Falconry show draws crowds at Freeland senior living open house

Birds of prey stole the show at Maple Ridge by Bonaventure in Freeland, where an open house drew gasps, laughter and close-up attention in the courtyard. Cole Serad of Sky Patrol Bird Services LLC brought a Harris’s hawk and a peregrine falcon for an hour-long program that gave current and prospective residents a rare, close look at working raptors.

The event began at 11 a.m. on June 18, 2026, and it fit neatly into the community’s outreach push. Executive Director Erin Hoskins said the open house was part of a regional senior living network event in which communities host themed summer gatherings, giving Bonaventure Senior Living properties a chance to show off what they offer while adding something memorable for visitors.

For falconry, the setting mattered as much as the birds. Hoskins said Maple Ridge brings in outside programs because many residents have limited mobility, which makes off-site outings difficult. In that context, Serad’s presentation did more than entertain. It turned the courtyard into a live wildlife classroom, with attendees watching two species that most people only know from books, airfields, or the occasional field day.

That kind of public-facing program can do real work for the craft. Falconry has been practiced for more than 4,000 years, according to UNESCO, and the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey describes it as a sustainable hunting art with roots stretching back over 6,000 years. In Washington state, it is also a regulated specialty: the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife requires falconers to pass a written exam with a score of 80 percent or better and have their facilities inspected before receiving a permit.

Serad’s visit also underscored how falconers are being used beyond the field. Sky Patrol Bird Services has already been visible in Oak Harbor in 2026, where hawks were used in a humane seagull deterrent effort. At Maple Ridge, the same public familiarity worked in a different way, helping residents and staff connect the birds with education, conservation and the discipline behind the hood and glove.

Visitors took note of the broader setting, too. Residents described the facility as welcoming, clean and active, and staff used the open house to highlight move-in-ready units and an active calendar. But the memory likely belonged to the courtyard, where a Harris’s hawk and a peregrine falcon turned a routine senior living event into a close-up lesson in raptor handling and the reach of modern falconry.