The Accipiter - Online magazine from The Hawk Conservancy Trust

Monthly Diary - July 2007

A general monthly overview of the park by Tracey Smith.

Although this page will always be retrospective, we shall seek to provide any important breaking news by a news flash on the front cover of the magazine.

3rd July

Hiscox Insurance brokers held a corporate day for their clients at the Trust.

4th
July

Corporate Owls By Torchlight event held for Rose's of Devizes.

Volunteer Lou Ritchie visited Longparish school for school outreach programme.

5th July

Volunteer Jon Scott visited Camelot Nursing Home in Amesbury with an owl to allow residents, who are unable to visit the Trust, to see one at close quarters.

Peregrine Falcon ready for release

Showing the transmitter fitted to its tail

A young peregrine falcon, one of two that had fallen from a nest site at Fawley power station, was returned to the wild after receiving care at the Trust. Before release it was fitted with a radio transmittor allowing NPower staff to track it after its release. The release was filmed by ITV Thames Valley Tonight for their local news bulletin. The second bird has a broken wing but it is hoped that with treatment and physiotherapy that it will be able to be returned to the wild later in the year.

6th July

Lou Ritchie visited Shepherds Spring School as part of the Trust's schools outreach programme.

Falconers Sam and Richard travelled to Nether Wallop to put up a Barn Owl box on an estate.

7th July

Amport Church Twinning Association held an Owls By Torchlight evening for a Christian group of Americans visiting the parish.

9th July

A group of children from Chernobyl visited the Trust as part of their trip to the UK.

11th July

Jon Scott visited Cliddesden Primary School on a school outreach visit.

A group of falconers from Kazakhstan visited the Trust. They were here to take part in the Festival of Falconry event being held in Newbury on the following weekend, and were brought here on a VIP visit by Dr Nick Fox.

12th July

The cropdusters booked the meeting room for a morning meeting and presentations.

14th
-
15th July

Photo by Brian May

Staff and volunteers manned a stand at the Festival of Falconry event in Newbury. Our display featured in the Conservation tent and displayed all the research and conservation programmes carried out by the Trust. Children visiting the event could try their hand at dissecting owl pellets. This was the first time this event had been held and proved to be a great success with thousands attending to learn more about falconry and birds of prey in general.

A Summer Evening event was held at the Trust. Visitors could tour the grounds, have a tractor ride around the medow and enjoy a ploughman's supper.

16th
July

A group from University of the Third Age visited the Trust.

20th July


Audiovisual equipment	Movable whiteboard

Corporate sponsor Festo, and in particular Mark Hemmings, arranged for the fitting of new Audiovisual equipment and movable white boards in the new Corporate Room to provide better facilities and equipment for clients renting the room.

The Swing into Summer ball took place despite torrential rain almost threatening to flood the marquee during the day. Eventualy the rain stopped and the guests braved the chilly weather in their summer dresses, drinking Pimms whilst watching a flying display. The evening proved to be a great success and between the ball, an auction of promises and a raffle, the event raised over £3000 for the Trust and its projects.

The Hawk Conservancy Trust Summer Ball in pictures

21st July

The happy couple.

The event of the year! Falconer Gary Benton and Coffee Shop Manageress Jemma Lewis were married. Their reception was held in the Trust grounds.

22nd July

Thames Valley Vultures Motor cycle group visited the Trust.

25th July

A second group of children from Chernobyl visited the Trust.

27th July

The Hawk Conservancy Trust Trustees meeting was held in the meetings room.

28th July

The refreshment kiosk.

The start of the schools' summer holiday and finally the sun arrived. This resulted in visitor numbers improving dramatically. The start of this holiday also saw the opening of the Woodshed, a new refreshment kiosk set amongst the trees next to the Woodland Flying arena, where visitors can obtain hot and cold drinks and ice creams before and after the 2pm and 3.30pm displays.

Click here for previous Diary entries