Falconry Weekend Recap
This weekend we hosted our annual Women’s Falconry Weekend and what a soaring success it was!
The weekend brings together club members of all abilities to share their love of falconry for an unforgettable event filled with insightful talks, exciting demonstrations and endless laughter!
We gave a warm welcome to husband and wife team Professor John and Margaret Cooper who spent the weekend with us. For those of you who have had the pleasure of meeting this formidable couple, their enthusiasm for people, learning and sharing knowledge is astonishing and not diminished by their maturing years.
On Saturday afternoon they set up a field lab sharing with the group the techniques of analysing mutes, casting and feathers and showing us how to improvise, learning from techniques they used during their time in Africa. They also donated a microscope to the Club along with many other items which were given freely during the session.
Along with our hands-on practical sessions, we also host a number of talks from individuals within the community. Charlie Heap, the owner and Director of the National Centre for Birds of Prey in Helmsley, has been an amazing supporter and advocate of the Club. Charlie shared his experiences of working with various birds through the years, some loved, some not so much! He described both the fear and exhilaration when things go well and when there is a monumental effort to catch up an errant bird.
Club member Montse Rey delivered a great workshop on the principles of flying. Not only did she explain Bernoulli’s principle but also showed us how it applied to our birds and in everyday life. I think there were definitely a few of us who wished we had paid more attention in Physics class!
Saturday saw our annual AGM, followed by our evening meal, this year provided by The Rhubarb Kitchen who did a stellar job serving a very tasty selection. With everyone sufficiently fed and watered it was finally time for our iconic and legendary Saturday night games. As always, the teams approached the challenge with gusto, enthusiasm and creativity. I think it is fair to say, the FFC members are competitive……at all costs…….😂
Our practical sessions also included committee members Naomi and Amy sharing their expertise. Naomi is passionate about working dogs and gave a practical demonstration of the behaviour expected in the field and the training necessary. She answered members’ questions and shared useful tips on how to get the best out of our four-legged friends.
The last session of the weekend was with Amy and her lure swinging competition with a twist. After a session teaching lure swinging, the competition was launched, the objective was to whack the incoming stuffed bird of prey with your lure. It is fair to say that experienced falconers winced at the idea of hitting a bird with the lure whilst our newcomers embraced it with gusto. Congratulations to Elena who whacked three incoming birds and enjoyed a bottle of plonk for her efforts.
