THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

THE CISSBURY ENCOUNTER

Copyright Valerie Martin 2007

I have had some encounters at Cissbury Ring in my time, some pleasant and some not so pleasant....but I had an unusual one on a cold Saturday afternoon in November 2007.  I took my two dogs for a scamper to the area and set off down the Stony Track to Canada Barn and then away to the right towards Lychpole Dew-pond.     When I turned to go back home again .....suddenly, my girls set off as if the wind was up their tails and I couldn't see them for dust. I thought they must have seen a pheasant cross their path.

When I arrived back to the gateway at Canada Barn, there was no sign of them at all and I didn't know if they were in the Bird Ringers' Wood on the left or had squeeze through the gate somehow. What to do? Panic began to set in.

Then I heard barking from further up the Stony Track on the way to the car park. I went and looked and whistled. Thankfully, my girls hurtled towards me....... they then turned and flew back up the hill again as if the devil had called them.... although I hadn't heard a thing. Not much I could do, but follow and see where they had gone. You will never guess what they were doing.

A man with his son .....and a Harris Hawk (rather popular with falconers I understand) had apparently walked up the Stony Track and had passed the Canada Barn. The Harris Hawk had a tinkling bells on her jesses and was flying from fence post to fence post and my girls with their sharp hearing had heard them.     The large bird's antics were driving the dogs mad and they were chasing behind it barking wildly all the way.    It just sat and looked down at them in somewhat disdain.... or was it disgust?

I managed to catch the party up just before I reached the car park.   The boy, about eight years old or so was very chatty and told me the Harris Hawk was a female.   It was a year older than himself and at one time he had two pole cats as well ..... but the Harris Hawk had killed one unfortunate pole cat..... and the other had disappeared into the hillside.   "Oh dear!!" I thought to myself ..... Suzie and Katie were safely on the lead by now.

I asked him if the Harris Hawk minded dogs...... and he said ...

"She doesn't like them very much".

I would have been mortified if I had known that was why S and K had left me.... to pursue a bird of prey.    The man didn't say much at all. I think I had met him before down at the Lychpole Dew-pond some years ago.

So I ended my outing by walking along beside the father and son.... and their Harris Hawk flying from post to post.   The strange little procession had apparently walked for miles all around Stump Bottom.    By this time, Suzie had calmed down and was resigned to the fact that the bird was out on a walk ... but her sister had her eye on the hawk and would like to have given it a closer inspection.   

When we all arrived back at the car park....... the hawk landed on the windscreen of another car and tried to climb up the glass to get on the roof..... but kept slipping back..... like on a ski slope.    Quite funny it was.   I don't suppose the car owner would have believed that a Harris Hawk had used his car as a ski run while he was away ..... would YOU if it had been you?

By the time I was changing my boots before driving off, Suzie and Katie were safely in the back of the Honda looking over my shoulder ......very interestedly at the Harris Hawk ......who by this time was up on the roof of her own car, no doubt waiting to be loaded up.

If you aren't familiar with the Harris Hawk....here's one just as an example...See image.     Eeek!  If you are of a nervous disposition, this could be a wee bit frightening at close encounters.   Tell me how you would like to feel the rush of air and hear the musical jingle of her bells as she swooped along beside you.  

FROM PENNY IN ONTARIO....."hi valerie, your hawk adventure....that was an interesting story, maybe you can catch a picture of the bird and your girls the next time you meet. p."

Not if I see it coming first, Penny.  I've heard of them showing aggression towards Jack Russells and flying with talons outstretched towards a baby.   They are supposed to regularly hunt small mammals + birds on the ground.... gulp. 

FROM JOHN.... "Harris Hawk... Looks like a welcome visitor to Cissbury - a hunting pack of Harris Hawks could make inroads into the rabbit population - better keep them clear of the game preserves - don't want to see another Prince Harry episode".

Thank you for your words of wisdom from Walton-on-Thames, John.

Continue if you would like to read Bird Ringing on Cissbury — 2007

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.