The wonderful thing about fishing is that it isn’t just
about fishing. The Lathkill is a beautiful clear river, which, even after rain,
runs clear. The other bonus is that there is no public access, which means that
it is quiet and peaceful, the wildlife untroubled.
It was surprising though to see a hawk sitting on the stone
wall close to the bridge and hut on the middle beat. I had starting setting up
my fishing equipment, when I suddenly spotted it. I got out the camera, moving carefully,
and took several shots of it.
It sat there, watching me, moving its head just a little.
Hmm, strange, I thought! Fishing in isolated spots I have had a hawk land on a
dead tree above me, but it moved as soon as it realised I was there. This one
was going nowhere. Clearly it had a problem.
Fortunately, river keeper Jan turned up. The bird still
didn’t move. I pointed it out to Jan, who first couldn’t spot it, it being
rather nearer than he expected. He recognised it as a Kestrel.
We had a discussion – should we leave it and let nature take
its course, or should we intervene rather than leave it to starve to death
slowly.
It had now started moving off the wall, but clearly could
not fly. Was it wet and starving?
We should try and catch it was the decision.
So I armed Jan with my Tenkara extending landing net.
Fortunately the landing net I use for the Peacock water has a very long handle, as there is no wading. Its length proved useful, as Jan
gingerly and slowly raised the net toward the kestrel; now back up on a metal
post on the wall. Amazingly as the net moved toward it, it jumped into the net!
Having placed it in a mink trap in the back of his car, Jan
phoned Andy Heath of Trent Rivers Trust who has kept hawks. He was home, so off
Jan went.
He phoned me later, by which time the bird was perched on
the back of a chair in Andy’s kitchen being fed some chopped up mouse.
It had seemed very calm throughout its capture and as Jan
carefully held it, I do wonder if it had already had human contact – or perhaps
it was so hungry and exhausted it was beyond worrying!
