It's for the Birds

On the Sunday morning of our trip to the Cotswolds, we went over to the Cotswolds Falconry Centre in Chipping Camden!  It was the number one attraction on Trip Advisor for the Cotswolds and we've both been wanting to go to a falconry since we've been in Ireland so we made dreams come true.

So...falconries are places that house cool birds, usually put on shows with the birds for tourists, and sometimes give people the option to handle the birds and fly them on and off your arm all while getting a thorough bird education!

I was skeptical about this type of situation, because I'm an animal lover and generally feel bad for animals in zoos and places they train animals to perform for humans, BUT this was different.  They are TECHNICALLY tethered to their little stands but they are well fed and flown multiple times a day and are treated really well!  I made sure of it.

Scenic drive into the falconry!

A plethora of large exotic birds of prey.  The one next to the eagle was huge and scary!  But you can't tell from the picture.

'Merica

Here I am with Declan the falcon!  What a cutie.

Drew and Declan

Showdown.  He's gettin' his wings up.

This was an eagle of some sort but I don't know what kind.  He kept spreading his wings like this and barking at us.  Kinda scary but kinda funny.

"Now Drew, this is a relatively new bird to the falconry, and he's not entirely comfortable around humans yet.  So you're essentially helping us train him.  I hope this goes well."  - direct quote from Richard, our bird handler.

He seems to be doing ok with us...though I deleted the picture where he's flapping his wings about to hit me in the head and my face is all scrunched up.

Look at this cutie barn owl!!  I wanted to pet it and smooch it's cheeks but I was told I shouldn't.

He's shakin' and I'm kookin'.
"I don't know why you think owls are cute!  They're killers just like the huge eagles are!"
- another direct quote from ol' Richie

Drew and the pretty cutie owl birdie face.

We then got to wander out to this pretty field for flying lessons with the falcons!

Oh, and there was a herd of red-tailed deer under the nearby tree.  #isthisreallife

So....we'd hold the falcon and kinda lift our arm up while gently "flinging" the bird off, and he'd fly to a  tree close by.

"We feed our birds nice fresh meat now, I hope you're prepared!" - Richie
"Over my dead body will I feed them live mice or rats.  I'm not kidding, I'm out." - Lauren

Luckily it was just really really raw chicken.  Like chicken feet with pieces of their leg attached and what not.  

Rich would put it on our glove and Declan the falcon would see and then he'd zoooooooom down from his branch and land on our arms.  

Rich also told us that birds are lazy, they have no feelings, no loyalty, no NOTHIN - their only motivation is  their STOMACHS and getting food in them as quickly and easily as possible.

I'm looking skeptical but its fun!

Ahhh!  Talons!!!

Then....he said we'd have time at the end to hold the bald eagle!!  EEEEeeeeeeee!  Cooool!

He's about to hand him off to me and I'm scared.  Look at him here!  He might as well be posing for a United States dollar bill or something.

So...it's a huge bird, and while he only weighed 8 lbs, when you're holding your arm directly out to the side and an 8 lb. bird is standing on it, it's hard.  Like REALLY difficult.

With the smaller falcons you could kinda fold your arm in close to you to make it more bearable, and they only weigh a pound or two.  I wasn't getting his huge pointy beak any closer to my eyeballs than this.

AMERICA!  and Drew.

We had so much fun here and I'd HIGHLY recommend visiting a falconry to anyone, whether it be in the States or in Europe!  Two thumbs way up!