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Hello and welcome. My name is Frank Etchells and I've been involved in Falconry and Birds Of Prey since my first one in 1972... a Lanner falcon. That was back at a time when obtaining information or help was difficult unless you were able and capable of learning from some of the books available at the time... some quite "old" and therefore expensive.

I’d been interested in all animals from being a small boy. In 1966, at 15, I came across some Falconry books in my local library. Read them more than my ‘O’ level books. I then badgered my parents until I obtained some of these books for my "own" library. Books such as; "As the Falcon Her Bells" by Phillip Glasier, "Falconry - a manual of" by Michael Woodford, "Falconry" by Gilbert Blaine, "A Hawk for the Bush" by Jack Mavrogordato and other books until "Falconry and Hawking" by Phillip Glasier became available. I've since, like many other Falconers, purchased other Falconry and BOP related books over the years.

Not until I was 21, in 1972, did I get my first hawk - the Lanner falcon - when I lived in Bath. Flew her on local farm land, with the owners permission, until a job change meant I had to find a new owner for her. Later I flew a female Harris, then a Gos and became involved with the rehabilitation of injured and confiscated birds of prey - kestrels, sparrowhawks, buzzards and various owl species. In 1981 I moved up to West Yorkshire on the edge of a grouse moor where I hawked with a male Ferruginous Buzzard while trying to breed goshawks until moving back to the west country in 1986. On the goshawk breeding scene; the female killed the male which was, and still can be, a major problem in breeding this species - there are some talented, if much stressed, Goshawk breeders around today.

I joined the British Falconers' Club in 1975 and I'm still a member. I was a member of other clubs such as, the then, "Hawk Trust" (now Hawk & Owl Trust), "The Raptor Breeders Association" (RBA) serving on the committee and was also one of the founder members of a local Falconry group; "The Avon & Somerset Raptor Group". While a member of the Hawk Trust I was also assisting a local BOP rehabilitator with injured birds of prey. In 1995 I opened a Falconry school. I then had over 23 years experience of different hawks, had been out of work for sometime and was becoming more and more concerned over how easy it was/IS for a bird of prey to be acquired by someone knowing nothing about how to keep such a magnificent creature. Guess you could say I felt it was time I tried to contribute in some way to what has been a major part of my life for many years - some sad but many good. I no longer run courses but will "advise" when asked. There are links to various Falconry Clubs and related organisations on the Links page.

I am a member of a small number of internet Falconry discussion groups and run my own with a strict "Code of Conduct" which members are asked to abide by. An introduction post is a requirement BEFORE membership will be approved. Check out the site at;

FalconryandHawking_group@yahoogroups.com

Other groups I am a member of and worth considering joining are;

Canadian Falconry - not just for Canadians Falconers and full of many talented Falconers/Austringers! Longwingers - which is mainly for those hawking with Falcons of all types; Gyr, Peregrines and Hybrid Falcons... Also for the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizslas which is a great breed of "HPR" or "versatile" hunting dog. There are many other such groups for many interests... just do a search for a type of interest to find some. If there isn't one then think of starting your own --- it is "easy"! You may also want to check out The Working HPR Breeds Forum