The Owls Visit The Owls
Sep. 30th, 2016 11:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbitLast week we took our Brownies to The Barn Owl Centre for a Nature Experience. Having been told a little about the work of the centre and walked past some of the cages we were able to watch Luna, one of the barn owls, flying and a few of the girls were able to wear a gauntlet and have her fly to a treat in their fist. However, Luna soon decided she didn't want to play and when called she pointedly turned her head the other way. Which, since owls can turn their heads 180 degrees, was really rather funny. After which Mrs Harris, a harris hawk, was brought out. She was nervous, but was gradually encouraged to come closer until she, too, would settle on the raised fist of a few of the Brownies. Having read H is for Hawk last year, I found it very interesting watching the training process of a hawk in action.
By this time it was getting cooler, and since a number of the Brownies only had t-shirts on (the note home had said 'outdoor activity' which clearly hadn't registered with the parents, although they did manage to bring them to the different venue), it was a good point to go indoors. There Kaln, a European eagle owl, flew up and down the room. We got to see how silently he glided, and with their eyes shut the Brownies could feel the draft from his wings but couldn't hear him at all. Even when flying there was very little sound, which showed how effective an owl is as a preditor.
It was a very good experience and we were pleased with the way the pack behaved. At the beginning of term it had seemed like they were going to be hard work, but the influence from last year's core is working its way out and the guy in charge of the session was favourably impressed.
Last night we returned to working on the Senior Section badge. This time we took the healthy heart challenge. The idea was the girls between them device a circuit to get the blood pumping. Since this would have been difficult to do altogether, we asked each six to produce a short activity which they would demonstrate and then they moved round and tried each separate activity. So we had beanbags (safer than balls), the new skipping ropes we had received from Sainsbury's Active Kids vouchers, the 'feelings' ball plus one six made up a routine of jumps and squats.
They all worked hard. I was particularly impressed with the six who had to produce a routine; each of the girls tried really hard even though some of them are not particularly sporty. And as ever the 'feelings' ball lead to some interesting answers: 'I am worried when ... daddy goes away' (a forces' child) and 'If I were prime minister I would ... make everyone happy' (from one of our very quiet new Brownies). We finished the evening with more six-based compliments.
There was one other positive. One of our Brownies doesn't always come, becomes she need someone to bring her - an older sister, occasionally mum ... We didn't think the family were that interested. And then last night older sister asked when the next one in the family could join - clearly Brownies is seen as a good thing.
By this time it was getting cooler, and since a number of the Brownies only had t-shirts on (the note home had said 'outdoor activity' which clearly hadn't registered with the parents, although they did manage to bring them to the different venue), it was a good point to go indoors. There Kaln, a European eagle owl, flew up and down the room. We got to see how silently he glided, and with their eyes shut the Brownies could feel the draft from his wings but couldn't hear him at all. Even when flying there was very little sound, which showed how effective an owl is as a preditor.
It was a very good experience and we were pleased with the way the pack behaved. At the beginning of term it had seemed like they were going to be hard work, but the influence from last year's core is working its way out and the guy in charge of the session was favourably impressed.
Last night we returned to working on the Senior Section badge. This time we took the healthy heart challenge. The idea was the girls between them device a circuit to get the blood pumping. Since this would have been difficult to do altogether, we asked each six to produce a short activity which they would demonstrate and then they moved round and tried each separate activity. So we had beanbags (safer than balls), the new skipping ropes we had received from Sainsbury's Active Kids vouchers, the 'feelings' ball plus one six made up a routine of jumps and squats.
They all worked hard. I was particularly impressed with the six who had to produce a routine; each of the girls tried really hard even though some of them are not particularly sporty. And as ever the 'feelings' ball lead to some interesting answers: 'I am worried when ... daddy goes away' (a forces' child) and 'If I were prime minister I would ... make everyone happy' (from one of our very quiet new Brownies). We finished the evening with more six-based compliments.
There was one other positive. One of our Brownies doesn't always come, becomes she need someone to bring her - an older sister, occasionally mum ... We didn't think the family were that interested. And then last night older sister asked when the next one in the family could join - clearly Brownies is seen as a good thing.
