Club member for? Member for 15 years and was the   chairman for the last 3 years.

Years in falconry? 16 to 17 years.

Birds kept? Harris hawks, Russian Steppes eagle, Gyr/Saker, Gyr/Barbary/Saker and a Lugger falcon

Birds hunting with this season? Harris hawk.

Dogs used? Brittany and a Jack russell

Ferrets love them or hate them? Love them, I have two.

Other field sports involved in? None.

Vehicle used for falconry? Land Rover Discovery.

Favourite bird? Goshawk.

Club Annual general meeting held on March 16^th.

At the club AGM the new committee were appointed. Jem Pettit as chairman, Nicky Forrest as club secretary, Paul Gray as club social secretary and Steve Forrest as hawk liaison officer.

The position of treasurer is still open. If there is a club member who would like to take this position please let Nicky Forrest know. In the mean time Nicky will look after the club funds.

A big thank you to Richard, Bev, Paul and Nicky and Sue for the hard work they have put in to the club. I know all club members are very grateful for all the time and effort that they have given to make the Home Counties a success.

Thank you.

New Venue

Following the email vote held after the February meeting, 14 people voted to return to the Royal Swan and 4 voted to stay at the Rugby club.

Meetings will, from the 20^th April be held at the

Royal Swan
20 London Road,
Blackwater,
Camberley
Surrey.
GU17 9AA

And thereafter on the third Tuesday of each month and will start promptly at 8 pm.

Club Raffle

Sue Winn has stepped down as treasurer but has very kindly agreed to organise the raffle each month.

The raffle is a great way to raise funds for the club and paid for last years speakers.

We are hoping to organise more speakers this year and ask members to support the raffle by buying plenty of tickets.

If you also have anything that would be suitable to donate to raffle prizes please bring them along to the club nights and hand them to Sue. This is another way of keeping the costs down.

Thank you for your support

Club Meeting dates for 2010

January 19^th,February 16^th, March 16^th, April 20^th, May18th, June 15^th, July20th, August 17^th, September 21^st, October19th, November 16^th, December 21^st.

Easy way to remember is, it is the Third Tuesday of every month.

So how did the season go for you? The usual highs and lows?

For me, my Goshawk got injured early in the season after catching 6 head of game and was not used the rest of the season.

The GWP did Ok (she meets my needs), the Harris hawk flew well catching a variety of game and various, the ferret was superb but died the day of the last meet of the season.

From member’s young birds, Chris Grays highlight was catching the mother of all hares with his Redtail, both Paul and Richards’s female Harris hawks entered and caught many rabbits.

Sheryl’s female Harris was entered late in the season but still caught 2 rabbits.

At the meets at the end of the season, Steve Forrest’s Goshawk flew very well, catching 3 pheasants on one day. Alan’s hawks, always a pleasure to watch, entertained the crowd with some fantastic swoops resulting in pheasant and partridge being caught.

Nicky’s Harris hawk flew well at rabbits at Uppark.

For me the highlight of the season came at the end when hunting at Mapledurham estate my GWP came on point, as I approached a hen pheasant flushed and my female Harris caught it from off of the fist about twenty five feet away  in mid air as it rose.

Now that would be a disappointment had I been flying a Gos, but with a Harris I was delighted as from my experience that isn’t easy and I had only caught 10 pheasants in the entire season.

Time to catch up now on all the jobs around the house that I have neglected over the last six months, look for a new ferret, retrain that damn dog and reminisce over the last season.