Falconer Soars With Golden Eagle He Helped Rescue
"Because he had little experience of flying he was a bit ungainly at first and it took him some time to learn to soar—but he got there and you could just tell he loved it. When we are up there in the clouds I talk to him and he calls back and circles around me, it is an awesome and exhilarating experience. Flying with birds puts you right into their world, we have formed a very close bond."
REPORTER'S NOTE: Ok, so this story isn't necessarily a "Christian" one, but in light of Isaiah 40:31, it sure made my spirit soar. "Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (NIV) Who knows? Perhaps it's a sign...it's certainly a wonder! –Teresa Neumann, BCN.
(United Kingdom)—Falconer Jonathan Marshall is a man who doesn't just want to soar like an eagle, says reporter Beth Hale. He soars with them...in his hang-glider...at an elevation of 2,000 feet. According to a report in The Daily Mail, Marshal has forged such a close relationship with four-year-old bird of prey named Sampson, that it will fly beside his microlight plane for miles.
Yet incredibly, notes Hale, just a year ago it seemed doubtful that Sampson would ever take to the skies. The bird, she explains, had been stolen from a British zoo and kept locked up in a small dark cupboard for six months, struggling so violently to escape that he broke all the feathers in his wings and tail. But, when finally rescued and the police handed the bird over to the care of Mr. Marshall, it marked the "start of a remarkable partnership between man and bird."
In the wild, golden eagles reportedly like to hunt in pairs, so Marshall (who became the first man in the world to train a peregrine flacon to fly beside him in 2002) built on that natural instinct. (Photo: SWNS/Daily Mail)
Describing the bird's transformation, Marshall says: "When he came to me Sampson was in a terrible state,. He was aggressive because of the way he had been treated and all the flight feathers in his wings and his tail feathers were snapped and bent. It was just lucky he didn't break any bones at all. He was pretty smashed up and left with huge gaping holes in his plumage. It took four months for his feathers to grow back ready to fly, but when they did he looked just magnificent. Over the time it took for him to recover we built up a bond of trust and went hunting together, like a pair of golden eagles would do in the wild. But I was on the ground with a leather glove while he was in the air, I just wanted to be up there with him. It was a natural progression for me."
Now they soar together. Sampson's top speed is said to be around 100mph but he is "quite happy to soar at 30mph."
"Golden eagles are just so intelligent, Sampson got the hang of it quite quickly," said the trainer. "To start with it was like watching a chick learn to fly, except he is this huge three foot tall creature. Because he had little experience of flying he was a bit ungainly at first and it took him some time to learn to soar--but he got there and you could just tell he loved it. When we are up there in the clouds I talk to him and he calls back and circles around me, it is an awesome and exhilarating experience. Flying with birds puts you right into their world, we have formed a very close bond."
Since it is estimated that golden eagles can live up until 50, Marshall is said to be looking forward to many more years of flying with Sampson. (To watch a video of the two soaring, follow the link provided.)
