemed to think that a fitting description of my last book's subject, eagles, was "the most beautiful bird in the world". To use a more polite word than I usually would, nonsense! There are many contenders; this pheasant has always been a favorite:

Even more so when displaying

But there are even better candidates, nearly xenobiological fantasies, but real:

HT Karen Graham!

Originals

My visual totem is a Japanese Goshawk-- see my pistol, buckle, and more. I have seen originals even if I couldn't hope to own one, though apparently Paddy Leigh Fermor had TWO. Here are some re- views of just a couple of mine and a hint to some though not all of their models...