A rare falcon which escaped its Angus aviary is safely home.
The Gyr/Saker cross went missing on Tuesday after if chewed through its leash in the aviary of Montrose professional falconer Darren Pennie.
It flew off when the door of the cage was opened.
Despite several reported sightings the two-year-old bird, named Khalisi, spent a night out in the Angus open.
But as darkness began to fall on Wednesday she was seen in the town and safely recovered.
Darren, 28, said the outcome was the best result he could have hoped for.
And he thanked everyone who got involved in the hunt for the prized bird.
Factory roof sighting
“We had tried to get it out everywhere on social media and I got tagged in a post to say she had been seen on a warehouse roof near GSK in Montrose,” he said.
“By the time I got there she was no longer on the roof.
“But we had a photo so we knew she was definitely in the area.”
Darren’s girlfriend Katie then saw the falcon flying over the car park beside the grave of Montrose’s famous Norwegian sea dog Bamse.
Khalisi, which is bigger than a buzzard and has distinctive white and brown-speckled plumage, is used by Darren in gull management operations.
She responds to food on a lure and immediately recognised her handler.
“I got there within a minute, got the lure out of my bag and she instantly knew what it was – she was straight back,” said Darren.
Slight injury
“I’ve looked her over and she has a slight cut above her eye.
“Maybe she’s had a tussle with a crow or a cat over the night she was out.
“Otherwise she’s in good health.
“It would have been really difficult to see her if darkness had fallen again.
“This really is the best result we could have hoped for.
“We got her home last night and gave her a good meal and she seems fine.”
“Without everyone helping by sharing posts on social media we might never have got to her so quickly so I’m really grateful.”
Conversation