Enthusiasts and hunters from all over the province gathered this morning (September 14) in via della Scogliera for the traditional Santa Croce Bird Fair, an event that has come to its own this year twentieth edition. A party of hunting associations and their volunteers, ready at each stand to give information and distribute gadgets. But also of the sector trade - from clothing to dog care items - on the exact eve, this year, of the opening of the hunting season. The protagonists, as every year, the beautiful specimens of avifauna on display, among which the birds of prey of the falconers invited by the municipal section of Federcaccia.
Elegant and austere, hawks, barn owls and eagle owls were admired and photographed by hundreds of visitors. Many children, especially for the hand of grandparents and fathers, fascinated by the movements of birds on perches (and therefore clearly visible because they are not in a cage). “We are satisfied with the success of the event - comments Alessandro Dini, president of Federcaccia Lucca - to which the good weather has certainly contributed. The space near the river park, on the other hand, invites you to stroll on a festive day like that of the Santa Croce in Lucca. And this was the best answer: to see that many people, and not just hunters, approached the fair with curiosity, without prejudice ”. An activity, that of hunting, sometimes the victim of too many disinformation: "Hunters love the woods, many of us are volunteer firefighters that every summer is spent personally to safeguard the forest heritage from fires.
A heritage - continues Dini - that belongs to everyone, which must also be used as a place to stroll and relax and which often it's the hunters who keep clean. Even the farmers' associations ask for our help to safeguard the crops, in particular moments ”. The Bird Fair closed around 13pm, with the proclamation of the blackbird as national champion - the one, in short, that the jury deemed to have the best singing qualities for the call. “I want to thank the volunteers who gave their best this year, in the previous weeks and today, with the setting up at the first light of dawn, for the success of this event ”, concludes Alessandro Dini. They contributed to the realization of the event, organized by Cpa (hunting, fishing and environment) with the collaboration of Federcaccia Lucca.