Animals in cages don't normally float my boat and in the perfect world there would be no need for them but this isn't a perfect world and the work that the Hawk Conservancy Trust accomplish is something to uphold.
It was my birthday treat, although I had no knowledge of my destination as Sarah drove north, it clicked in my brain as we hit the A303 heading towards Andover in Wiltshire however.
As Zoos go this is quite a small concern in acreage but they are far reaching in the wider world in their expertise and conservation efforts worldwide.
The employees clearly have a passion for what they do and the whole set up is choreographed throughout the day to maximize your enjoyment and enhance your knowledge.
We had arrived a little later than planned and as we entered the compound passing a few well kept cages we headed straight for the first show of the day in the Savannah display area. This is an excellent arena doing it's best to imitate the plains of Africa and the raptors on show are nothing but awe inspiring.
The first to show was taken by a Verreaux's Eagle Owl also known as a Milky Eagle Owl or Giant Eagle Owl. It's common name of Verreaux, commemorates the French naturalist Jules Verreaux. It is of least concern in the natural world and lives primarily in dry wooded savanna. It hunts mammals and birds with those strong talons and is the only owl in the world to have pink eyelids!
The birds not only fly around the arena, but over and at your heads too.
Next up, the Secretary Bird. An endemic bird to Africa and one that moves predominantly on terra firma. This is one powerful bird. It uses it's kick to kill snakes. Something it's keeper demonstrated to incredible effect with a rubber snake.
The African Tawny Eagle was next, gliding silently across the arena...
The African White Backed Vulture is critically endangered. Their decline is due to a degree of habitat loss but mainly down to poisoning, either through consuming poisoned wild animals or domestic ones treated with veterinary administered diclofenic that is fatal to them.
White Storks are long distant migrants in Africa. From Sub-Saharan to South Africa and even the Indian Sub Continent.
They are truly imposing majestic creatures.
The Sacred Ibis breeds in Sub Saharan Africa, South Eastern Iraq and formerly in Egypt where it was venerated and mummified as a symbol of the god Thoth. It breeds in trees, normally in Baobabs along with Herons.
At the end of the display, there was at least a dozen birds flying in accompaniment to a beautiful soundtrack. It was as though it was choreographed and so amazing it brought tears to my eyes. As close as I was going to get to a savanna environment.
After such a wonderful display, we worked our way along the aviaries to the next part of the day.
We passed a Lesser Kestrels enclosure and an Owl I missed out on earlier in the year in the wild in Kent. A Long Eared Owl...
I'll leave the display boards I photographed here for you to read to gain more insight into the species before us. It helped me to learn more of the birds we saw.
Bald Eagles are unmistakable and this character was a feisty individual.
We slowly mooched around the cages admiring the raptors before us.
African Tawny Eagle from the display..
European Eagle Owl...
The next up was the Valley of the Eagles Display set in the wildflower meadow overlooking the valley beyond. The weather conditions were near perfect which added to the ambience.
The first bird set free was an Egyptian Vulture. It circled above and around us.
A common occurrence when flying captive birds of prey are wild individuals observe them and fly in to see what is on the menu...
A couple of Red Kite glided into view along with 3 Buzzard.
The Saker Falcon was next to display but was a tad perturbed by the wild raptors above it...
Hooded Vultures are critically endangered as are their cousins for the very same reasons...
6 were released for flight around us. One of them loves to associate itself with humans and hopped around us. Real characters you can't help but feel attracted to. They reminded me so much of the vultures in the Jungle Book.
This is the Turkey Vulture. A New World Vulture that is the most widespread but different from the old world vultures they look similar due to convergent evolution.... They adapt independently but have a resemblance to one another.
Black Kites, about eight of them, displayed next. They are so graceful and acrobatic. They whirled about us chasing food thrown by the keepers. It was becoming harder to keep track of what bird was where there were so many of them wheeling around us.
Brahminy Kites are found in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. They feed on dead fish and other prey.
The Black Kites kept gliding around us along with the Egyptian Vulture.
The Kites loved chasing food thrown by the keepers.
A good mile away we could see the Bald Eagle being released. It made it's way through a zig zag course towards us, putting up Rooks and Jackdaws as it went...quite a surreal sight to us as it did. Not the usual thing to see a North American Eagle winding it's way across an English field being mobbed by corvids !
A brilliant finale to another breathtaking display. We spent the rest of the afternoon admiring the other raptors around the estate. Here, a Lanner Falcon...
Then it was Owl time. The Great Grey Owl is undoubtedly one of the most striking in the owl world.
The Eagle Owl is a close second...
The woodland arena is the final part of the display day and it's all about Owls.
The Eagle Owl is the perfect way to start...
The Southern BooBook is one of the cutest and it was inseparable from it's keeper. A native of Australia and the smallest owl on the mainland. It also resides on Southern New Guinea, Timor and Sunda Islands. It feeds on insects and small vertebrate.
The Great Grey Owl was back again and gave an amazing display.
Mesmerising.....look into the eyes, not around the eyes...
The Blue Winged Kookaburra put in an appearance too...
Then a favourite of mine, the Barn Owl...
Another visually and moving display.We made our way back to the car. The enigmatic Kestrel posed for us as we meandered our way
Although our day wasn't quite finished however... Back at the Flower meadow they feed the Red Kites of an evening so we stayed and waited in the two hides there. Grey Herons, Magpies and Crows took advantage of the bounty put before them but no Kites decided to take the plunge on this evening.
So we gave up waiting and finally reached the shop and ultimately the car park not before admiring a Stellars Sea Eagle on the way...as you do...
I consulted Googles best real ale pubs locally and as luck would have it we found one with the perfect name. The menu looked delicious but we couldn't stay too long.
One of those days to reflect upon, especially on a birthday but today was special regardless of the occasion.
The title of this post is a line taken from the poem 'Eagles Dream' by Sean Taylor
