2008 Training Tosses 1 to 8

Here is the basic information on the first 8 training tosses.

Toss 1 & Toss 2  -  8/10 & 8/11  - 0.75 Miles:  The first and second toss took place from the opposite mountain that you can see when you look straight out from the loft.  The birds can see the loft from this toss and it's a good way to get them used to the crates and being driven around in a truck, before they drop over the hill down into Garden Valley. 

Since they can actually see the loft it goes without saying that they all came on the drop with no losses.

Toss 3  -  8/12  -  1.75 Miles (Garden Valley School):  This was their first time being dropped over the mountain into Garden Valley and as I have found with my own birds, if a particular bird is not loft flying well we will sometimes drop them on this toss.  The birds took off well but it took them quite a while to get home and they actually came in a little broken up.  Possibly a hawk attack or another flock of birds.  1 Bird Missing/Lost (RCF 8901 BB - Palaferi)

Toss 4  -  8/14  -  1.75 Miles (Garden Valley School):  Second time to the school and most of them came on the drop except for a couple late ones and one missing bird.  The missing bird had done fine the toss before and had been loft flying well, so I have no idea why it is missing from so close.  1 Bird Missing/Lost (MRC 614 BBWF - Valentine)

Toss 5  -  8/15  -  1.75 Miles (Garden Valley School):  Final time to the school parking lot and all of them came home on the drop except 1 which came in later.  They flew quite a while after they got home.   No Losses

Toss 6  -  8/17  -  6 Miles (Georgetown School):  This was their first time to Georgetown which is 6 miles and about 2650 feet in elevation.  This is a real nice release point at the athletic field and the birds usually come very well out of here.  All of the birds came on the drop except 4 (all of which returned within a little while).  No Losses

Toss 7  -  8/18  -  6 Miles (Georgetown School):  This was the second time to this location.  All of the birds came on the drop except 1 which did not return.   They flew quite a while once they got home.    1 Bird Missing/Lost (FSC 9013 BB  - Kurtzner)

Toss 8  -  8/20  -  6 Miles (Georgetown Airport):  We changed it up a little for this toss and took them to the Airport in Georgetown which is well north and a little west of the school, just to get them a feel of being more to the north.  They must have got off in the wrong direction a little as it took them about 45 minutes to get home with all of them except 3 coming on the drop.  The last of the three late birds returned the next morning.  No Losses