That is what Lee has done, whether its voluntary or not. I tend to think that he got a bit careless and was carried away by the wind. For a while one could hope that it was a transmitter failure that I was unable to get a signal, but if that was so, he would have been back by now. The only way that we will ever see him again is if he goes begging to someone, and they report it. If he had fallen victim to misfortune, the radio would have given his position away. I have flown North, West, and East with no signal at all. Yesterday I flew the 60 miles to the Idaho border and today was 40 miles North and West to the Alvord. Thursday I will go to the Nevada, border, but I think it is a waste of gas.
While it is true that I need a tiercel Prairie Falcon like I need a hole in my head, still, losing a bird this way is a bit of torture. You always worry that you didn't do enough to prepare him for life's tribulations. While my head knows that I couldn't fly him on the quarry that he would do the best on, my heart is sad at his loss.
My original intention was to take a common Falcon, that was free, and confirm my ideas, formed over 50 years of handling falcons. With Karen's help and tolerance, I did that, and together we raised as well mannered and socially adjusted falcon that I have ever seen. I did get a bit cocky there at the end, by leaving him out longer than I should, but still, its alright. It comes with the territory.
Falcons and all Raptors are genetically imbued with the impulse to disperse, so as to keep the breed strong and free from inbreeding. Perhaps Prairies more so than some others. Eyasses kept tethered are if not carefully flown, lost on the front of a storm in early Sept. by unwary falconers.
On my flight to Jordan yesterday, the wind was calm on the ground, but at 7800 feet the wind was blowing East about 30 MPH. Today the winds were the same , but totally calm on the ground.
I have notified both Oregon and Idaho Fish and Game of his loss, and put the word out to falconers in both states. He may show up, but it is unlikely.
On my flight today, my battery apparently died in flight. I switched it off and flew back with no instruments, no big deal, but worrisome none the less. I have a new battery on its way, and I received the rebuild parts for my brakes yesterday. Apparently I now have time to fix all that stuff, and maybe go fishing.
The first video is the one that I sent you the other day. The other is the flight that I took today. Normally I don't fly until the sun is up high enough to light up the landscape, but I knew there would be winds today and I wanted to get up and back down before they got too bad. When you are flying a thistle, winds can make you pucker more than can be considered fun.
https://vimeo.com/175146420 (looking for Lee) password for both is - owyheeflyer
https://vimeo.com/175416668
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