Vapour's First Free Flight: A Nerve-Wracking Milestone in Falconry

Yesterday marked an exciting milestone for Vapour, our male Saker falcon, as he took to the skies for his very first free flight of the season. It's always a thrilling yet nerve-wracking experience when a falcon flies untethered for the first time, and one question I often hear is: "How do you know they’ll come back? What if they just fly away?"

The honest answer? You don’t know for sure. That uncertainty is part of what makes falconry both exhilarating and a little terrifying. Releasing a bird you’ve carefully trained, hoping they’ll trust you enough to return, is a leap of faith every falconer must take.

However, there’s more to it than sheer hope. Several key factors and training techniques come into play to minimise the risk of a disappearing act. The most important is building a relationship based on trust and rewards. Falcons are motivated by appetite and positive reinforcement. This delicate balance of art and science is the essence of falconry. It’s about understanding the natural instincts of these magnificent birds and working with them, not against them. Vapour’s first free flight yesterday was a success, and while the nerves never fully go away, moments like this remind me why falconry is such a beautiful and rewarding tradition.

Anyway, going forward we must push on. It is now about working on Vapours fitness and honing those skills that he has shown thousands of spectators in the past. So watch this space for updates.

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