Harris' Hawk blog: Classroom visitor

I found a little hog nose snake in a pool skimmer the other day. These are great little snakes. What an opportunity.

I took the little guy into school and tried to impress upon them the importance of being aware of their surroundings. They need to know their snakes, and don't kill them.

Hog nose snakes are "mimics". They pretend to be vicious, venomous snakes and around her, most people believe them. They are often mistaken for cottonmouth water Moccasins. It is

really too bad, cause they are great little snakes.

We showed him to the kids, handled him - taught them about mimics, then let him go.

Who Are the Birds

Tess and Gonzo are both 5 year old Harris' Hawks.

I've had Gonzo since he was a young hawk and he came to me from Dave Mancini. He is a great bird who has been car hawked at different birds, flown from trees at squirrel and rabbit, and flown from a T-perch. He is a wonderfully efficient hunter that hunts in the 650 gram range.

Tess came to me by way of Wes Collins breeding project. She is a direct descendant of the Coulsins' famous White wing. I just acquired her for the 2008-09 hunting season. Her previous owner flew her extensively from the car at starlings, geese, and crows. She has been great at squirrels and has a ridiculously calm disposition. She flies between 900 - 950 grams.