Eagle Training Diary - From Egg to Hunting - The Colonel

Falconry training diary of a male parent reared Bonelli's Eagle from egg to hunting. The Colonel.
Home of the Finest Private Falconry Experiences and One-to-One courses with Nigel Hawkins.
Website: https://www.hawkinsfalconry.co.uk
If you enjoy my videos and content and they’ve helped you in any way, perhaps you’d consider supporting me by buying me a coffee here: Thanks https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hawke

** VIDEO TIMELINE INDEX**

0:07 - Copulation
0:15 - Nest building
0:38 - Laying eggs
1:43 - Fighting in the nest
1:59 - Adults feeding chicks in the nest
3:27 - Photographs of breeding chamber with adults
3:35 - Catching up at 12 weeks for training. Simulating their wild cousins booting them out of the nest to fend for themselves. (Same as removing dog puppy from mother at 9 weeks)
3:39 - Hooded at start to reduce stress. They relax in the hood. similar to blinkers on a horse.
3:50 - Training using candlelight that flickers mesmerises, low light reduces stress.
8:23 - Hood is used to reduce stress in early training. Preening is a sign of a happy and healthy raptor.
9:18 - Weight diary & Weighing. Fed good quantities of vitamin enriched food to maintain healthy flying/hunting weights. Good muscle mass ensuring the body condition score is as high as possible.
9:48 - Washed meat - Maximum of once or twice per week and is used to activate the stretch receptors by expanding the crop. This keeps their digestive system in tip top condition with copious amounts of relatively low/medium calorie food. Subsequent days whilst flying they are fed high quality food: Rat, quail, pheasant, duck,partridge etc.
11:48 - Hood Training
13:30 - Manning on glove in house hooded
16:00 - Repairing a bent feather (Don't do this whilst feathers in blood)
16:31 - Free-lofted early. Only tethered for short durations after flying.
17:42 - F10 discinfectant once per week. Don't over use!
19:32 - Fans in travel box to circulate air and stop excess ammonia toxin build up.
21:30 - Loads and absolutely loads of carriage early on and constantly throughout their lives will give a very well rounded and steady bird.
21:38 - Taking him to work & sleeping with The Colonel
23:13 - Free-lofted everyday after flying sessions.
24:08 - Hood training getting better.
24:23 - Distraction training whilst touching feet.
24:47 - Getting used to different handlers.
25:03 - Sitting on one leg means total trust and relaxation in raptor world.
25:27 - Slowly introducing them into the world from a distance at first.
26:07 - Slowly moving my hand closer whilst feeding so he doesn't think I'm going to rob it. Reduces aggression.
27:25 - Carry, carry and more carriage = Steady and relaxed raptor.
27:56 - Feeding the ferrets. A vital part of the hunting team.
32:20 - Fitting Track-pack telemetry.
32:48 - Beak coping. Feeding bone that they can pick at for hours helps keep their beaks trim. Their diets are excellent in captivity so they grow very fast.
34:30 - Slowly introducing more people to manning and carriage.
35:09 - Dogs are a vital part of the hunting team.
35:58 - Manning with other raptors.
36:51 - Swing perch hooded & un-hooded.
37:15 - Telemetry maintenance.
37:55 - Fist jumps to the glove.
38:57 - CCTV - Keeping a watch 24/7
39:45 - Relaxing in the field.
41:27 - Longer flights on creance.
42:06 - Introduction to rabbit lure/carcass.
42:22 - Transfer from kill to garnished glove, very thoughtfully & slowly to reduce association of robbing. Especially Eagles!
43:09 - Introduction to mechanical lure machine.
43:49 - Time, time and more time with good rewards on kills will cement the bond. Aggression is turned outwards towards hunting.
44:13 - Better trust and transfer from kills with garnished glove.
45:01 - Training with different carcasses with good rewards and clean pick-ups.
48:26 - Longer lure chases to increase fitness.
49:12 - First hunting trips.
53:03 - Returning to the lure.
53:22 - Following-on only after multiple successful glove flights.
54:09 - Introduction to soaring in the hills.
55:57 - Returning to the glove off the soar.
57:18 - Hunting in the hills (stooping.)
57:30 - Feeding good rewards and help them break into carcass and feed heart, lungs, liver & kidneys. They absolutely love warm meat!
58:52 - Telemetry GPS track.
59:19 - Feeding up after a full day flying in the hills.
Falconry is not a hobby but a way of life that involves continuous learning, problem solving, hard work and dedication; one which though deeply satisfying is also highly demanding.
This video doesn't show the huge commitment and time factor. Up to 12 hours everyday training/flying and still ongoing for the life of the bird.
Special thanks to Bob Watkins (Excellent UK raptor breeder) for the cctv footage and David Horobin for the help in manning, video and years of falconry heritage knowledge. Thanks for watching.
#falconry #eaglediary #hawkinsfalconry #falconrycourse #trainingeagles #eagletrainingdiary