Yes. Right now, this is keeping me sane and so happy.
I'm volunteering at a proposed Bird of prey centre at a local country park.
It's running on donations and volunteer's, building aviaries and such.
Anyways, Once its up and running I'll hopefully be one of the people doing displays etc.
But, beforehand, I've gotta learn.
NB; I understand that some people think falconry is wrong. But in no way are these birds worked (if you can call it that) against there will.
And someone was to release these birds into the wild, they would die.
Don't hijack my thread, with hateful opinions.
ANYWAY! These are the birds I'm working with.
Oh, some pictures feature dismembered chicks!
Kai. Harris Hawk. Hes Lovely.
Widget. Peregrin/Barbary Falcon hybrid.
Feeding Widget. =] Enjoy.
(I'm a vegetarian, btw. But I'm also OPEN MINDED)
Me. Looking amazing impressed. (it was so fooking cold) Widget on the glove. Notice, He's eating.
I'm so ridiculously happy about this. I thought I'd share it with you all.
It's so rewarding and I get my uniform next week. =]
Danz.
xxxx
And climb high to the highest rung, to shake fists at the sky.
Kudos to you taking the time to work with them and stuff,hope you get to work there when it's open and all that,looks really rewarding.
"Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."
Cool pics. So many bald eagles, owls, hawks and vultures have come back to my area that the skies are full of them along the river. I almost hit a couple driving because they swoop right in front of the car. I only got pics of the owls and vultures so far though and the vultures are ugly as the face of a pug lickin piss off a thistle (a fav quote from an Aussie friend).
My Dad used to be (and still is but hasn't had the time of late) really into falconry so I used to go with him to loads of different falconry centres. I think raptors are such majestic creatures.
There's a stretch of the M1 going through Oxfordshire where you can see Red Kites circling above and I think they have done fantastically well after being reintroduced.
I'd need acres more land than I could ever hope for and they could never be a pet but I would love to keep birds like that. I've always wanted to have a golden eagle but I don't think that would ever happen. the nearest i ever came to owning a bird of prey was that a while after my Dad had installed several feeders, quite a few smaller birds (sparrows, robins, tits etc.) frequented our garden and we ended up with a resident sparrowhawk that used to visit us a lot.
I'd love to work with them and I'm so jealous. Good luck with training and everything, though. :)
Acres of land?!
The girl who's teaching me, Hannah she's 19. Has four birds. In avaries down the bottom of her garden. She just lives close to a country park, where she can fly them.
She had a european Eagle owl, Mo. He's gorgeous. I didn't get a picture of him today.
And a kestrel. But she's on a breeding programm and not being flown.
I've just realised i look 13 in that picture.
I'm 17. Honest. =|
And climb high to the highest rung, to shake fists at the sky.
That's what I meant. Sorry. I didn't mean I'd have to own the land but I live in a city suburb and I'd need to live in or near to large areas of countryside/parkland. Especially for something like a golden eagle, as they need lots of space.
I wasn't being horrible. =]
Hannah might be getting a bald eagle. All £5000 of it!
I'm well excited. In the future I may buy a bird and donate it to the centre, so it would be mine, but it wouldn't be neglected, because I've got college and work so much. Also, I don't live near to park land like that.
And climb high to the highest rung, to shake fists at the sky.
Wow. Is she getting it as a chick or an adult? (I don't really know how you acquire birds of prey) They're not cheap, though. Does she live near a lake or the sea as they are sea eagles and prefer to be near large bodies of water with lots of fish?
It's a young adult i believe. There's a few lakes in the parks we fly the birds in.
When I say park, its a big country park.
No, a climbing frame type park. =P
And climb high to the highest rung, to shake fists at the sky.
When I was a kid I went to some sort of park where they had a birds of prey show. I thought it was so awesome, especially the peregrine falcons, because I'd seen a TV show about falcons in the city and how they always die. :(
My favourite birds at the park were the barn owls, though. Birds are so beautiful.
well, i have sown untidy furrows 'cross my soul,
but I am still a coward,
content to see my garden grow so sweet & full
of someone else's flowers.
Ah Danni. Birds...I'll never understand the fascination.
Still if it makes you happy...and hey, widget....sounds like what a small child would call its penis :P *runs away*
