A Batty Halloween and two Hawks

The Limited Supplies Challenge on Split Coast was to use Spooky colors and no more than 4 embellishments. I used black, purple, green and orange - a ribbon and 3 sparkly foam embellies. I started this card having all the squares lined up - then accidentally hit the pile and I liked the way it looked all askew!

We just got back from a wonderful week away in VT - and it's great to be back stamping again!

One of the things we did while we were away, was take a class at the British School of Falconry at the Equinox - we had an introductory lesson where we learned how to call a hawk to our gloved fist and release it back to the perch - then we walked along the field - where the hawk followed from tree to tree - then flew back to the leader - what a super experience that was!!

Here's Kent with Wallace on his glove - Dawn is attaching a transmitter to his leg in case he flew away - they could track him.

Here is beautiful Hamish - who I got to work with. In this picture - he's sitting on my left gloved fist and I'm taking the picture with my right hand. I wanted to lean over and give him a kiss he was so 'cute'! - but Dawn said they're really not into that (!) - he was just inches from my face and never tried to peck or shy away. He was happy to be going outside to play!

Then we walked them outside where Dawn took our picture - and she proceded to teach us how to cast them off our hands. They have little strips of leather tethered to each leg - and those are wrapped around our glove so they don't fly away until we are ready to work with them. We swung are arm forward while releasing the strips and they would fly to a perch - and when we raised our glove to waist height again they would come swooping back to us.

Kent got this great picture of Hamish flying back to me. Dawn also put a little piece of filet mignon on my glove as an incentive for him to come back!

Dawn told us they use hawks for these classes instead of falcons because hawks are social birds so they are comfortable when several birds are in the field. They also train to the glove - not to a specific person - so they will do their 'tricks' with anyone who wears the glove where the falcon trains with a specific person and works only with that person.

You really should try this if you ever get the chance - these birds are absolutely beautiful and so fun to hold!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Stamps: PSX
Paper: basic black, DP: SU, Plum Pudding, Ripe Avocado: PTI,
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine
Accessories: glitter stickers: Creative Hands, foam dimensionals, saddle stitched black ribbon: PTI