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One Devon bird meets another... |
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| Don't
look now, Pippa! That's Bodicea, the only Golden Eagle in the
South West |
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BBC
Radio Devon presenter Pippa Quelch has been learning falconry skills
from a man who knows all there is to know about big birds, George
Hedges. |
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When I
was given the chance to get up close and personal with some rather
majestic birds, I jumped at the chance, writes Pippa Quelch.
Off I went to the falconry centre at Pennywell Farm near Buckfastleigh,
where I was met by falconer George Hedges.
Together with his wife Elaine, they've been keeping and breeding birds
of prey for more than a decade. But they never thought their business
would take off (pardon the pun) quite as much as it has.
"I've been doing this now for 14 years", explained George.
"We-started with a barn owl, and we were warned it wouldn't stop
at that.
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| A
bird in the hand...George and Elaine with Harris Hawks Bandit
and Geiger |
"Forty
birds later and we haven't stopped. It's mine and my wife's passion
- we know all their little quirks."
This
is the only place in England which has Greater Spotted Eagles, and
the only site in the South West which boasts a Golden Eagle.
With all that experience as a falconer behind him, I knew I was in
good hands as I received "hands-on" training in the ancient
art of falconry.
One of the things George does is "experience days." And
if you're up to it, you can even take the birds for a "walk."
George said: "On experience days we chat about the birds, go
into the safety of the birds, pick them up and weigh them.
"With more experienced people, they can have them on their hands.
It does take a bit of time to learn falconry. We are now doing hunting
trips with the eagles.
"The birds are magnificent to watch."
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| Bodicea
in a flap |
I was
fortunate enough to take one of the Harris Hawks, Geiger, for a "walk."
Geiger - so named because of the sounds she makes - took off into
the nearby woods, but came back pretty sharpish as soon as I showed
her the food in my hand.
The food goes straight down - there's no messing about!
These birds have huge talons, so you need to wear the right protective
gloves. But the birds are absolutely beautiful and it was a great
experience.
One of the reasons the falconry centre has days like these is to deter
people from owning their own birds of prey, which can often lead to
disaster.
Article published: 1st April 2005
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