HawkTalk Issue 89 Winter 2021

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HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

“Growing up as a lad, I was lucky enough to be deeply involved with birds of prey. My father was a falconer and we had various birds at home that I was lucky enough to work with. It was then that I decided to pursue a career working with birds of prey. A perfect partnership

Welcome!

We’re excited to introduce you to our two newest team members. Claire Twyning joined our Office Team in August and Jennie Marshall joined our Bird Team late September.

Claire

I began by working at the Trust more than two decades ago and have, of course, never left! From that moment on, I had access to a vast array of species of birds of prey to potentially work with. I gradually started to understand more about all their different traits and specific needs, and I quickly became very fond of falcons. Their nature and the way you need to work with them is quite different to other species. You’re working with an animal that’s full of explosive energy, highly reactive, easily excitable, and can often be startled with things within and changes to its surroundings. A lot of care and attention needs to go into the way you approach working with them, and you really have to work hard to gain their trust. I’ve been lucky enough to work with a range of falcon species over the years, but there was always one that I hoped I would get the chance to work with, the Merlin! This is the smallest bird of prey in the UK, renowned for being challenging to successfully train and fly and, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating and beautiful falcons there is. Just over 10 years ago, I realised my dream when I became the proud owner of a 12-week-old Merlin whom I named Lester, after horse rider Lester Piggott (because of the size comparison of course). I quickly got to work becoming part of this little bird’s life, and I loved every minute of rearing and training him.

Flying Lester has been so much fun over the years and I have many happy memories with him. I generally fly him from autumn to spring, and he gets a well-earned rest during the summer to moult. He has rarely flown off out of sight without coming back of his own accord (I’ve just jinxed this now, haven’t I?) and has managed to create some jaw-dropping moments during displays. One of the things I always love about his flying routine is that he enters the display very discreetly from out of sight. Many visitors have no idea that he’s even present until the commentator points him out. It’s not too surprising though as he’s just 25cm tall, with a wingspan of around 50-60cm and weighing a mere 160g. I love the moment when he bursts into action and the focus of the audience is drawn to this miniature rocket that explodes from the cover of his tree and immediately starts to hunt my swing lure. The lure encourages him to twist, turn and stoop as if he were hunting a small bird. He uses every ounce of his energy to chase and pursue this prize, and that’s the challenging part of working with a Merlin; it’s incredibly difficult to keep the lure away from him until that final moment of his hunting success. He has just turned ten years old, and the milestone birthday gave me pause to reflect on some of the amazing times I’ve had with him. His last season was one of his best, with some really explosive flying so please come and watch him in action this winter!” Gary Benton, Head of Living Collection

Jennie

Name: Claire Job role: Reception and Administration Assistant Favourite thing about working at the Trust: Walking around the grounds and saying hello to the birds. Greatest achievement: Passing the Beginning Falconry Award Course as a mature student! Claire has always had a love for animals and wildlife and has been a member at the Trust since 2014. She loves to see and hear the reaction of visitors when watching the flying displays and sharing in the Trust’s passion to conserve birds of prey. Outside of work, Claire has a great love for theatre, looking after her fish (which started from rescuing five Goldfish in a car park!) and spending plenty of time with her family.

Name: Jennie Job role: Bird Team Apprentice

100 Club What an interesting year 2021 has been. Having started with lockdowns and restrictions, we gradually began to take tentative steps towards what used to be regarded as a normal life prior to the pandemic. Yet, through it all, John and I have been bowled over by the kindness and generosity of members in their support of the Trust and of the 100 Club. Our membership has soared from 164 in December 2020, holding 213 shares between them, to 195 members holding 258 shares at the time of writing (late October). We cannot thank everyone enough for their enthusiasm and commitment. Earlier this year, we donated £1,000 to the Raptor Nest Box Project. Those 100 Club Members who attended our special evening in May will remember Dr Matt Steven’s talk on conservation in the UK, particularly in the south of England. We’ve recently donated £7,000 towards purchasing a new electric vehicle to replace the old Mule, which was a great workhorse but had seen its last days. We still hold £7,000 in our bank account which is held ready for any other projects which might arise soon. Should you wish to keep up to date with the 100 Club or, if you are not already a member, you can find out more about us at www.hawk-conservancy.org/support-us/the-100-club/. We always have room for new 100 Club Members! Take care, and have a warm and wonderful winter. Thelma and John Cobbold Jennie has spent many years visiting the Trust from a young age, with her dad, who has a great love for birds of prey. At 16, she undertook two weeks work experience with us, cementing her love of the Trust. When not at work, Jennie enjoys some unusual active pursuits, including aerial hoop and pole fitness. She’s even won the Patrons Silver Jubilee medal for a longbow archery clout shoot off! Favourite thing about working at the Trust: Helping with the demonstrations – they’re a real wow factor for visitors. Greatest achievement: Getting this apprenticeship! I feel so lucky to be able to work with such amazing animals and am so excited to get stuck in.

In his first year, as a juvenile bird, his feather colour was light brown from a distance, but as you looked closer his feathers were a montage of every shade of brown you could imagine with odd faint flicks of white and black giving him such detail that it almost looked like he was painted. After his first moult, he started to gradually replace juvenile feathers with a mix of adult greys across his back and tail and developed a burnt orange collar. I think Merlins are one of the most striking birds of prey, particularly in the sun when the feathers shine with all those colours.

Marion Paviour Award We are thrilled to introduce Jaime Carlino, our 2021 Marion Paviour Award winner, a graduate student on Humboldt State University’s Barn Owl Research Team. Jaime works in the vineyards of Napa Valley, California and is studying where Barn Owls prefer to live and how healthy they are and what effects this has on how successfully they reproduce. Keep an eye on our blog and future editions of HawkTalk for updates on how Jaime is getting on with her project.