From Jess: “Abdullah Kahn II of the Shaybanid dynasty ruled Transsoxiana from his capital at Bukhara from 1583-1598. He is attended by a falconer with a hooded bird and his saddle is a falconer’s drum.” Art circa 1618. Bird is a Gos with neck band as is his successor below (Khyber Pass ’70’s, Catherine Lassez). …
Author: Steve Bodio
Cherkassov at last!
After several years, I am happy to announce the publication of A.A.Cherkassov’s 1865 Notes of an East Siberian Hunter, translated by zoologist, eminent cynologist, and “dog in law” Vladimir Beregovoy of Virginia, with a little help from me. It is available as a large format, good- quality print on demand paperback of 439 pages, for …
More T n’ R
… with Mars, from Shiri of course. I think Tavi is trying too hard in the first… The boy is getting big, no?
Quote for the (dismal late sleeting) day:
From Annie Davidson, quoting from Ron Swanson on fishing: “It’s like yoga, except I still get to kill something.” Neither of us know who Swanson is. But I particularly like that “still”…
Snake Alphabet
Tom McIntyre’s Ophidian Abecedarium (story below with “Gun Alphabet”). Pix, anecdotes, suggestions all encouraged. Right click photo to enlarge… SNAKE ALPHABET–A to Z AspBoomslangCottonmouthDeath AdderEastern Diamondback RattlerFlying SnakeGarter SnakeHognose SnakeIndigo SnakeJapanese Striped SnakeKing SnakeLyre SnakeMamba (Jonathan Hanson’s friend Neels with pet)Night SnakeOlive Sea SnakePythonQueen SnakeRat SnakeSidewinderTaipanUrutuVine SnakeWater MoccasinX (Equis in Spanish, another name for the …
Gun and Snake Alphabets Project
Tom McIntyre writes: “Here’s a school project, if you’re game (might even work into a blog post). “Enter my great-nephew, age 7. On a recent visit, unbidden, he asked me to create a “Snake Alphabet” (why an alphabet, I’m not sure) for him. So I did, as best as I, a non-herpetologist, could… His task …
Ronald Stevens
This is not Bertie Wooster with a Gyr, but the great, innovative English falconer, naturalist, and writer Ronald Stevens, who lived for many years on an estate in Ireland and was the first falconer to understand Gyrs since the death of Colonel Thornton in the 1820’s.With then- young John Morris (my generation) he also bred …
The Riss & Tavi show
She is hunting again now, with Tavi and neighbor/ cousin Mars, and playing more including with big shaggy “uncle” Gaddi…
Occasional obligatory pigeon post
A pair of Cuban pouters I bred, at Mark’s in Iowa, tuning up for the season; a pair of old fashioned Scottish horsemen up a Tom’s on the Canadian prairie, strong enough to evade goshawks. Both are flying pouters, professional “thieves” and seducers; this video shows why, a bit (from Spain whence the game came).
On the other hand
My yoga instructor is a (real not wannabe) cowgirl. Her bumper: