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Mission: talking turkey... and eagles and owls
Paul R Taylor9/12/2005
We challenge our reporters to go out and learn a new hobby or talent. This week Paul R Taylor travelled to Knutsford where he overcame his initial misgivings to make friends with and learn how to control some of nature's most beautiful - and effective - killers.
THERE'S a beak as sharp as a hunting knife and it's inches away
from my face.
It's attached to Roger the European Eagle Owl, who has talons to
match and a 5ft wingspan, but fortunately seems to be in quite a
good mood.
Gavin Wells, an assistant at the Gauntlet Birds of Prey Eagle and
Vulture Park, assures me that I'm in no danger from my 2ft tall
friend and I believe him.
Thousands of people have been in the same slightly surreal
situation of having a large owl sitting on their arm, and Roger is
comfortable with people. I remind myself that children's parties
are held regularly at the centre but I'm still a little worried,
especially when he casually flaps his massive wings.
The Knutsford centre boasts the biggest collection of birds of prey
in the North West with more than 150 birds of different types
including vultures, falcons, kites, hawks, owls and the hugely
impressive eagles, so is the perfect place for some avian aversion
therapy.
The one-day falconry course begins with a coffee and a brief talk
about the essential falconer's knot. The knot can be tied with one
hand while the other is busy with leather gauntlet and bird.
It takes minutes to learn but weeks to master and I'm not surprised
that of the four people in our group only one manages it on the
first attempt. It's not me.
The talk is followed by a guided walk around the centre by Graham
Bessant, 38, who set up Gauntlet in 1996 and has devoted much of
the last 24 years to flying, feeding and breeding birds of
prey.
Despite the years, Graham is still incredibly enthusiastic and his
talk takes in native habitats, the history and breeding of
individual birds and their hunting practices. The majority of the
birds are kept in spacious meshed enclosures, or on perches in open
huts, and most squawk a welcome to Graham.
After the interesting 20-minute talk, it's time to meet our first
birds. People have been using birds of prey to hunt for at least
2,000 years. It has been the hobby of emperors and kings, who used
eagles and vultures. In the remote mountains of western Mongolia
Kazakh men hunted from horseback with trained golden eagles, the
largest and most powerful of raptors, but we're not quite at that
stage yet. The first bird to grace my arm is a tiny Tawny Owl
called Tullulah, but I'm still slightly nervous.
I untie the knot in the leash, which is attached to her feet by
`jesses' (small strips of leather), and a swivel to stop it
tangling. After sweeping the leash around the little finger of the
gauntlet for safety I tie the falconer's knot with a little help
from Gavin, put my arm underneath the perch and Tallulah steps
on.
All four of us have different birds and as we go for a walk
around the centre with them on our arms Tullulah is well behaved
but gets slightly nervous herself when I stop by the eagle
enclosure. I want to stroke her but can't because it can strip the
oil off the feathers.
By the end of the session I've had close encounters with four
birds, including a Kestrel, a Boobook Owl, and Roger, and I find
I'm becoming more comfortable with them.
The afternoon begins with a public flying display by Graham in a
field behind the centre. He brings out several different birds,
including a vulture called Mr Hood, Benny the Bengal Eagle Owl, and
Jazz the Peregrine Lanner Falcon.
The birds are trained to fly for food. Benny flies off to a post
when released, swoops back close to the ground to save energy and
then up to my glove and its reward of a chick's head. Mr Hood saves
more energy by walking rather than flying when he can but by far
the most impressive is Jazz, who responds to a swinging lure, and
is faster and more manoeuvrable than the other birds.
During the display, Graham explains that birds are flown according
to weight and hunger. A fat bird may refuse to fly at all, while a
bird that has just been fed may see no reason to return to the
falconer. Some of the birds have flown away from the centre for
days on end but most eventually return. Those who are less likely
to return are fitted with radio transmitters. They get through a
lot of chicks, Graham has just increased his order to 15,000 a
week.
After the display, we head off across the muddy fields with two
Harris Hawks - Tom and Bertie, members of a crack team used to
control pigeon and rodent populations at airports and landfill
sites across England.
The sun is going down and it's a cold day but it's still an
interesting walk. Graham talks fondly, and almost constantly, about
the birds at the centre, recounting interesting stories to keep our
minds off the fact that we have large hawks sitting on our arms.
It's definitely his passion and you can tell he puts the birds'
well-being above all else.
It's a bit like going out for a walk with dogs, as the hawks head
off, follow us from tree to tree and then return to the gloves for
food.
By the end of the day I'm almost completely at ease with the hawks
and other birds, which is a testament to the course.
The workshop was organised by North West social club Spice.
The next is on Sunday, December 11. To contact Spice call 0161 240
2080, email info@spicemcr.com or visit www.spicemcr.com
Vouchers are also available from the centre itself. The Gauntlet
Birds of Prey Eagle and Vulture Park is on the A50 Manchester Road,
Knutsford. Call 01565 754419.
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