Kevin, the head falconer from ‘Hawking About’ based in Arundel, gave over 100 members and visitors a wonderful opportunity to enjoy getting close and personal to several of his beautiful Birds of Prey, including a Barn Owl, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon and and two Harris Hawks.

Not only were the audience enthralled by the precision indoor flying displays of these magnificent birds but were also educated along the way by Kevin imparting his extensive knowledge and passion that he had gained over many years. This initially started as a hobby for Kevin and he gradually developed the skills to enable him to train a collection of Birds of Prey and he now attends some of the top tourist attractions in the South of England including Arundel Castle, Parham House, Petworth Park and Natural Trust sites giving talks and flying displays.

Busby the Barn Owl was the first bird to show off his flying skills and headed straight for the ceiling bars looking down on the audience. With encouragement from Kevin tempting him with a piece of fresh mouse, he swiftly returned straight to his perch to greedily claim his reward.  These birds have an average lifespan of 18 months in the wild and are the most widely distributed group of owls in the UK and they enjoy a variety of habitats, including open countryside, wetlands and roadside verges.

The next bird to show off its flying skills was a pretty Kestrel named Mo whose hunting skills are so well developed and with such razor-sharp vision, he is able to detect mouse urine in ultra-violet from the air but sadly 75% of Kestrels do not survive the winter in the wild.

Kevin then showed the audience the Peregrine Falcon, and these birds are the largest falcons in the UK with the male around a third smaller than the female. Their lifespan in the wild is only around 10 years but in captivity they can live for 25 years. Its distinctive feature is the black ‘moustache’ which contrasts with its white head.

A female Harris Hawk gave the last flying display of the day, which was shown alongside a male, and this formidable hunter is the only bird to hunt in a pack and will share out any food caught. They primarily hunt for rabbits, lizards, birds and occasionally carrion.

At the end of each flying session the birds were given the command of ‘Box’ by Kevin and amazingly each bird flew with great skill into its individual box – an astounding feat and could only be achieved by many hours of intense training and the special bond that is so evident between Kevin and his birds.

In Graham Tuppen’s absence, David Bettiss delivered the popular Nature Notes session following the usual break for refreshments. This month a Water Rail has been spotted swimming on the Rife north of the road bridge, also a number of Red-throated Divers and Red-breasted Mergansers have been seen off the coast at Goring Gap, alongside an amazing total of 220 Great Crested Grebes on the water. A member of the Group was fortunate enough to see an attractive little Weasel in his garden and it is believed there may be a small breeding colony somewhere along Ilex Way. While members were busy observing their gardens for the Big Garden Birdwatch there were reports of a Goldcrest, Greenfinch and a Song Thrush, although bird numbers were generally worryingly low. Various other sightings of a Heron, a Red Kite and a Buzzard together with a variety of Gulls plus 2 Skylarks were reportedly observed locally.

Stephen Abbott concluded the meeting by advising members there are still issues to be resolved regarding an additional property at 1, Sea Drive and also an application for a large garden structure has been submitted at 1, Birch Place in Ferring.

James Power, the author of a recently published book named ‘The Bees of Sussex’, was welcomed to Ferring Conservation Group’s last meeting of the year to present an illustrated talk entitled ‘Ten Bees and the Stories they Tell’.

James told the Group that he spent much of his childhood exploring the wide-open spaces of Salisbury Plain. His interest began when he discovered the diverse range of wildlife around him there and this ultimately led to a career lasting almost 40 years in nature conservation.

James’s career included working for two different Wildlife Trusts, DEFRA, the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust and The National Trust – within Britain James has worked in Wiltshire, Yorkshire, Surrey, Shropshire and now in Sussex.

For 15 years James has studied bees and his talk gave a snapshot of the wild bee populations as they shift and adapt with some species thriving and others sadly becoming extinct.

With approximately 229 species of wild bees recorded in Sussex James selected just ten to demonstrate how climate change etc has been devastating to some and advantageous to other species. Two examples are Cullum’s Bumblebee which has now disappeared from the UK but still found in Europe and Asia, although also in decline in these areas. The Ruderal Bumblebee has had more success with a good distribution throughout the South and Southeast of England together with sightings in Northern Ireland.

After a break for tea and welcome mince pies, Graham Tuppen took to the floor to advise members and visitors about the recent wildlife seen in and around the village. Along with Brent Geese, Stonechats, the resident White Starling which is now four years old and a familiar sight in Ferring, Greenfinch and Blackcap had been spotted by members.

Along the Rife a Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, and a Great White Egret (the first known sighting of this the largest of the Egret family) were seen. Also, in a road near to the Rife a single Ring-necked Parakeet was spotted in a tree – these birds originally from Africa and Southern Asia are now widespread in the UK.

To conclude the meeting Stephen Abbott advised members of planning updates with applications still to be decided by Arun DC for the separate dwelling in the back garden of 1 Sea Drive and the additional two-bedroom extension for Greystoke Manor Care Home.