Sports and Hobbies: Throwing down the gauntlet

So it was that we came to the Stratford Armoury at Snitterfield in Warwickshire to have an afternoon with S & D Falconry.

On arrival we were greeted by Stephen and Debbie who between them run the company. Stephen began by showing us Molly the barn owl and Alfie the great horned owl and giving us a talk about how they hunt using their extraordinary neck movement (through 270 degrees) and the silent flight made possible by the shape of their wings. He also debunked the myth of the ‘wise old owl’; they are, it appears, pretty thick.

Stephen showed us how to hold the bird on the gauntlet... make a fist round the jess (tethering line) and keep it closed.

We then went outside to have a go at receiving Alfie, the great horned owl; Stephen had warned that perhaps not all of us would get a chance, Alfie has quite a short attention span. True enough, when it came to my turn I was standing waiting with Debbie while Alfie remained welded to Stephen’s wrist… the day-old chick on the top of my gauntlet completely failed to attract his attention.

We then went back to HQ for a warm and to watch Stephen hood Egon, the peregrine falcon. Stephen told us quite a lot about the long history and warned us that hawks are prone to projectile poos... you stand behind one at your own risk.

We then went outside again to fly Molly the barn owl and for the first time ever both myself and Shirley felt the thump of a bird of prey landing on the gauntlet... sheer magic! Molly is a very well-mannered bird and everyone in the group had a chance to try it... I think everyone was as impressed as we were.

We then went back and watched while Stephen fetched Harry the Harris hawk out of his travelling box; he is a truly magnificent bird and stared at all these strange faces in a very dignified manner.

History

We then walked over to some woodland with everyone taking turns to carry or hold all the birds. I was fortunate enough to have Harry for quite a long time and watch him demonstrate the 270-degree neck articulation; he was watching a pheasant at the time.

While we were out, Stephen told us more about the history of falconry; we saw a buzzard eating his kill on the branch of a tree and one of the very large hares that abound in the area. (It was so big that several members of the party mistook it for a fox.)

We then walked back to have a final flight – this time with Harry.

(I should mention here that Shirley has a duff leg and has to use a stick; Stephen and Debbie saw to it that she didn’t miss any of the action – very well done.)

Stephen handled Harry slightly differently; instead of flying between the two gauntlets the hawk was lunged and flew to a nearby gatepost. Attracted by the bait held on the gauntlet the beautiful bird flew almost lazily from the gatepost and landed with quite an impact.

After that it was back to HQ for the final time; we were privileged to see, at very close range, a kestrel hovering over a stretch of wild ground.

Over coffee we had a chance to find out more about S & D.

Stephen has been flying birds of prey for over 20 years; the present company was set up in 2009 to carry out pest control but rapidly evolved into its present format. All sorts of experiences are offered: owl walks, hawk walks, wildlife photography, organised parties, educational visits by schools and much more.

The area used for most of the experiences is the site of the former RAF Snitterfield; it is a really attractive chunk of land absolutely loaded with wildlife.

As a pigeon controller for more years than I care to think about, I am looking forward to seeing how it is done with a hawk; Stephen has very kindly offered to take me.
Until next time... keep the faith!