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Falconry Headlines 2007

2007 looks like being an exciting year for UK falconers. We have three big events to look forward to: The British Falconry Fair, The CLA Game Fair and in July a completely new international event the UK Festival of Falconry .

The Festival is geared around the sharing of knowledge and experience from across the world with displays and events celebrating the history and cultural diversity of the international falconry community. The SEFG will be there of course and the committee are keen to hear your ideas for how we might contribute to this major event.

On a different note, DEFRA's consultation on its proposals for a revised Bird Registration Scheme comes to a close early in February. The SEFG will be making a submission and we encourage all raptor keepers to do the same so that your views are known and taken into consideration.

The Hawkboard continues its excellent and often unsung work of defending hawking interests. Over the past few months the team have been busy investigating the implications of the new Animal Transport Regulations which slipped out of DEFRA over Christmas. In short, if your business activity involves the transport of any animal then these new regulations will affect you. If your a professional falconer, pest control company, giver of wildlife talks etc. then you need to check out the DEFRA web site below. There's even a chance that if you transport a hawk for sale that you might fall foul of these new regs. We're in contact with the HB and will provide an update as soon as we can.

25th Anniversary Meet, Newmarket November 2006

What a great three days we've just had. Based a couple of miles from Newmarket in Suffolk, club members along with guests from the BFC, WHC, BHA, Central and Home Counties clubs enjoyed some great hawking and social events. We were especially pleased to be joined by our supportive landowners plus; Nick and Lynn from Honeybrook Animal Foods, Ron Digby the renowned artist and Jim Chick chairman of the HawkBoard.

With over 70 people taking to the field each day, using 10 different venues, the logistics were complex but we managed to pull if off without any mishaps. In fact we lost more people on the meets themselves than on the way to them. But you'll have to read our anniversary journal to find-out who it was that managed to get themselves lost. Thursday and Friday nights both culminated in informal buffet dinners but Saturday night marked the conclusion of the meet and culminated in a fantastic falconry feast. And what a feast it was, a marvellous combination of good food, great company and recollections of the club since its foundation way back in November 1981. Jim kindly acted as after-dinner speaker giving us a great insight to the Old Hawking Club, hawking on Salisbury plain and the modern day role of the HawkBoard. By the time our Chairman had concluded the formal events and we'd run the raffle it was already approaching the small hours.

One of the things we were pleased to be able to do was to create a DVD which provided a rolling-slide show of the digital photos that we'd taken over the three days. Along with signed limited edition print by Ron and a SEFG "goody bag" containing a new club badge, tee-shirt and certificate of attendance, we've been able to produce a lasting memento for all those members and guests who made the event such a huge success.

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Summer 2006

Its been a busy and hot summer so far. Club members seem to have had a reasonable breeding season with some notable successes including our first Benelli's Eagle - can't wait to see him on his first trip out at the Fenland Show. The CLA was at the Broadlands estate in Hampshire again this year. The Club was represented for all three days and we supported the falconry arena with our birds and talks given by Gary. It was a really friendly event with reps from all the clubs and trade stands mucking in. Honeybrook and the Hawk Board organised a lovely Bar-B-Q on the Saturday evening which rounded the whole weekend off nicely.

Spring 2006

The 2005/6 hawking season seemed to go well after the initial disruption caused by the Bird Flu restrictions. We managed to organise over twenty different events with the Christmas and Lords Ground meets being particularly well attended. March and April sees the breeding season gathering momentum and already a good many members have birds on eggs so fingers crossed that all goes well. At our Southern area meeting in March, we we pleased to have John Chitty in attendance. John gave us a very informative lead a very informative discussion on Bird Flue and the ramifications for hawk keepers should it arrive in the UK. Finally, the SEFG will once again be at the British Falconry and Raptor Fair this year. We might even make a return appearance in the main ring.

January 2006

The SEFG enters it's 25 year in September 2006. We have a number special events being organised throughout September and October, culminating in a 3 day field anniversary field meeting in November. We hope many of our members and friends from other falconry clubs will be able to join us to mark this auspicious occasion.

December 2005

Falconry meeting restrictions lifted! The restrictions imposed by DEFRA at the end of October have now been lifted in part. It is no longer necessary for Clubs to to apply for individual meeting licences, we just have to advise the appropriate Divisional Veterinary Service Animal Health Office in advance of each event - I guess we're going to get pretty pally with local veterinary staff. (Click here to download a copy of the Press Release). The Club is in the process of re-organising its field meeting programme for the remainder of the season. Please let your friends/fellow falconers know as this will help the communication flow.

This month also saw the airing of a new television series on Meridian TV, starring with Charley Dimmock and our very own trusty Harris Hawk, 'Baron'. Baron starred along with Hampshire member Dale Fairbrass & Darren Howell in an episode of 'River Walks'. It was only a brief piece, but Baron and his co-stars performed very well for their first, piece to camera.

November 2005

BIRD Flu halts falconry meets! The European Commission has made a decision to ban bird markets, shows, fairs etc. and according to the latest advice from DEFRA (Click here to download a copy of the Press Release) and the Hawk Board this includes field meetings. We understand that 2 falconers out together with hawks from their own mews constitutes a field meeting and so any form of group hawking activity is banned unless an exception licence has been obtained from DEFRA. There will be further consultations this week between DEFRA and the Hawk Board and other interested parties when further clarity will be gained. The SEFG has already suspended its field meeting programme and we are in the process of informing landowners of the current situation. Please let your friends/fellow falconers know as this will help the communication flow.

October 2005

Several members of the SEFG attended the Czech International Falconry meet which proved to be a great success, well attended and with a strong English contingent from several UK falconry clubs.

August 2005

August saw the SEFG in attendance at the Fenland Country Fair and Stonham Barns Falconry Day. Both events proved very enjoyable, the Fenland particularly so as we all arrived a couple of days early and so had plenty of time to sort out the show weathering and get the hawks and falcons settled in. With a few beers and congenial company it was an excellent way to spend the Bank Holiday. The weather was pretty decent as well!

This weekend (11th September) was the annual Alresford Country Show. Its the first time yours-truly had visited what proved to be a very well attended one day country fair. Jim Chick provided a very competent flying demonstration (would we expect less). The African Fish Eagle was pretty impressive, winging around and dropping in from a well positioned Scotts Pine. Jim's weathering proved a big draw with a number of Hampshire falconers and given the show is just a couple of miles up the road from where I live, I'll certainly make it a date in my diary for next year.

Falconry/ Parahawking Volunteer: Fancy spending a couple of months working at the world renouned project training birds of Prey to fly with Paragliders. For more information see our "Abstracts" page or email: info@himalayanfrontiers.co.uk

Early Summer 2005

The East of England show was another enjoyable three-days of hot glorious sun. The birds flew well given the temperature with only the SakerxPere letting us down and requiring us to send out a tracking party. She wasn't far and more than likely just got confused given the size of the show-ground, but for me and Tony, it meant two hours touring the surrounding Peterborough estates. Pretty exhausting work but a good excuse for a beer.

This month (July) has seen us taking part in the production of a new television series with Charley Dimmock. 'Baron' our trusty Harris along with Dale Fairbrass & Darren Howell, met up with Charley and Meridian TV. The series is about river walks of the South coast and involves Charley's's encounters along the river bank. We understand that it will be screened in October so Dale and Darren have a few months to practice their autograph technique.

The Club has decided, following discussions with the Hawk Board Game Fair rep not to have a stand at the Game Fair this year. It's well out of our catchment area and there are a couple of other local clubs who are better placed to support the event.

Past News Items

The new southern region

I'm happy to confirm that I've finally sorted a venue for the southern regional meeting of the SEFG. This will be the Percy Hobbs pub on the A31 just south & east of Winchester. There are a set of directions on the 'About' page (click on the Winchester link). To keep things simple we've agreed to go with the first Tuesday of the Month, meeting at around 8pm. If you're in the locality why not drop by for a beer.

SEFG representatives had a busy international season this year attending the Hungarian, Czechoslovakian and Austrian field meetings. They reported back with various talks and video presentations and it was obvious they gained a lot from the experience.

Birds available from SEFG members

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