Showing posts with label Mews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mews. Show all posts

Sunday, September 20, 2009

painting and weathering

Well as i waite for permits to arrive i've been water proofing everything, we have had none stop rain since the actual inspection. I noticed the sealant i had used had not bonded to the wood and therefore let water in. I experimented ona 2x4 and with a blow torch lightly heating up the aluminium backing. This melted the pitch that was supposed to seal the wood cracks and joins. The instructions said just run your hand along the top and that is enough. Well that's not the case. I found you have to use a blow torch on it. Lightly brush it over the top use an old towel and its bonds very very well. So yesterday i re-sealed the whole roof, i also painted it with some black asphalt paint, No 201. This should completely seal the wood and keep it water tight, i should no again in a few days as we have another cold front coming in and probably some rain with it. I have also been painting the OSB board white and sealing that. This shot was taken from the farmers field next door. I'm wanting to put some siding on in a few weeks time but overall its pretty much finished and waiting its new tenant.

Yesterday we where heading down the platter road bypassing some very heavy traffic heading north on highway 75 out of no where a coopers hawk flew right across our wind screen with one wing actually hitting it. I couldn't believe how close we came to hitting it. It was flying like a bullet and was gone by the time we looked round no where to be found.

My wife and i have been thinking about some ethics of falconry recently. One conclusion we came to is we never want to pay for a bird of prey and we feel morally obligated not to be potentially responsible for the accidental realse of a bird of prey that is not native to this area.

Whilst the red tail is the apprentices bird i don't want to give up that hawk once my two years is up. however for the above reasons i feel uncomfortable introducing a Harris hawk or a goshawk into the area. Don't get me wrong i love Steve's birds, smash is an awesome hunter and when charlie gets going he will be too, however i feel what a miserable existence not being able to find a mate or one of its own kind. This came to light last year as Steve was hunting in DFW and a female Harris joined them on a peace of flood plain in the middle of the city, wild but either realised or escaped in that area.

In this area there are lots of pecan orchards. One of the biggest problems the pecan farmer has is crows. Someone recently suggested that i should use the RT to bait the crows (as they will mob the RT) bring the RT down and then get someone with a coopers to get the crows. Interesting concept and thoughts. Potentially opening up allot of hunting areas for me in this area.

Also recently when the game warden came by to inspect my mews he left a Game Magazine for me to look out, Two things Car Hawking on public land (including public roads ) is not legal in Oklahoma . During muzzleloader and gun season, the hunter orange has to be warn both a head covering and a vest.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Mews inspection Passed !

The local game warden arrived prompt at 4.30 and inspected my mews, filled out the correct paperwork and promptly passed me. He told me this was the first inspection he had done in 20 years of working in this area. He was very concerned about predators getting under the weathering area but i showed him the chicken wire i put around the edges to prevent that. quick check of my scale and Jessie's and he was happy and out the door. So sending off for permits as soon as my sponsor gives me his letter to include with my application !

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Mews inspection on Friday







Well D-Day is approching fast, because my wife had a major operation it ment putting back my mews as and when cash and time allowed. Now there is a rush to get everything ready. Pleased to say its pretty much up apart from some cosmetics but enough to get inspected. So the local game warden is comeing on Friday just after 4pm and hopefully i can send off for my permits !

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Weathering Area

Well the weathering area is starting to come together. I have three sides up and all is stable. Hope to work on the roof this weekend and embedding some wire into the ground around the sides. Might have to re-do the door as i am not happy with it at the moment.
So far the mews measures 10.6 feet x 8 feet x 8 feet



Monday, March 23, 2009

Getting there slowly

not posted for a while and that's not to say i have given up or anything. Steve's birds have been up and down or the weather has been to windy. That's not to say i have not been doing anything. I got given a load of reclaimed timber ( or lumber as the yanks call it ) More than enough to build my weathering area. Steve my sponsor came over on Saturday and he checked out where i was planing to put my mews and weathering area. We finally decided on placing it at the back of the house. great place for morning sun, protected against midday sun and very private.

We also checked out two potential hunting areas in the Platter area. We have allot of public hunting ground. We got out of my van and immediately bumped two squirrels so i guess more than ever i will be squirrel hunting . We also spotted some pretty decent sized rabbit sign so there is potential in that.

I also showed Steve my Giant Hood. I've been working on it for some time and planning it. Steve recommended timber for the hood as this will make it near pitch black inside and be more beneficial to my hawk when i get it. Chloroplast is nice and light but it still lets in light.

I have made the hood out of very very fine plywood, less than 1/8th of an inch thick. I then used 1/2 Inch square dowel as bracing. Screwed and glued all round and then put some outside trim (compressed foam with pine vainer ) along the edges. So far this is very very light and I'm very pleased with it. I'm sanding it down right now so i can coat it with a polyurethane varnish and then air it for fumes. Still studying and reading up for my exam but i will be starting to put my mews and weathering area together soon.

Steve is off on a road trip for a bit and one of his harris hawks has started molting