Our Walk On The
Wildside experience is as close as we can get to the
traditional application of falconry as practised in
Ancient Times. You are likely to
witness the natural hunting prowess of these birds
as they demonstrate their speed and agility. Of course,
we also like to give participants as much hand-on time
as possible too. This three hour session is held in
the afternoons and is an experience that few will ever
forget.
When falconry was first practised
over 2000 years ago the principles of training are
likely to have been exactly the same as those utilised
by our bird of prey experts as they carefully prepare
the birds for all of our falconry experiences. Of
course, back then the aim of falconry was to create
a weapon that could be used against wild quarry species
for sport or for the table not to provide wonderful
experiences with birds of prey in Cheshire. Our Walk
on the Wildside experience is as close as we can
get to the traditional application of falconry as
practised in Ancient Times.
At the start of this session
you will be greeted by the falconer in front of the
weathering lawn which is where our trained birds
of prey spend most of their time during daylight
hours when they are not flying. After a short handling
lesson the real experience begins as you are escorted
to the beautiful Cheshire countryside surrounding
the Falconry Centre to begin flying the birds. The
main focus of this experience will be upon the favourite
hunter amongst UK falconers, the Harris’ Hawk.
This beautiful chestnut and chocolate brown species
is a medium sized raptor that hails from the Americas
and is extremely versatile, tolerant and relatively
easy to train. It also has the added advantage in
that it is one of the few bird of prey species that
can be flown with other members of the same species.
Indeed, in its natural environment this bird of prey
is known to hunt cooperatively, particularly in the
more harsh areas of its range. This tolerance can
be used by the falconers when they prepare for a
Walk on the Wildside Experience. In short, the more
participants we have, the more hawks we take. Maximum
number of participants is 8.
Once out in the countryside
we set a leisurely pace as we stroll and explain
a little more about the hunting abilities and physical
adaptations of these magnificent birds of prey. There
is plenty of time for hands-on experience as the
falconer calls the hawk to your glove throughout
the session but all the while these hunters have
one eye on their environment, never missing an opportunity
to launch an attack on an unsuspecting prey item.
The peaceful walk is suddenly shattered by the explosive
chase of these raptors as they attempt to catch their
prey. Of course, these birds, unlike their wild counterparts,
do not rely on their hunting prowess for survival.
Many raptors do not survive their first year as they
are unable to make ends meet but ours know that no
matter how many unsuccessful attempts they make they
are assured a square meal at the end of the day.
The Walk On The Wildside is a chance to witness the
skill and agility of birds of prey up close and in
a natural setting as they hunt for themselves. This
is something that you would be exceptionally privileged
to experience with wild birds but here you are in
the thick of the action!
Any spectators will need to
purchase our "Walk
On The Wildside - Spectators Voucher",
currently on Special Offer (half-price) at
£12.50.
|
