FALCONRY DAYS to fly high as one of the main attractions of the day.
It’s been some years since falcons flew at Northumberland County Show. This popular event, with so many distractions for the human being, isn’t where you’d expect to find such a wild creature ...who ...by its very nature, would deliberately avoid one man, never mind the expected 26,000+ noisy crowd.
But ....these creatures are raptors, driven, as all animals are, by food, and trained to know that when ‘working’ in accordance with their keepers; any feat accomplished will result in a tasty reward.
Staging the falcon’s comeback is Mark French of FalconryDays.com. He explains “These birds are creatures of habit who obey their own body clocks. They are used to routine and we work around their usual daily ‘timetable’ ”.
There are specific flying times and specific eating times for a bird of prey. It’s not a well known fact that birds who have regurgitated the non-digestible bits they’ve already eaten (in pellet form) will fly well. Up until then a bird is sluggish. “We can tell when they ready to fly by meticulously weighing each bird every day. It’s part of the birds daily welfare treatment to be weighed and examined and declared fit and well” he says.
Preparations and flying practice for this one day have been part of everyday activity for the company, based just north east of Simonburn, alongside the Pennine Way, since March. Falconer husband and wife team Mark and Mandy French with their head falconer Derek Clark have been creating routines and fine tuning airborne feats for a special display which will be one of the main early afternoon arena attractions on show day ,31st May, at Tynedale Park, Corbridge.
A five strong Falconry Days team, resplendent in their Mallard tweed tailored attire, will ‘work ‘ the arena together, using the PA system to explain to the crowd the nature and characteristics of each bird and what they have been trained to do. “The main arena is a fantastic opportunity for the birds to fly at breakneck speeds and demonstrate their agility. It will be truly spectacular” says Mark.
Variations on the familiar ‘lure’ routine will involve a variety of birds including falcons, hawks, owls and eagles. The birds are trained to respond to a lure (usually a pair of grouse wings, weighted and tied to a long cord) and in response to the falconers call the bird will stoop to the swung and spun lure which has been thrown high into the air. The bird catches it and drops to the ground. New routines will include a variety of unexpected props like plantpots and toy rabbits.
“The birds are focused on us, the handlers” says Mark “The showground activity and the distance away from the crowd, is just right for the birds to feel safe; they carry tiny tracking transmitters, for their own safety” he says.
Each bird has a different character and general characteristics vary from species to species, it seems. “George the African Spotted Eagle Owl has hidden talents” explains Mandy “you’ll have to wait and see on the day!”.
It could be said that each of these falconers have differing qualities combined with the necessary personal qualities of inner calm and patience and an ability to ‘read’ the bird’s body language. “You develop something of a sixth sense” says Mark “Birds will tell you lots of things and you learn to understand them”.
Mark has been described as something of a natural and has been often referred to as ‘being born in a nest’. Mandy is the carer “the looker- after and mostly the worrier” she says. “It’s my responsibility that the birds are fit and healthy”.
But Mark is also the ambitious visionary with creative new routines to show the birds at their best and engage the public interest. “We have built up the business in just 6 years and are now the leading falconry display team in Northumberland with an all year round offering of activities” he says. “Day to day we have a wide variety of ‘experience’ days from a relatively simple half day family handling sessions to more specialised hunting days, intensive one-to-one courses for would-be falconers and even Raptor Photography days for up to 12 photographers.”
“We are regular providers of ‘falcon experiences’ for the De Vere Hotel Group and are regularly booked for wedding ceremonies to fly the ring to the gauntleted arm of the best man! We even supply a bed and breakfast service for raptors whilst their owners are on holiday.”
The summer months are taken up with bookings for agricultural shows and special day out displays throughout the region. “Shows are excellent marketing opportunities for us to build awareness of what we offer but also to educate everyone about the Raptor generally” continues Mark “We regularly attend to rescued and injured birds and nurse them back to health, re-home or return them to the wild.”
During the show day itself 20 birds of various breeds from a Turkey Vulture to a Barn Owl will be available to see, at close quarters, at the static Falconry Days site on the showfield. “Show days are marvellous opportunities to alert the public to how vulnerable these creatures are and how important that side of our work is, for which we are reliant on the kindness of vets and the public. We have a donation bucket on the stand to help us to continue with the rescue work. Its awe inspiring to be in the presence of such magnificent creatures; everyone is glad to help.”
of a star performer’ he says;
Northumberland County Show Tynedale Park, Corbridge 31 May 2010
“I’ve seen the show go from strength to strength” says newly appointed Northumberland County Show Chairman, David Carr “collectively as a committee we know what’s good, how to make it work, where we are going and what we want to achieve. We’re not simply organizing a good day out; we are committed to encouraging all our young farmers to show and get involved and for our visitors we want to stress how important local farming is to the stability of our future food supply”.
Strong words from this year’s chairman and important ones too . Show Day’s are important socially historical events. “Our event is the biggest in the region (attracting 26,000+ in recent years) and we’re aware of our responsibilities to tradition” he continues.
Built on the ashes of a former show known as The Tyneside Show, with an almost 125 year old history but sadly bankrupted by 1970, the Tyneside was reported in the 1950’s as a ‘Mecca for agriculturalists, country folk and townsmen alike’.’ with Corbridge itself being described as the ‘agricultural capital’ of the county for one day only!
Record entries of 4,000 were reported in 1956 with 437 cattle, 200 sheep, 65 Clydesdales and 110 wrestlers amongst them trying their luck with 70 tradestands, mostly agricultural machinery; stock was reported as being worth over £100,000 at the 1954 show and a crowd of 40,000 was reported at the 1955 show. 10,000 visitors arrived by train and almost 1,500 per hour by car in the afternoon‘.
A 1953 report stated “ They will come, the farmers and the factory workers, the shepherds and the shipbuilders and the men and women from many walks of life to cast their amateur and professional eyes over the 3,000 entries which represent the agricultural wealth of the county, the industry of its farmers, the skill of its craftsmen, the patience of its needlewomen and the diligence of its gardeners.”
Very little has changed. Crowds of today’s Northumberland County Show, begun on the same site in 1981 are upwards of 25,000 and may seem small in comparison to those Fifties shows yet are ‘at capacity’ within the 35 acre site because of the more varied range of displays and attractions on offer. Equestrian classes these days account for 400+ entries and take up more acreage than cattle and sheep combined, today’s alpacas would have seemed alien and the thought of a food festival like the hugely popular ‘Taste of the County’ food event would have seemed gluttonous to a nation just recovering from the war and ration books.
Today’s show, to mirror the Chairman’s words isn’t just a good day out. It is enjoyed still by country and towns people alike and yes they come in their droves, but the shows primary business is to show support to the farmer, create accolades for excellent husbandry and stock and help enthuse and educate the next generation of agriculturists. They still enjoy the day too!
Show secretary Mr John Spark’s official line prior to the 1954 show was “Come early if you want to see everything”; the show’s current secretary Gaynor Shotton would agree wholeheartedly and would perhaps add “stay late as well!”