We Got Falcons: Part I of II

Dave alerted me to a private show of falcons for a business seminar at the Whistler Outdoor Experience last saturday. This l'il guy is only 3 weeks old and already in training.

There 22 birds in all, including a bald eagle (not in this photo). My camera isn't quick enough to catch them flying but Dave's Nikon D2X did and those pics will be posted next time.

They get ansy when one of their buddies is getting fed or taken away for a performance.

Their Polish keepers originally bred them for show business and have recently broadened their work to include non-invasive pest control in the farming industry.

I was told that ten percent of the birds fly away while on the job. It's up to the falcons to decide if they have had enough of captivity.

The long pole has a dangly bit of food or feathers on the end to train the bird where to aim. On this day they ate skinned mice; head, tail and all.