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Eagle Owl at 1000 fps


Diceman
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I had a European Eagle Owl flying around one of my permissions last year that I was asked to capture. Fortunately I still had an old leather gauntlet that I used to use for flying my Harris Hawk with. I caught her quite easily (She turned out to be quite tame and hungry) so I fed her up a little and put her on the back of the rear seat of my 4X4 to take her back to a farm and kept her in a stable while I traced the owner. While on the way back to the farm I had to go down a pretty rough track which she wasn't too happy about so she decided to join me in the front of the motor. I can tell you that driving with a loose eagle owl in the car is not easy, her wing tips were touching both of the side windows.

I managed to trace the owner throught the IBR ring she had on her leg and return her as to them and I still see then regularly when I take the occasional rabbit or two for her to feast on.

I have a great love for birds of prey and I especially love watching them hunting! To me, watching a BOP in flight is "poetry in motion", especially when you can get close to then.

The bird with me in this photo is a Steppe Eagle and the second photo is the same bird showing a "close up" of her laughing gear - Not what you would want wrapped round your finger if she were to get annoyed with you!

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Edited by Frenchieboy
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I think the fps is the film speed...? Not an expert tho.

Every time we go to a county show or game fair I make a beeline for the birds of prey. Truly stunning creatures. Last year we had a barn owl in one of our outbuildings, when I got to the door she slowly flew out about 2 foot over my head and off into the field, in total silence, a real treat to see. Frenchie you are truly lucky to have had the opportunity to work with these lovely birds. I shared a Discovery with a loose and angry pet goose a few years ago (we put it in a sports bag to take it to the vet but it must have figured out how the zip worked :lol: )and that was bad enough, can't imagine what I'd have done with an eagle owl flapping about!

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Frenchie, that's a mean looking bird,

The bird in the photos is a Steppe Eagle quite aptly named "Storm" and the photos were taken at Pontins, Blackpool during a "demonstration"!

At one time the owner asked if Storm could be trained for taking foxes. He was told in no uncertain terms that as he used her for "demonstration purposes" in public places it would be very unwise to attempt to do so as any dogs that were at any of the "demonstrations" could be in mortal danger!

I have to admit that Storm was one bird that I was always very wary of as she could have done me a lot of damage! I did get hit badly once while exercising a Harris Hawk which was trained to "follow on" and "hitch a lift" on my shoulder. I heard her coming but I overloked the fact that she was coming in with the wind in her tail. I turned my head to see where she was and to try to stop her but with the wind behind her I miss judged her speed and position, she was far too close to me! She tried to bank away from me but her tallons caught and ripped my face open, just missing my eye.The force bowled me over and left me with an awful lot of blood on my face while the wife (Who was surposed to be photographing things) could do nothing but stand there peeing herself laughing.

It was entirely my fault allowing a bird that size to come in with the wind in her tail which made her far too fast for a "safe landing" and a lesson that I will never forget! Since then I have learned to never underestimate the awsome power that some of these Birds Of Prey have or the speeds that they can reach! Having said that though there is nothing more satisfying than having a "relationship" with a BOP that is happy to fly for you and trust you enough to want to be close to you and to "ride around on your shoulder"!

The photos show Buffy (The bird that left me with blood on my face)! She was one of the most faithful, trustworthy and hardest working birds that I ever owned and flew!

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Edited by Frenchieboy
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