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Wooton Park Pavilion, Mere Way, Northampton NN4 0GB.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE MAP
Start time is 7.30 pm unless otherwise stated.
Mike is the owner / operator of Icarus Falconry, situated within the grounds of Holdenby House in the Northamptonshire countryside. He has been involved with birds of prey as both man and boy. His knowledge and experience are both extensive, and he shared some of this with club members at the April members meeting. Recently, there have been several cases reported of Wingtip Oedema, a condition that can and does prove fatal in birds.
Wingtip Oedema is a
condition that can occur when a bird is subjected to extreme cold, such as a
bird The first signs are a bird that looks slightly puffed up and is holding 1 or both wings slightly away from the body. On examining the wing tips there will usually be evidence of a swelling that can be up to 3x the thickness of the normal wing. This swelling usually occurs several days after the incident. More often than not the damage goes unnoticed and the first time the falconer notices that there is a problem, is when he spots the entire wing tip on the aviary floor with anything up to 6 primaries still attached! A similar condition can arise following previous trauma to the upper wing, it is assumed that this is due to a response to impaired blood supply to the wing tip. Precautions that you can take:
Needless to say, if you ever suspect this condition in your bird, get it to an avian vet asap! Some useful reading, about Harris Hawk husbandry and medical conditions, including Oedema, can be found here...
The March meeting saw Terry
Large of the Hawkboard and Campaign for Falconry giving a talk about the
campaign's and the Hawkboard's current affairs as well as his adventures in
the Czech Republic. The camaraderie between these people was very clear to see, and they took their hawking very, very seriously. Terry talked at length about the issues facing us all as raptor keepers, and invited as well as offered support from both the Hawkboard and The Campaign for Falconry. The club looks forward to offering support wherever possible in whatever context, and we look forward to news and updates following Grant's attendance's of Hawkboard meetings.
One point made by Terry was
that members of the club would always be welcome to attend. Although
obviously not having a vote, it would be a good insight into how things are
done and which bodies are represented at these meetings,
The club gave Terry a warm welcome, and a healthy round of applause following a thoroughly enjoyable talk and video show, particularly given his recent illness that has compromised him from a talking at great length point of view. We hope to see more of him as NRC take up the challenges facing the Hawkboard and Falconry.
Many thanks for an informative and interesting talk to Martin Hollinshead. Martin shared his experiences over the years with us, from getting into eagle flying in Germany to Harris hawking in Shropshire, and provided an excellent slide show to accompany his talk. Being a several times published author, Martin also had a selection of his books for sale, which he signed for those who purchased. A great success of an evening, and we hope to see Martin again in the future.
Martin signing books for NRC members
Many thanks to Paula for making the train journey from Nottingham to Northampton to visit us. Paula chatted to the club about herself and her work,and about how she was first inspired by a falconer to paint birds of prey. Paula also had a selection of her work on hand, including a stage by stage portrait of Ki'Che, a male Saker falcon. It was fascinating to see the painting take shape, and the likeness, from a photograph, was truly remarkable! Several members chatted with Paula, and quite a bit of interest was shown in her work. Unfortunately, we were late getting Paula back to the train station, and she missed her train to Birmingham and as a result, her connection back to Nottingham. Many thanks to chairman Glynne Malkin for stepping up to the plate and running Paula up to Leicester, where she was met by her husband and returned home safely. Paula can paint in oils or water colour, and she draws using both Indian ink and pencil sketching. Anyone wishing to contact Paula can do so via John Tyas, and some estimated pricing of Paula's work is available from Glynne Malkin. Once again, a vote of thanks from the club for an interesting and entertaining evening, and we wish Paula well for the future.
Paula, Roland and Buddy
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All meetings are held on the
final Thursday of the month at:
kept tethered at ground level overnight during winter, or any other
time when there is an overnight frost. 
There was impressive footage of Harris Hawks, which have been adopted by
these falconers as it is now illegal to take Goshawks from the wild, hunting
hare in some beautiful scenery.
and
also to meet and interact with other club representatives. This would not
only be a good experience for club members, but it would also provide the
club with a stand in for Grant should he not be able to attend on any given
ocassion.
25th
September - Paula Fardell's
Visit
