The Last Day of the 2025/26 Season

This year my season has ended much sooner than I had anticipated or planned. While the unusually warm February temperatures enabled me to fly this young tiercel peregrine well into the deep winter, it also melted the snow and fooled the partridge into thinking it was spring. We've had February temperatures of +17c at a time that last year we were at -30c ... thats a 47c temperature swing ! Access into the fields was becoming problematic due to the defrosted surface and melted snow. However the main deciding factor was seeing so many pairs of partridge around about 3 weeks sooner than normal. That said, I cannot complain and I've enjoyed a solid 6 months of almost daily hawking. My birds and dogs have done well and while often challenging, it's been a good innings, but not without its upsets. This past season stands out more than most in recent years as being a difficult year, starting when I had to euthanize Wesson's brother "Smith", due to a broken leg he sustained when the partridge he had just bound to was suddenly ripped out of his feet at high speed and twisting his leg awkwardly. Accidents happen, but the real tragedy was more about the fact no local vet would ... or even could fix it, so i had no alternative other than to euthanize him. Then in mid December i had to deal with the tragic loss of my beloved wife of 42 incredible years, following a long painful battle with cancer. It was my falconry that made the months leading up to and after this experience bearable, because of the daily distraction it gave me to get away for a few hours to clear my head and focus on something positive. I don't post my personal / family life on social media but I only share this with you, to illustrate how Falconry has not only shaped my life, my career but also helped me through the difficult times that we all face. I'm sure others can say the same. Falconry teaches us many things such as responsibility, accountability, self discipline, focus, humbleness, thankfulness, happiness and indeed sorrow. All these qualities help shape who we are or who we eventually become. Meanwhile I continued on hawking with Wesson, and late December a good friend Jeremy Roselle gave me an eyas Peales tiercel to enter. This was achieved and now he's well set for next season and will polish off his hunting skills upon young inexperienced partridge and perhaps grouse in September. The distraction and challenge of a late entered bird did both me and him good. These last two flights i share with you here, signifies the end of my 2025/2026 hawking season. My birds are now in their molting chambers and fattening up for the molt. Suddenly I have 5 hours a day that I have to find other things to occupy myself with, along with discovering my new normal and next chapter of my life. My YouTube videos will be predictably less for the off season but I plan to be back at it in the fall. I wish you all good health and happiness ... and the strength to move forward.