My first that altered my life
Before I start to forget... (I know, Sumi, you beat me to this pet biography shit by almost a year)
I can't recall when did I get interested in falconry. All I remember is that I used to chat with one of my 3rd grade classmate in Taiwan about raptors for hours on end. Under my constant brainwashing, he bought a crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus), & flew it at squirrels. I was mesmerized by the reckless aggression, the speed, & the beauty of that feathered dynamite, I vowed that one day, I'll spend the rest of my life with her kins.
I emigrated to Ecuador in 1987. Despite its rich biodiversity, the paucity of local literature on native raptors made the pursue of falconry by beginners nearly impossible. Few birds of classic falconry are found in So. Am, & most native species remain untested. Fortunately, one common neotropical raptor, the Harris hawk (Parabuteo unicintus), has garnered much attention abroad, & literature about its use is trickling back to its native countries. I craved for this hardy, docile, & versatile hunting hawk.
Again, through my constant brainwashing, several Ecuadorian friends of mine got interested in the art of falconry. Then one day, one of them came running to my house, claiming he's obtained a hawk of some sort. "This is it" I though to myself, "from now on, fun & excitement will never end". I raced to my friend's place in record time. Sure enough, to my delight, tied to a make-shif perch was a gorgeous passage Harris' hawk. From its relatively large size, I determined it to be female, & named her Diana (how original, eh).
(to be continued)
I can't recall when did I get interested in falconry. All I remember is that I used to chat with one of my 3rd grade classmate in Taiwan about raptors for hours on end. Under my constant brainwashing, he bought a crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus), & flew it at squirrels. I was mesmerized by the reckless aggression, the speed, & the beauty of that feathered dynamite, I vowed that one day, I'll spend the rest of my life with her kins.
I emigrated to Ecuador in 1987. Despite its rich biodiversity, the paucity of local literature on native raptors made the pursue of falconry by beginners nearly impossible. Few birds of classic falconry are found in So. Am, & most native species remain untested. Fortunately, one common neotropical raptor, the Harris hawk (Parabuteo unicintus), has garnered much attention abroad, & literature about its use is trickling back to its native countries. I craved for this hardy, docile, & versatile hunting hawk.
Again, through my constant brainwashing, several Ecuadorian friends of mine got interested in the art of falconry. Then one day, one of them came running to my house, claiming he's obtained a hawk of some sort. "This is it" I though to myself, "from now on, fun & excitement will never end". I raced to my friend's place in record time. Sure enough, to my delight, tied to a make-shif perch was a gorgeous passage Harris' hawk. From its relatively large size, I determined it to be female, & named her Diana (how original, eh).
(to be continued)