falconspace

Steve Vasconcellos & falcon Airiel [Gary Goldsmith/Daily Republic]

Keeping the skies gull free
by Barry Eberling, Daily Republic, 16 May 2005

FAIRFIELD - A 2-pound falcon named Airiel flew around Potrero Hills Landfill on a recent day to protect the 380-ton Travis Air Force Base C-5 Galaxy planes flying overhead.

This brown-and-white Saker falcon might seem a puny savior for a steel behemoth capable of transporting 345 soldiers. But Airiel scares away seagulls attracted by the dump's garbage. Bird strikes from a gull could damage even a C-5.

Trainer Steven Vasconcellos twirled a green tennis ball attached to a string as a signal and Airiel came in for a landing. The falcon perched on his gloved hand and gobbled down her reward: One of the many pheasant legs Vasconcellos keeps in a freezer.

"She's one of my sweethearts," Vasconcellos said. "She's just got a beautiful nature and I enjoy her."

The damage

A federal report records about 52,000 bird strikes on planes in the United States between 1990 and 2003. Photos in the report show the results: Crumpled plane noses and plane engines with mangled steel.

Solano County began taking a closer look last year at the threat posed to Travis planes by gulls. Base, county and landfill officials decided last fall to launch a falconry program.

Vasconcellos leads the team that scares away the seagulls. But he's quick to share the credit with his bird and animals partners.

There's Airiel, Raphael, Gabriel, Michaela and Barbara Jai, all falcons of Euro-Asian origin. They take periodic five- to 10-minutes flights over the dump, intimidating the gulls by their mere presence.

And there's Jessica and Tresbon, the dogs. These two energetic German wirehair pointers make certain the gulls don't find sanctuary on the ground.

"The basic philosophy is, don't allow the seagulls to rest or eat," said Vasconcellos, a Turlock resident who runs Wingmaster Falconry Services.

About 5,000 seagulls swarmed around the landfill when he started work in January, Vasconcellos said. Now, it's rare to see any. Despite all the potential snacks, seagulls have decided a day at the dump is no picnic.

"It's not rewarding," Vasconcellos said. "It takes too much energy."

A day at the dump

C-5s and other planes fly low over the dump. If the light is right, Vasconcellos can see the pilot in the cockpit, he said. Vasconcellos is glad to keep the seagulls out of the planes' air space.

Still, Vasconcellos doesn't view the gulls as the enemies. In fact, he praises them as intelligent, family orientated and great fliers. He just doesn't want to see them at Potrero Hills.

"I'm basically training the seagulls," he said.

He stood on a hill overlooking the landfill on a recent, warm spring day. The hills were green and purple wildflowers bloomed. A slight odor of garbage came from the garbage, very slight. This is as close to paradise as a day at the dump gets.

"I'm living the Life of Riley up here," Vasconcellos said. "But it hasn't always been so easy."

Not back in those cold, rainy, muddy days when the seagulls still had run of the dump. Vasconcellos and his team moved all over the landscape, making certain the seagulls never got a moment's rest. They worked from dawn to dusk.

Some days, Vasconcellos stood with his falcons on the face of the dump, the huge earthmovers making thunderous noise as they pushed piles of garbage a stone's throw away.

Where do the gulls go?

Suisun Resource Conservation District Executive Director Steve Chappell has a concern about the falcon program. He's afraid large numbers of seagulls attracted by the dump's garbage get scared by the falcons and go to Suisun Marsh.

"The big concern is they displace other resident populations that might be using those wetlands," Chappell said.

It's unclear where the gulls go. Chappell can't say for certain they're taking to the marsh. William Terry of Republic Services told the SRCD board that his company is willing to do a study.

Vasconcellos began training falcons in the 1970s, but started his Wingmaster business about four years ago. He also uses the falcons to do such things as keep fruit-eating birds away from crops.

He praised the falcons that have become part of his life.

"It's basically a privilege for me to work with such fine birds," Vasconcellos said. "They truly are part of my family."

He smiled and said, "Yada, yada, yada," realizing some people might think his words corny.

"But that's how I feel and that's the way it's got to be," Vasconcellos said.