August 2007
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RSPB (Scotland) use M-J Hoods for their White Tailed Eagle
release programme this summer.
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July 2007
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Daily Telegraph, UK 17/07/07
Kazakh with "Elsa" an Imp' GEF with an M-J Kazakh Hunter
Hood
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M-J hoods was part of the British Falconers club exhibit at the
Falconry Festival alongside David Aldred and Tony James of the
BFC and Artist
John
Naylor.
Griff M-J talking to "Mike Westwood".
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April 2007
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M-J Hoods launch a new look website to correspond with the
launch of the new COBRA hood. |
February 2007
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6th February 2007
Another falcon is killed in suspicious
circumstances on Griff Morgan-Jones's flying ground (used for
training purposes).
Falcon found battered
to death
Leicester Mercury
A police investigation has been launched after
a bird of prey was found battered to death on a track.
The five-year-old falcon was believed to
have been killed by a blow to the back of the head as it was
feeding on a track in Barrow-upon-Soar.
Chris Hinds, 41, had been exercising his falcon in a field off
the A6, near Barrow, a week ago on Friday, January 26 when it
disappeared.
He lost contact with the bird - a peregrine cross-breed which
was worth up to £700 - after it flew above a bank of trees.
Although it was tagged with a transmitter, he was unable to
trace it as night fell.
He eventually discovered its body the following morning.
Mr Hinds said: "I was devastated.
"She was a good bird, and was probably waiting for me when she
was killed."
Mr Hinds, who lives in Coventry, had been out with fellow
falconer Griff Morgan-Jones, who runs a falconry equipment
business from his home in Mountsorrel.
Bird owners said they believed the incident could be linked to
another attack on a falcon, in March last year, which happened
two miles away.
In March 2006, Mr Morgan-Jones was featured in the Mercury after
his six-month-old falcon was coaxed from the sky, beheaded and
dumped by a railway line in Cossington.
Mr Morgan-Jones, 39, said: "For two falcons to be killed in
suspicious circumstances within two miles of each other, within
a year, is too much of a coincidence. I want to know why someone
is killing our birds."
A police spokeswoman said: "We are investigating an incident
where a peregrine falcon was found dead in the Quorn area.
"The incident took place between 4.30pm on Friday, January 26,
and 8.30am the next day.
"Officers are appealing to anyone who has information about the
incident to get in touch."
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January 2007
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M-J Hoods un-veils a prototype hood block and after testing and
fitting then develops the block fully by modern 3D laser
scanning. The first two hood blocks in the COBRA range are made
by the end of January. |
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November 2006
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21st November 2006
M-J Hoods has purchased two
Jack Stoddart hood blocks with a view to purchasing the full set, new
patterns and test hoods have been made and test fittings are being
carried out. We have initially started with conventional
"Slot" gapes in the test hoods to establish best placement of
the "Bell" gape. Size 36 (Falcon) and size 31 (Tiercel) can be
seen below.
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October 2006
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31st October 2006
M-J Hoods has become a British
Falconers Club Trade Member.
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August 2006
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16th August 2006
The M-J Hoods logo has been
registered as a Trade Mark, covering all items produced for falconry or
related products in the UK.
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April 2006
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12th April 2006
Death
of a Falcon
(Part
2)
By Griff Morgan-Jones
Continued
from part 1 of last weeks story about the “Death of a Falcon”,
Sabs, a Lanner/Saker Hybrid male falcon from Leicestershire.
9th of Feb 2006 (continued)
That evening I went to the Vets in Sileby, near
Cossington in Leicestershire, to collect Sabs’s remains, expecting to
find Sabs in pieces after being hit by a train….. but no ….. on the
contrary… Sabs was remarkably whole. His head was missing and part of
his top beak was clutched in Sabs left foot? On closer inspection he had
evidently been gripped by the tail feathers, legs and by the ends of his
wings due to the way that the tail feathers had been crushed. The tail
mount was intact and in place and with no damage the bell. The tail
mount was not damaged and the DEFRA & IBR rings were undamaged. The
other odd thing was that the Transmitter was not found with him and his
right flying Jesse had been cut with a sharp instrument. Sabs had not
been hit by a train but obviously killed by human hand…. Decapitation!
I was outraged and incensed ….why! It was becoming clearer to me that
he had been killed for the Transmitter.
The transmitter that I used was a 216 Channel 1 Tune
6-7 XLF-3 LL Electronics (Luxander) 6v in conjunction with an MN10
receiver; it has a range of up to 30 miles and a battery life of up to
seven days. To turn it off you have to unscrew the cap, I also wrapped
electrical tape over the cap to make sure it did not unscrew and also to
keep it waterproof. This transmitter also had a different tail mount
clip to the normal version; the clip used was connected “around” the
barrel of the transmitter as opposed to the normal Ariel attachment. The
clip was then held securely by bright yellow heat shrunk plastic, I also
wrote my name and contact details on this plastic in permanent pen in
the event of lost & found.
The days after Sabs’s death
I decided to take Sabs’s body to a specialist
Avian Vet in Meadow Lane, Loughborough to get a Post Mortem done to
confirm my suspicions. I then contacted the Wild Life Liaison Officer in
Leicestershire to inform him of the incident and he duly contacted the
local Police to start the investigation. On the 11th of February 2006 I
went up to the Railway bridge where Sabs’s body had been dumped and
found a trail of falcon neck feathers leading off the bridge onto a
Railway pedestrian crossing a short distance away. I took photographs of
all and I also met the two train spotters who first found Sabs body.
They confirmed that the transmitter was not attached to Sabs when they
found him at 10:30 am on the 9th of February.
It took a long time to get any contact from the
Police and exactly one month after the event was any person questioned
on the building site next to the flying grounds and by that time all the
“contractors” had gone. The first actions taken by the Police was to
get their Press Office to bulletin the crime for the media and this led
to the local News Papers and a Television piece on East Midlands Today
(BBC). Trying to give as much exposure to the incident to see if it
would make anyone come forward with information. The Police have
collected relevant information now and are working closely with the WLO
to try and get an outcome to the case.
The Post Mortem came back from the Vets and it
confirmed that Sabs had not been hit by a train or been killed by an
animal. His right leg had been broken at the hip at least one hour
before his death (the same leg that had the cut flying Jesse) and that
death was due to a single act of trauma to the head (decapitation). No
food had been found in his crop and his talons were intact and still
sharp. The crush patterns in the tail feathers and wing tips were
consistent with a right handed grip.
My belief (and others) is that Sabs had been brought
down to a “Dry Lure” on the 8th of February 2006 in the location of
the building site…. He was then “quickly” tethered by one of his
flying Jesse’s in such a way that his captors tied a quick knot in one
and in Sabs’s efforts to escape his leg was broken by that action. He
was then boxed up and kept in a vehicle until a convenient time for his
captors and then moved off locally to a secluded place whereupon they
could despatch Sabs and then take off the transmitter and switch it off
. His body was then dumped on the railway track in a “pre
determined” way to make it appear as though he had been killed by a
train. After despatching Sabs they then cut off the end of the right
flying Jesse so that what ever tether they had used could be kept.
The suffering that Sabs must have gone through
throughout the ordeal must have been terrible and his captors must have
been familiar with falconry as this was a calculated act. An act made
even more despicable as they had used the trust of the falcon to lure
him to his death so they could steal the transmitter.
Resolve
It is now 2 months since Sabs death and I have
received support from falconers from all over the world who have learnt
of this through the International Falconers Forum (IFF). They are all
equally disgusted and incensed that this could have happened. The IFF
has offered to pay a cash reward to information leading to a conviction
that currently stands at £500. The reward value is increasing on a
daily basis as Forum members donate.
One of the other good things to come out of this is
that the Independent Bird Register (http://www.ibr.org.uk
) are now registering Telemetry serial numbers to the Keepers, so in the
event of theft and recovery the Police and the WLO can confirm ownership
and also convict on this evidence if telemetry “has been registered”
and reported missing or stolen to the IBR.
Another good security measure is the use of
“SmartWater” on equipment and also on your Raptor. SmartWater is a
revolutionary product that has helped cut crime by up to 84%! Its
forensic properties are similar to DNA and can irrefutably link property
to its owner and criminals to the crime scene.
(http://www.smartwater.com).
I will also never fly my falcon(s) with flying
Jesse’s from now on and will use a “bullet Jesse” system out in
the field that can slot into the anklets when feeding on the fist.
Therefore denying the “would be” criminal another opportunity to
take up the falcon easily.
The measures I have outlined above will never stop a
determined thief from carrying out his crime …. But it might make him
think twice and at least it would go some way to providing concrete
evidence for the Police “if“ they caught him.
Lastly
The loss I feel after Sabs is immense, you care for
your falcon 24/7 and the worst of it is I was so close to him before he
was killed. If I can do anything for him now its is to see that the
culprits can be “brought to book” and also to impress on Falconers
and Austringers to improve their methods of security for the sake of
your Hawks and your equipment if you are not doing so already. Theft of
equipment is one thing but to kill the raptor as well takes it to a new
level!
Anyone with information about Sabs's death should
contact Pc Griffin at Quorn Police on 0116 222 2222 quoting Crime
Reference number NQ/00436/06-0.
Alternatively, call Crime stoppers, which is free
and anonymous, on 0800 555111 quoting Crime Reference number
NQ/00436/06-0
There is a reward of £500 (and rising) for anyone
providing information leading to a conviction.
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6th April 2006
Death
of a Falcon
(Part
1)
By Griff Morgan-Jones
It
defies belief what happened that day on the 8th of February
2006 and will remain lodged in dark parts of my memory for the rest of
my life. A despicable act and the life of a promising falcon taken for
the sake of a few pounds.
“Sabs”, my Lanner/Saker Hybrid Male, was flown on a daily
basis within the confines of two fields close to my home in Mountsorrel,
Leicestershire. The two fields were next to a building site development
that had just started at the same time his basic training had started. I
had got permission to fly Sabs from the artificial bank that had been
created for the building site. This 100ft bank came in useful in
Sabs’s early training as it gave me a clear view of the Soar valley.
Basic
Training
Sabs
was an average falcon; he was a bit slow to pick things up but once
established he was clockwork. He knew his boundaries and only once
throughout all his time did he “disappear” and that was for twenty
20 minutes in a strong wind. I was always confident in him and his
loyalty and waited patiently for his return….. he duly did …
appearing up wind in a stoop. He was a strong a capable falcon he never
once landed and was always “looking in. I would always give him at
least 20-30 minutes in flying time. His pitch was excellent by the end
of the season and I could cast him off and he would get straight into
work mode getting up to 600ft with ease and patiently wait on for what
ever reward he was going to be served with. I could go for a good walk
and he would stick with me at pitch such was his character. All of
Sabs’s training had been documented and followed by members of the IFF
(International Falconers Forum)
on the internet that can be found at http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/
. It is customary for forum members to share training information with
each other and also to follow progress and help each other if issues
arise from training …. As there is a wealth of collective knowledge
contained within the forum from all over the world.
Security
Sabs
was always flown with a tail mounted transmitter and XLF-3 from LL
Electronics in the
USA
. This transmitter is a powerful one and has a good battery life with a
range of 30 miles. The transmitter was also fitted with a barrel clip
with yellow “heat shrink” plastic over the whole casing to keep the
barrel clip securely in place. I had written my name and phone numbers
on it as well. It was
mounted in a “Resin” tail mount
that was very secure…. The transmitter could only be
taken out by human hand and only if the falcon was hooded or feeding on
the glove. The receiver I used was an LL Electronics MN10, a very
reliable and accurate telemetry system. Sabs had also been micro chipped
and had been registered with the IBR (Independent Bird Register).
8th
of Feb 2006
Today
was the first day in 20 days that the sun had shone….. Sabs had come
down to his flying weight (1lb 3 7/8oz) after taking an English
Partridge 3 days previously. It was now the end of the season more or
less and I had decided to put Sabs down for the moult at the end of the
week. At 2:15 I got on to the flying fields, there were two landscapers
planting tree’s around the artificial bank surrounding the building
site that day. I followed my usual routine and cast Sabs off in the
usual place and as soon as I did so the Landscapers turned their van
radio up to full volume… flooding the field with sound. I thought this
was a bit odd as they had not done this before on previous days. Sabs
set off in his usual route over to the building site as he would use the
thermal from the roof of the building to quickly gain lift to get to
pitch. I had turned to walk to a different position and as I turned
round saw Sabs do a shallow stoop into the building site, he was now out
of view due to the artificial bank. Thinking nothing of it, I assumed
that he had got down to investigate a crow. However from that point
onwards I never saw Sabs break the skyline again…. After 30 minutes of
not seeing Sabs I decided to get the telemetry out … thinking that he
had either killed what ever he had stooped at or had “unusually”
gone off out of site. My time was now limited as I had to collect my
children from their school at 3:15. I decided to get the telemetry and
get in the car and track him from there using the Omni Directional Arial
that I had for my receiver. I did so I continually tracked his signal as
I picked up the children from school. As soon as I got back home 4:00 I
was straight back out to the flying fields and up on the artificial bank
on the building site trying to get a fix on his location. I could not
see him flying in the valley and was getting a strong signal from the
end of the building site. There was also a copse at that end of the site
and I thought he had killed in that area and was either resting up after
feeding up. After an hour of trying to pinpoint the signal within that
small area it suddenly started to move ….as if he was up and flying
but I could not see him….. the signal was strong but I could not see
him. I decided to get in the car and triangulate from a different
position. I drove a mile down the road to look back at my previous
location and found that I was following a signal going towards the
village of Cossington in the valley…. But still no sign of Sabs in the
air? So I then thought of getting to another triangulating position to
see if I could get another fix… it was getting dark now 5:20 and I
thought Sabs would be finding a roost site. I got into the car and drove
through the
village
of
Cossington
… the Signal on the receiver was now very strong and all of a sudden
just stopped (5:30)? I got to my next location and it was now dark.
After at least two hours of searching for a signal I decided that Sabs
had got into a barn or out house for the night and that’s why I had no
signal …. It would have to be a case of getting up before first light
the next day and wait at the last known signal position and wait. I let
the IFF members know that Sabs was out for the night and all the local
members to me made the effort to get their telemetry out and try and get
a signal …. But still nothing.
9th
of Feb 2006
At
6:00 in the morning I was in Cossington waiting for that familiar pulse
on the receiver… but nothing. I spent the next few hours swinging the
lure with the receiver on thinking that every Kestrel in sight was Sabs
…..but no. All the local IFF members had been out that morning with
their 216mhz receivers as well…. But still no signal. At 1:30 in the
afternoon, after much lure swinging, I received a phone call from the
IBR. The voice on the end of the phone was sympathetic and he told me
that Sabs had been found but was dead. He told me that Sabs’s body had
been found by the local vet, in Cossington, next to the Railway track
and that he had been hit by a train. I was shocked…. but resolved to
get to the Vet and pick up Sabs’s body… expecting a gruesome sight.
To
be continued……..
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March 2006
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12th March 2006
Loughborough Echo
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11th
March 2006 |
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Leicester Mercury
SORROW AT SABS'S KILLING
BY DAN MARTIN
10:30 - 11 March 2006
The owner of a falcon which was lured from
the sky, beheaded and dumped by a railway has been inundated with
messages of sympathy from across the world.
Griff Morgan-Jones's falcon, Sabs, was killed after he went
missing while being exercised near Mountsorrel.
The six-month-old bird's body was discovered at nearby Cossington
the following day.
His head had been ripped off and his leg was broken.
Since the Leicester Mercury ran a story last month about the
police investigation into Sabs's death, more than 30 readers have
e-mailed us expressing sympathy for Mr Morgan-Jones's loss and
revulsion at the attack.
The messages have come from across Britain and as far away as
America.
Now, falconers and well-wishers have contributed £500 as a reward
to anyone who contacts the police with information which leads to
a conviction.
Mr Morgan-Jones today said he had personally received e-mails from
falconers and animal lovers in Holland, Belgium and New Zealand.
The 37-year-old, from Mountsorrel, said: "I have had so much
support from the tight-knit falconry community and beyond and
there is absolute revulsion about what happened to Sabs.
"People realise this is not like having your telly nicked -
someone has killed a highly trained and intelligent animal.
"It is a terrible thing."
Police say they are still investigating the killing but have not
yet arrested anybody.
Mr Morgan-Jones added: "What everybody wants to see is the
people responsible caught and punished.
"While the culprit is still out there, people are worried it
could happen to one of their birds."
It is believed that the Lanner Saker falcon was taken by thieves
who wanted the £150 tracker device which was attached to its tail
while it was being flown near the Wyvale Garden Centre, in
Mountsorrel, at 2.15pm on Wednesday, February 8.
A police spokesman said today: "We are still continuing our
investigation and we would like to hear from anyone who may have
information about how the bird suffered its injuries."
Anyone who can help is urged to contact Quorn police on 0116 222
2222.
Alternatively, call Crime stoppers, which is free and anonymous,
on 0800 555111.
Loughborough Echo
3rd March 2006
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1st
March 2006 |
East Midlands Today (Lunchtime & Evening
News)
 March 1st: News item carried by East Midlands Today
(BBC) covering the theft & demise of Sabs.
See the EMT piece (7mb MPG)
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A bird of prey was coaxed from the sky,
beheaded and dumped by a railway line in a "despicable"
attack.
Sabs, a six-month-old falcon, went missing when his owner Gruffydd
Morgan-Jones was exercising him, near Mountsorrel.
The mutilated bird was discovered a day later in nearby Cossington by
two train spotters, who alerted the authorities.
The animal's head had been ripped off and its leg was broken.
Mr Morgan-Jones, a falconer and hood maker, of Mountsorrel, said:
"I really cannot think of anything more despicable than what
happened to Sabs.
"He has been killed and dumped and I feel so angry when I think
about it.
"Sabs was the only bird of prey I have. When you are training a
bird, you form a bond with him. He was a young bird. I've had him
since soon after he was born.
"He was brilliant. I'd take him out every day and he would fly at
700 feet and never leave my sight."
Mr Morgan-Jones, 37, said he believed the Lanner Saker falcon was
taken by thieves who wanted the £150 tracker device attached to its
tail.
Sabs was being flown near the Wyevale Garden Centre, in Mountsorrel,
at 2.15pm on Wednesday, February 8 when he disappeared.
Mr Morgan-Jones said: "He suddenly dived towards the ground. I
thought he was mobbing a crow, but that was the last time I saw him.
"I tried to find him using the transmitter. At 5.30pm, the
transmitter stopped and I thought he had got into a building which was
blocking the signal."
The falconer was contacted by a vet from Sileby the following day. Mr
Morgan-Jones said: "Only another person who has skill with birds
could have done this.
"Only a falconer could have got him down from the sky to capture
him. I believe his leg was broken as he tried to escape."
Pc James Griffin, of Quorn police, said: "The falcon was loved by
his owner and was valued at about £500.
"We are trying to find out exactly what happened to the bird. The
post-mortem examination came up with findings that we can't ignore.
"There was also evidence to suggested the bird may have been tied
up."
RSPCA spokesman Sophie Wilkinson said: "This is a horrible
incident and the bird has been put through a great deal of unnecessary
suffering before it died."
Anyone with information about Sabs's death should contact Pc Griffin
police on 0116 222 2222.
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October 2005
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M-J Hoods has had a new logo designed and
will be putting the logo as a label onto the inside of the hood. We have
had a Logo stamp made for the hood interior and also a small signature
stamp made for the outside of the hood. All hoods made after October
2005 will have the new marks embossed into and onto the hoods. Here
below
are the new designs that are to be made into embossing tools. |
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