Uppark Meet 2011
- February
- 13
Having arrived at Uppark in the howling wind with the looming dark clouds, it was decided that the Harris Hawks would fly first through a long thin strip of woodland which contained pheasant.
Four beaters we chosen to work the far end of the wood whilst the flyers worked the near end and hopefully meet the driven pheasants in the middle. The plan worked and the Harris Hawks were released as a cast at the game birds with no success.
There were several near misses the most spectacular that I saw was from Steve’s Harris who was within a whisper. She dropped like a stone from the tree to a pheasant that decided to make a break for it right underneath her.
As we were walking back, the heavens opened and didn’t relent for the rest of the day.
Next on the agenda was the Falcons, Unfortunately there was only one. Alan’s Gyr Peregrine Bernie. We all gathered round to watch.
And Bernie did not disappoint! Patiently waiting on in the blowing wind, a partridge was put up by a few beaters working a patch of stubble and Bernie stooped. The stoop was extraordinarily fast and the partridge did not stand a chance.
We stopped for lunch and then drove to another part of the park and it was the turn of the red-tails. So Chris, Paul and Stuart readied their birds. By this time, the rain was pelting down and it was debatable whether to continue, but we braved the rain and headed for another wooded area to have a shot at some more pheasants.
There were so many pheasants the 3 reds didn’t know which ones to fly at! Paul’s dog Oz bolted a rabbit and Chris took a slip that it. It bolted downhill but unfortunately the rabbit made it to the warren just as Chris’s Red-tail was about to strike.
Stuart’s Red-tailed Hawk – Rocky had a very close call at a pheasant, but the crafty bird managed to escape through the sheep fence just as he closed in and poor Rocky smacked the into the fence.
Paul’s Female Red-tail was sitting up a tree and had a good flight on a pheasant that took off narrowly missing it. Paul and Chris’s birds also had some easy slips at hunkered down Pheasants, but the brambles proved too thick for them to get to.
All the while Paul’s dog Oz had been on point in a huge pile of impenetrable sticks and logs.
Rocky also had a slip at a pheasant, missed and went high into a tree and there was a reason that he wasn’t coming down. He had seen a rabbit moving in some brambles and he swooped down, chased the rabbit into its hole under some brambles then put up a hen pheasant and went off after that. By this time we were thoroughly drenched right through.
We made our way back and Oz pointed a few more Pheasants, but by this time the birds were soaked right through and were not very enthusiastic.
After some deliberating on the weather, it was decided that the ferrets would come out and more flying was to be done despite it still pouring with rain and blowing a gale! Unfortunately the Red-Tailed Buzzards were too wet to continue, but all the Harris Hawks were ready. The first to return was Jem with his female Harris nice and fat with rabbit, So Jem got out his male and rejoined the crew.
There were some fantastic flights and the next to return (puffing and panting after walking up the hill!) was Steve who’s female had also caught a rabbit despite hitting the fence hard on two separate occasions.
Ryan returned next with a beaming smile as his Female Harris Hawk had caught her fist Pheasant. She had originally gone for a rabbit, landed in a tree and spotted the bird and flew it with success.
James came next but was unlucky with his Harris.
Then finally after having to dig out the ferret Jem returned with his well fed male who had also caught a rabbit and we all went home thoroughly soaked through, but pleased with the days events.
Here are the best of the rest of the days photos.
