Spike never ceased to amaze me. A small package, he taught me not to be taken in by all the talk by knowledgeable falconers, that the “big uns” are the best.
Those “big uns” may pack a punch but speed, dexterity and bloody determination is also a winning formula. A bit like small dogs, Spike thought he was one of those “big uns” and could tackle anything. He was game for anything that moved, thankfully he never included dogs as fair game.

He became a veteran of our visits to Herm Island, a small island in the Channel Islands which was our Mecca for falconry hunting holidays. The island had a very healthy population of rabbits and was the only location for wild pheasants in the islands.
We would box up our hawks and eagle and take a small plane then motor launch to get to the remote island.
Two weeks of bliss.