Example of Herbs & Things Wednesdays Weekly Messages from Nature

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 Thank you Kellie

Good morning
from Kellie and Herbs & Things and 'Everyone' Else.
 

Messenger
Jan 25th-Feb 1st 2017

RAIN

Time to Replenish,
Sing your song,
Shine as brilliant as
the colors of the rainbow

As Gene Kelly sang from 'Singing in the Rain'...
I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart...
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain
and so on goes the rest of the song
 

Even if you don't remember the musical or the song, these words speak volumes of what rain can do for you..

So I can't help it again, when I always say, how amazed I am of the timing of Nature, and that I shouldn't be surprised. But, really every time I am.

You have to admit right, it's amazing to you too, now after the Newsletter of retreating from news, social media and negative energies, that Nature brings a message this week it's time to Replenish.

Ask what is accomplished when you retreat and rid yourself of unneeded energies and replenish your resources? 
It's easier to traverse your tree of life, with no need to carry extra baggage weighing you down. Carrying extra baggage only makes your 'walk' that much harder. Such as flying on an airplane now with too much baggage you get charged more, same goes with carrying extra unneeded emotional, spiritual and personal baggage: you pay a price. A high price of unclarity, disconnection, indecision's, sadness, and sometimes manifestation of ailments in the physical body. 

So...Nature brings the message, of replenish, drink in, honor the rains; they water your soul so things can grow as a flower grows when watered. Rains wash away any dingy or dirty energies and the flower of who you are will grow and be beautiful, 

Think how you feel when you take a walk in a soft rain, visualize how invigorating, soothing, quiet and calming it is. That's because as the tree is the root of your path, water is the currant of you life's path. Water is cleansing, clearing and powerful, and gentle at the same time, an earth element with great power to change the 'landscape'. Rains are Gods and Mother Nature's way of cleansing and renewing the Earth. This tells you that the energies and Medicine of rains are here to help cleanse, nourish and open you up to new possibilities as a flower bud opens after a rain to the sun.

Again shouldn't be surprise, (but I am) that Rain messenger comes at the time of the New Moon, which is always of New Beginnings and also of a time to rest, or replenish before the next cycle of events.

Rain messenger has also come at the time of the Chinese New Year's Fire Rooster, which if you remember is a time of new beginnings, strength and courage.

Fire and Water compliment each other, in that water helps fire stay in control and water can put a fire out if Fire energy gets to big. Fire in return can warm cool waters so they don't ice up and become immovable. This brings Medicine of natural healing of cooling, heating, slowing and moving to you.

This new cycle and the cleansing of rains energy, is medicine, of another opportunity for you to  think about the next step in your path, in this new cycle. For with each new cycle things change and often we find that what was once needed may no longer be needed and by replenishing your energy, getting a second wind, this step is clearer for you.

We humans, always moving forward, are like a flowing creek created and recreated by rains, in that we are always creating and recreating who we are, into something better,  wiser, more beautiful and connected to the will of the Divine.

So take your time to replenish, and rejuvenate your energies, create and recreate, the universe is saying with rains, it's ok to take this time to do this.  
By doing so, replenishing your 'resources' it creates even flow and opens you to a better understanding of the guidance you are receiving from God, the Angels, your Guides, Messenger and Medicine Helpers of Nature.

Meditate on walking in  a soft cleansing rain, visualize how green everything is and how the birds sing after a warm rain. Take this energy and allow it to become part of you, fresh, green, growing, singing your song and brilliant with healing, growth and wonderment. Rains can wash away, hurts, disappointed, negative energies, sadness, for what are tears, but drops of rain, and once the tears stop you can see with clarity and the sunshine again.

Breathe deep, be calm and see your next move. Guided by the rains, as you look up turning your face so their drops can touch you brow and face, and imagine a rainbow created by these rains and the sun. Feel it's energy fill your core.

A rainbow represents the energies of your chakras, the sun (core) the center of who you are, and the colors that resonate from  you from this mixture of rain and sun. It is the energy and life force within you.
Allow the rains to clean and balance your 7 major chakras so they are no longer dim, but brighter and stronger as the sun shines upon them and radiates out of you creating a rainbow from you.

In this mindful rain meditation you will be shown your next step or maybe, you'll be shown, right here right now, for this time, you should stay where you are, grounded by roots. Visualize a flower, any beautiful flower rooted where it is, imagine this is the you as you want to be. Let the rains nourish and help you to grow, open and then see what you...a beautiful flower ..has to offer nature, the world and the universe, from your beauty, and nectar.

Wherever your meditation journey takes or does not take you, know the rains are for the good, and whether you are standing still or flowing with the waters...you are right where you should be.
 

As always
With Love
Laugh often

Love large
Dig in the dirt
Grow a garden
and may the sun light your way
Kellie
+
Herbs & Things  

Re-post of a interview with Johnathan Clarkson Falconer in 2008...

now you can find what he's doing at

www.americanhawkeye.com

Interview with a Falconer---August 2008, 

I have always been in awe of raptors, the Hawk being one of my favorite, so being up close to one and feeling the rush of air on my legs as she swooped by me at a speed of 100 MPH or more, was like a dream come true.

I had the privilege of doing an Interview with a Falconer, and I'd like to introduce you to,

Amelia the 3 month old Prairie Falcon and her handler Jonathan Clarkson.

Johnathan was young man in my 4-H group, in the early 90’s. He was an energetic child, always hiking, fishing, being one with nature and usually doing things his own way, catching his first Hawk when he was around 13. Often I would see him, no saddle and bare feet, with his horse Smokey running up the fields behind my house, free like the birds he loves.
Since then he has grown into a fine young man and I have great admiration and pride for the man that he has become.

KMS: 
What is a falconer?

J. 
Someone who trains birds of prey for hunting

KMS 
Jonathan, You told me yesterday you do exhibitions, what is one important fact you want people to know about Falconry?

J 
I tell them it’s important they understand falconry is not keeping a raptor as a pet. The purpose of doing this is to train them to fly free and catch game. This was the original purpose of falconry, an easy way for people to get food.

KMS 
When did you know you wanted to be a falconer?

J. 
I've always been interested with birds, actually, since I could read I use to read about them. When I was in elementary school, I met a man that did bird banding, so I helped him with that. I’ve always liked birds of prey. When I was real little kid, there was a movie called Lady Hawk. A movie set in medieval times, that had a Hawk in it and that’s when I knew I really wanted to work with hawks and birds of prey.

KMS 
I know exactly what movie you are speaking of, it’s one of my favorites too. Please continue.

J. 
After watching that movie, I knew I wanted to do that (be close) with a bird of prey.

KMS. 
What does it take to become a falconer?

J 
Lot of hard work and patience. Legally you have to get a state and federal permit. The laws vary from state to state but they are trying to keep them close to being the same.

KMS. 
Do you have to go through any kind of training?

J. 
Yes, you have to go through an apprenticeship and serve under someone for two years. There are three different classes of falconry, an apprentice class, general and master’s class and with a bird for four months, in two different 12 month periods. An apprentice in NY can only have kestrel (sparrow hawk) or a Red Tail hawk. They have to be captured from the wild as a passage bird.

KMS. 
What is a passage bird.

J.
A passage bird is a bird that’s in its hatching year on its first migration. In NY the trapping season is from Sept to January

KMS 
Why did you choose working with Raptors?

J. 

Again since I was a kid, I was always interested and intrigued by them. Now that I am working and training Raptors, I get to see from their level how they hunt. Plus to be with them when they reach the next level, and right there when they are hunting, as a companion, lets you see how they hunt in the wild up close—is fascinating.

KMS 
How does one go about catching a raptor and at what age is best?

J 
That depends on what kind of prey you want to hunt. What kind of bird you want. You can capture them from the nest. There are all kinds of trapping methods. There are nets and box traps.

KMS 
How long does it take to catch a Raptor?

J. 
Sometimes it takes a long time. I’ve gone a couple of seasons without any luck.

KMS:
I watched you work Amelia yesterday and you mentioned that training a young raptor is a bloody task. How so and what do you to do train a young bird.

J 
You can use bait, like starlings, gerbil mice, nets, traps, etc. Songbirds are protected. There are special traps we use where the bait used in the traps are not harmed. When the rapture is young you have to try and mimic as close as you can to what their parents would do.

KMS 
HOW do you mimic its parents?

J. 
When a raptor is still in the nest, as they get older the parents fly by and drop food in, making the youngsters work for their food.
Then when they are fledglings, the parents drop food from above and have them catch it.We use lures to mimic this. They come in all shapes and sizes and you tie tidbits of meat and swing and drag the lure around, coaxing them to fly towards it. You give them a bagged animal, that’s alive for them to hunt.

KMS
So both parents are involved in raising their young raptors?

J 
Yes, Raptors are a family.

KMS
Jonathan, I'm not sure if I want to know, but I have to ask, you mentioned previously about giving your falcon a bagged animal. Please explain what a bagged animal is?

J 
Something you capture, like a Starling or Pigeon that you tie a drag weight on, with a line, so they can’t fly or run to far. The Falconer hangs on to the line to keep the game in a certain range where the young bird can see it. When the bagged animal tries to fly or run it entices the young bird to hunt it.

KMS 
Knowing you since you were a young child, I know you love animals. So how then can you willingly put a live animal out there to be killed by your bird in training or kill an animal to train your bird. How does this make you feel?

J
It’s hard. It’s a hard part of being a Falconer, but I realize in the wild their parents do the same thing, it’s part of the life cycle.

KMS 
So what this means then, if you decide to catch a young Rapture you become its parent and the responsibilities that go along with it.

J
Yes…If you are serious about being a Falconer, teaching others about Raptures and making your bird a good hunter, you have to replicate how it would learn to hunt as close to nature as possible. As your bird improves its hunting skills, you can’t keep handing them bagged or dead animals or they will not learn to hunt. They will soon learn not go after game that is physically fit, because the bagged or dead animal is easier. You have to push your bird to the limit. They must be physically fit and in the best health to be able to hunt like they should, and the way to achieve this is you must duplicate how they learn in the wild. You have to feed them well with what they would eat in the wild too. They have to be an athlete, or in the wild, it would mean certain death. The responsibility of a Falconer, because we want to learn and then teach others about these great birds is to do what’s best for the bird. As I said, it’s our responsibility, they did not asked to be captured.

KMS 
I don’t think most people think about a ‘bird’ being physically fit or an athlete.

J 
They have to be to survive in the wild. That’s why when they are young, their parents make them work for their food. It teaches them to use their instinctive skills. They MUST learn how to hunt for themselves and their families. In the wild, the ones that are not the athletes cannot survive.

KMS How long does it take to train a bird and at what age are they best to capture?

J 
About a month as a rule of thumb for training. Some are fast learners some are slower. The Prairie Falcon I have, as soon as she was flying she was pretty much trained. I captured her from the nest. She was all full of down, a little fluff ball. She became tame very quick.
To answer the second part of your question…at what age is best for them to be captured? The decision to catch a wild one or chose to take a baby from the nest, depends on what someone wants. If they want a really good hunting bird, they would want to capture a passage bird, because it’s already been living on its own for a couple months catching game. Many times though it will take them a little longer to become tame, called ‘manning’, (getting them use to humans).

KMS
What happens to these birds once you turn them back in the wild?

J. 
Imprints…birds captured from the nest, typically are not returned to the wild. They don’t think of themselves as a bird. So it is harder to return them. It can be done, but it is unusual. That’s why an apprentice can only capture a Kestrel or Red Tail from the wild (a passage bird), in case they loose it. It can return to the wild very quickly and it doesn’t take them very long to revert back. Imprints are use to man, use to dogs, which normally would be predators to them, so it would not be very fair to them to release them back in to the wild. They don’t have the natural fear to keep them safe. That’s why I stress the importance, that being a Falconer is a serious endeavor. You can’t take a bird from the wild, imprint it, get tired of doing it and just put it back.

KMS 
Which raptor is your favorite and why. Is one breed smarter or bolder than another?

J 
Yep, they are different, even raptors from the same families. For instance the Prairie Falcon I have, Amelia, my friend has her sister and they are two different personalities. Amelia, is quiet and friendly. My friends falcon squawks and bites his glove. A more aggressive one might make a better hunter, but I’ve also seen the quiet more docile ones have the most game kills. Sometimes the docile ones are just taking things in slower, thinking about them more. As far as my favorite bird, it depends on what you want to hunt. If you want to hunt up-game quarry, like Pheasants, or Grouse, Falcons are the best. I haven’t had one yet but probably my favorite is going to be the Goshawk. It belongs to a group called the accipiter, with short rounded wings and long tails. Their habitat is in thick woods. They catch birds, squirrels, rabbits, all kinds of rodents. They are very fast. In Europe, they were called Pot Hawks, because you could come back with all kinds of game for the dinner pot, geese, birds and game . I’ve always liked them so I would say they are my favorite, and I hope someday I will be able to fly one.

KMS 
Amelia is smaller then some of the other raptors you have mentioned. How with her smaller size does she hunt successfully and how are her hunting skills different than let’s say the Red Tail Hawk. Why did you choose her.

J 
I was impressed with the great hunting skills they (the falcons) have for a small rapture. Their successful kill rate is better than a Red Tail. If they go after game, they are 30-40% more likely to capture it on the first try. The Prairie Falcon is built different than the Red Tail. They are more streamlined and what’s considered a Long Wing. But her body is stocky and built rugged for hunting. She kills her prey with speed—hitting it at speeds of 200 MPH. If the impact does not kill her prey, then she severs its spine with a notch she has on her beak. Even though she is smaller, her wings are longer than the Red Tail and when she is full-grown she will probably weigh more. The Red Tail hunts with its talons. It could not hunt with impact like the falcon, because their bones are hollow. They look bigger because their feathers are fluffy.

KMS 
I noticed yesterday when I was up close to Amelia, her beak and legs are a bluish color. Is that a falcons coloring?

J 
Yes and no. The blue is normal for an immature falcon, and will stay that color until she is about a year old. When she matures her coloring will change.

KMS 
Oh and yesterday, you cued Amelia to fly between the two of us. As she flew by she was so fast, I couldn't catch her in my camera lens, and I could feel the rush of air as she swooped by. She was going 200 MPH?

J.
No…she was probably only doing about 100, just cruising.

KMS 
Is any breed of raptor bolder than another?

J 
Yes —Goshawk’s are very aggressive, and some species of falcons are more aggressive than others. Some falconers like certain falcons over others because of their flight styles. The Red Tail hawk is a very good hunter, plus many like them because of their beauty. It really depends on the falcon or raptor, just like a litter of pups; there are the bold ones and shy ones.

KMS 
You spend so much time with your bird, does a bond form between you and the bird?

J
Yes it does, but not as much as you think…we (falconers) all kind of want our birds to love us, like a dog, but they only perform because they know they will get food. Their bond is mostly around the food and game we provide them. As they become better at hunting with you as a team, they learn that you are their partner and you help provide game. There is a species of hawk however, called the Harris Hawk, that is very social and they live in a family group. Most raptors I know are solitary. Even during breeding season, they stick to themselves. The Harris Hawk on the other hand, is a big family group.

KMS 
Do hawks then mate for life?

J 
Yes most species do, until one dies or is killed. They will use the same nesting sites for many many years too. Often when one of the parents dies, the offspring will come back.
Let me go back to the Harris Hawk, because they live in families, when you take one you can take two and hunt them both or sometimes more. This is called gang hawking, kind of like a wolf pack. These raptors actually form a bond with you. They are very smart, and a lot of falconers like them because they are easy to train. Out of all the hawks, I would say the Harris Hawk builds the biggest bond

KMS 
Are raptors considered a bird or is a raptor in its own category?

J 
They are a bird, but they are in a group called Falconiforms, (eagles, falcons, hawks, osprey, secretary bird, vultures; class Aves) An order of diurnal birds that have sharp claws and strong hooked bills. They are mainly carnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of animal prey.
There are five families:

Accipitridae …
which are true hawks…hawks, eagles etc.
Falconidae …
Falcons,
Pandionidae …
Osprey
Sagittariidae …
Secretary bird that lives in Africa
Cathartidae …
are the vultures, which are really not considered birds of prey but they classify them together.
Owls are strigiformes

KMS 
Tell me a little about Amelia

J
She is a Prairie Falcon captured from the West Desert in Utah. Prairie Falcons are only found in the North American continent. For years, they thought they only lived in the Western Plain State and a little bit of Canada, but now they are finding that they nest deep in to Mexico.

KMS 
Do you think that’s just recent?

J 
No they probably just didn’t know. There are probably a lot of remote areas no one knows of yet. They believe the biggest population is in the Snake River Valley in Idaho. Falcons nest in rocky cliffs. Sometimes they will use old crows, ravens nests but not usually. Falcons do not build nests, they just lay their eggs in a little scrape. Some on real steep cliff faces. Their habitat is grasslands, prairie, desert, and open spaces.

KMS 
In General how many young do they have?

J 
This year in the nests they had around five babies, which is a good year. The amount of eggs a Raptor has depends on the prey base.

KMS 
Kind of like the wolf population?

J
Yep, all predators are the same in that respect. When there is a abundant food source, predators have a successful year.

KMS 
Out of those five eggs, how many usually survive?

J 
Rule of thumb, mortality rate is 80%. 80 out of 100 raptors will die before they reach maturity.

KMS 
Is that from other predators or different factors?

J 
Lots of things. Other predators, competition for food. Not enough food. Harsh weather. A predators life is hard on them.

KMS 
At what age do birds of prey start hunting in the wild on their own?

J 
Few months, the Prairie falcon fledges at about 8 to 10 weeks.

KMS 
Do birds of prey normally only have one brood a year or more?

J 
Normally they only have one. Sometimes though rare, if it’s a good year they can have a second.

KMS 
How long has Falconry been in existence and where did it start?

J 
One debate is that it started in Middle East. There’s also evidence it started in China. We know for sure its at least 4000 years old and that it may be older. I think probably the Middle East is where it started. There is evidence that the Egyptians practiced it and then Japan also. It got very popular again in the Renaissance, well even before that, in the Middle ages. It was for the hierarchy.
Back in the middle ages, different birds signified different classes. The birds the kings didn’t desire were for the peasants. They were very strict too. If you were caught with a bird out of you class designation they would cut your hands off. It was a very big social status, mostly for the rich. As you look through history, it was mostly a sport for the higher class.

KMS 
How do these birds fit into the hierarchy of the animal world and who are their predators.

J 
Different species have different predators. An Eagles predator would be other Eagles or man —man is their biggest predator. For the small raptures, their predators would be Eagles and Owls. Most all raptors who are diurnal, fear Owls. Because Owls are a nocturnal predator that hunt at night, and take a lot of young birds and many adult birds when they are sleeping. Prairie Falcons, for example, if they see an owl in the daytime, they will try to kill it.

KMS 
What do raptors eat?

J 
Prairie Falcons or other birds of prey?

KMS…
Any bird of prey

J
Some birds have specialized diets such as some Kytes which is a small falcon. The Snail Kyte that lives in Florida, live only on a certain snail. That would be an example of a specialized diet. Osprey, mostly eat fish. Bald Eagles, eat fish and will eat carrion and dead animals if they have to. Most of them are opportunists, they will take the opportunity to get any kind of food they can get.

KMS 
Will falcons or hawks eat anything that is dead?

J 
Not usually. But I have seen Red Tails in the winter eat road kill. Usually though, that’s only if they are injured or it’s a hard winter and they are hungry. If they are starving, they are not dumb; they know they need to eat. In the wild, Falcons mostly eat birds. During breeding and hatching season they will change their diet, to rodents and other small game. But when they are hunting for themselves in the wild, the falcon is adapted at catching birds. Red Tails, (buteo) will hunt rodents, some birds and reptiles. Eagles would be the same, mostly rodents, but they can also catch birds.

KMS 
You told me that Prairie Falcons hits speeds of 200 MPH. How do they catch their prey?

J 
They will bind to them in the air, which means they will impact with their feet, called raking (strike hard and rake its longer talon across the preys back). Some birds will just clutch their prey, take them to the ground and if they are not dead, sever their spine with the notch on their beak that I mentioned earlier. All birds of prey have that notched tooth in their head that when used kills their prey instantly.

KMS 
So actually then, the bird of prey is a humane hunter.

J 
I guess we as human would consider it to be humane but I think its natures way of equipping them with hunting and taking their prey quickly without getting hurt. The whole point is to kill something. Many times their prey is at least the same size or larger than they are, and if there is a struggle, they could get hurt.

KMS 
So when I see a bird of prey carrying a rabbit or something away, they’ve killed it before they carry it away.

J 
Usually. But the only bird that could really fly away with a rabbit is an Eagle. A very large Red Tail might be able to carry a rabbit a short distance, because a rabbit weighs at least a couple of pounds. Something that size they will usually eat on the ground.

KMS
How long do birds of prey live ?

J 
They can live a long time. There is a famous Eagle in captivity, who is still alive that is about 80 years old. Red Tails are known to live up to 40 years in captivity. In the wild, approx 20 years.

KMS 
You mentioned some words before, such as feaking?

J 
Yes Feaking is when they are done eating they wipe their beak off.
There are many falconry related words, such as Cadger.The old Hag. Hag refers to the term haggard, which is an adult raptor with adult plume. Cadger…is the person who carried the falconry ‘cadge’. A crate in medieval times that held many falcons at one time. The Cadge would carry the crate with the birds for the kings and the knights to the hunting grounds. So …the term come on you old cadger, came from that.

KMS 
I’ve watched you with Amelia since you’ve been here in NY for a visit and you fly her every day.

J
Yes…and its still not as much as I fly her at home. That’s why yesterday she was a little bit excitable and did not come as quick as she usually does when I asked her to come in. She’s use to more fly time. Can’t blame her, she’s a bird, she loves to fly.
Some guys get so involved and because falconry is so time consuming, they loose their jobs, get divorced, all because of the time it takes. But you need to spend this time to make sure your bird is in tip top shape and in good health. In the wild they hunt and kill something every day, so not only do you need to take the time to train them but you have to take the time to hunt with them. You have to find places where they can actually hunt. So that means if you live in the city, you have to take them somewhere they can hunt.

KMS 
As you with Amelia. She is not old enough to hunt on her own, so you have to do her hunting for her while she is in training and make sure she gets all the proper nutrients she would get out in the wild, correct.

J 
Yes exactly, I am her parents. I need to take care of her as they would. They have to eat wild game; they can’t just eat bird foods. There are certain nutrients and fats they only get in wild game that they need. If and when you capture a raptor to train, you also have to go through a legal process, put up facilities that have to be inspected and follow certain codes. Its not just catch a raptor, and then treat it like a parakeet you buy at the store.

KMS 
What would you tell someone wanting to become a falconer?

J 
We come across that a lot during falconry shows. People watch us, think they like it and want to do it. But we always tell them…it takes a LOT of time. I can’t stress that enough, the time it takes. You have to have a lot of spare time or make sure you MAKE the time. You can’t capture a bird, put it in a cage then expect it to perform. Falconry is not pet keeping. If you want a bird for a pet, I tell people get a parrot. Again, raptors are not pets. Make sure its what you want to do. Go spend some time with a falconer and see the time it takes before you go and catch a raptor. Spend time with some one who bands birds, anything to get to know the raptor better.
Its important you understand the commitment it takes. You have to be fair to the birds. Its a must you take the time and know what you will be getting in to when you become a falconer.
It's time you have to spend, not always time you want to spend. So just make sure you are willing to commit all you have to it before you enter in to it.
These birds, (birds of prey) truly are amazing and they deserve nothing but respect.
It is not something anyone should take lightly.

A Note of Thanks to Jonathan and Amelia in 2008 for letting me get up close and personal, it was a dream come true then and a privilege to know now, he's following his dream. 

Kellie

Again....Visit Johnathan and his birds of prey...at

www.americanhawekeye.com