I am a Prestige Award Winner – and chuffed to bits!!

Owls

The news came to me by email earlier this year:

‘The judges were impressed with your personal touch, community feel and passion for what you do. It’s extra rewarding to know the hard work and positivity is paying off and I hope this achievement brings more success‘.

The South West England award winners were all invited to a celebration event in Highbullen Hotel Golf & Country Club. Photographs were taken, drinks were poured and the option of a video acceptance speech was also offered – which I declined.

It was interesting to meet some of the other award winners; all sorts of businesses were represented, from hair salons and beauticians to a Chinese restaurant and a team who convert Landrovers. I was awarded the title of Wildlife Specialist of the Year 2022, which isn’t quite what I do at all but I am still happy to accept the recognition. Not bad for a venture I only started on in late 2015, actually 7 years this school half term – my opening event was a Fun with Feathers family morning, in a yurt and with Peanut playing host of course.

The Prestige team were very fun, one of the team even came from St Austell, only 6 miles from Fowey, so he was delighted ‘someone local’ won an award this year!

I did leap at the chance of having more photographs taken with Graci and special effect backgrounds. These were great fun to do, all in front of a green cloth with only a postcard sized image to see what the background was going to be! Graci loved it, I’m sure!

Peanut the Post Owl!

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In December 2021 I had a very special, and unusual, request by text. The message asked ‘Hello bird Lady of Fowey 🙂 Can an owl deliver a letter?’

Well, that got my attention straight away! The details were that his wife’s birthday was on New Year’s Eve and he wanted to suprise her with an invitation to a night away at Hogwarts Harry Potter World for Valentine’s Day [what a lovely husband!]. Of course to make the moment really perfect he needed an owl to deliver this news, and so he sent me that first message.

I asked what he had in mind – to which he replied he had no idea! So we made a plan, luckily he lived locally to me. I would knock on their door at 2pm on New Year’s Eve with Peanut and a note attached to his anklet. The husband was to make sure his wife answered the door and Peanut would do the rest!

So we did exactly that, it worked like clockwork and as you can see by the huge smiles this special birthday treat was a massive success!

A Sunday in August with St. Austell Photography Group

art, birds, Experience, Harris Hawk, nature, Owls, photography
Willow is the focus of attention

The sun came out after a week of heavy showers, traditional Fowey regatta weather, and the St Austell Photographers’ group enjoyed 2hrs in the field getting wonderful shots of my birds relaxing and flying.

Here are some of the photographs taken on the day by Barry and Chris

Aren’t they amazing! They were a friendly group and I look forward to welcoming them again, maybe on a frosty winter day next time for contrast.

2021 and Business is Flying!!

birds, events, Experience, Falconry, Harris Hawk, Hawk, nature, Owls, Owls, photography

While I am sure the birds have enjoyed nearly a year of pretty much being allowed to kick back and relax, they seem equally interested in seeing people in their fields again. My concerns that they would become unsocialised have proven to be unfounded, thankfully, and I am glad to say that the private booked sessions are running again, safely in the open air.

The Spring weather has been glorious and it has been wonderful to greet visitors and share the field, and my birds too of course! Christmas gift vouchers have been cashed in and people have been pleased to be allowed to go somewhere new and do something different, as you can see by their beaming smiles 🙂 This week I have also hosted two visits by Tywardreath Playgroup. It really has been lovely to see the kiddies running around exploring, laughing, giggling and asking SO many questions! It was wise to suggest they split into two groups, and I love how the new seating circle worked. For those of you who have visited my field you may remember I had a yurt in that spot….time moves on, as does the yurt which is now in a field near Exeter, and the footings have been moved around to create this new space. The toddlers running around have flattened the rabbit diggings brilliantly!!!!

With a new owl joining the team we are looking forward to a more sociable year than 2020. Meanwhile, here is Willow my 3yr old Barn owl and Gracie the new team member, also 3 and a Northern White-Faced owl.

and 14 months later…

birds, Falconry, Harris Hawk, Hawk, nature, Owls

Whisper beautiful Barn owl. Bird lady of Fowey

Whisper, my missing Barn Owl

… and here I am busy with my birds in June 2019.  Since last year we have moved house, though still have my Owl fields in Fowey, built new aviaries, tragically lost my little brother and now look after our 3 nieces too.

So when people say ‘are you busy?’ – the answer is a definite ‘YES!’

Oh, and Whisper nipped out of her aviary about a month ago and headed down the beautiful Fowey River Valley, without so much as a thank you!  After 4 years of tender, loving care too!

 

She was a very good weight and regularly caught any rodent that made the mistake of running into her home. I think she was ready for a mate; we are putting an owl box high up in a conifer just in case she is still around.

We only moved 4 miles up the Fowey River Valley to a beautifully secluded spot.  Perfect for the birds and with the plan of hosting some private bird experiences there in the

Flying with the Bird Lady of Fowey

Loki loves his new valley

future too.

Aviaries ready for winter

My new aviaries looking good in the snow

It is more sheltered and has easier access than the field – although to free fly the hawks across the open fields is a wonderful experience when possible!

Our home is now a converted cow barn, and we have renovated the old piggeries into four very smart looking aviaries.  They have turned out really well; we used the original slate for most of the roof and made the most of the large old slate walls and granite troughs that were still in place.  Loki loves his en-suite.

Loki loves his en-suite
Isie looks little in her lovely space!

Now, if only June would dry up… 🙂

Hawks and Me

birds, Falconry, Harris Hawk, Hawk, nature, photography

Flying hawks can be a full time job, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.  My 3 Harris hawks all have different characters.  Loki is my prince, he is so loyal and mild mannered everyone who meets him falls in love a little bit.

Loki Feb 2018

Loki Feb 2018

He and I enjoy long walks across the fields; this afternoon he watched me bash tall patches of stinging nettles with a stick – how have they all grown so fast already? – Loki is watching out for any animal he can grab and flies between the branches following me, sometimes dashing past and clipping my shoulder with his wing tip as if to say ‘I’m still here, right with you’.

He rarely catches anything, but always gets a good dinner back in his aviary.  Such a lucky, happy hawk, and lady!

 

 

The other 2 boys are quite different to work with.  We haven’t known each other for as long as Loki and I as they both came to me just last Autumn.

Chiko Feb 2018

Chiko Feb 2018

Chiko had a reputation for being noisy and moody, often a new owner can change this pattern of behaviour however he is persisting – I call him Father Jack most days 🙂 He is a quick flier and good to handle, just grumpy! He is in moult now so has an excuse, I am letting him be for a while and hope he is in a better mood soon!

 

Thor is the eldest hawk of the 3 being 5 years old.  They can live to 18 years or so in captivity and at 5 yrs old Thor knows what to do to have an easy life and get food.  They are very clever birds, enjoying a hunt and also knowing, or could I say understanding, the relationship we have and therefore allowing themselves to be tethered again.

Thor Jan 2018

Thor Jan 2018

That is the real thrill for me.  Having that unspoken bond with a species so different to us.

 

My I have had the pleasure of sharing this amazing experience with many different people this winter, even in the snow!

And finally, and quite magnificently, I have my Redtailed hawk who is cousin to our buzzards – the first birds of prey I fell in love with.  She came to me with the name Cleopatra, but I called her Isie after my mum, who was a North American bird too 🙂  Isie is the largest of all my hawks, and the most timid.  She will only bath indoors, very demure, and gives everyone a beautiful display of her wings as they approach to show how big she is.  She does fly for me when in the mood, and it is wonderful to see her in full flight.

Isie Feb 2018

Isie Jan 2018

Hope to see you soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Busy Birds

art, birds, cute, events, fairies, Falconry, Harris Hawk, Hawk, Hoots, nature, Owls, Owls, photography

Training and caring for my birds certainly keeps me busy, and I try to make sure the birds keep busy too.  The past few months have seen the birds entertaining families while they get creative in the yurt; hosting summer feast nights; giving people the thrill of having a bird of prey fly to their glove for food and taking part in several bespoke photo shoots.

Peanut making new friends
Isie posing
Victor hosting feast nights
BB King welcoming this family

The feast nights brought lots of new people to the Owl Field in August.  With the Keep Cornwall Fed chefs and Kim’s Kitchen cooking up some delicious meals we will definitely be planning more for 2018.

Victor joining in the feast night
Whisper enjoying the feast night
BB King hosting the feast night

Photography sessions have also been a big part of our activity, and the cows like to join in too and surprised Maryna of Photography by Maryna!  She got her bag back with only a little cow slobber on it!!

Photography by Maryna Wild Fairy
Photography by Maryna Viking theme

So if I ever wonder if I am doing the right thing – I look at my birds, reflect on how much we have achieved together, and know that I am doing exactly the right thing…then I put the kettle on!

Hawk, Hawk, Redtail 

Owls

Chaya has grown into a confident hunter, and a wonderful companion on long walks, however she can be moody with people as is typical of any female Harris.


So I thought it was time to see if anyone was selling a nice and friendly male Harris hawk in the south west, I was determined to just keep an eye on the market for a few months and take my time.

Then I saw this lovely boy looking for a new home and couldn’t resist!

He is so gentle and well mannered, and tiny compared to Chaya;  and today, only 12 days after I collected him, he happily flew free to my glove in my field!  😃

He is amazing and I have been grinning every day since we bought him home on Easter Monday…….but there was also a Redtail Hawk for sale….so I had to buy her too!

Fortunately my husband Mike got totally besotted with her and built a beautiful aviary next to Chaya’s so we could collect her today 😊

And here she is – happy in the shed and so relaxed she even ate from Mike’s glove.  She is going to settle in beautifully, I am sure.

Two beautifully reared and manned birds make my team complete.  I am really looking forward to working with them this year.

See you soon !

 

 

Harlequin Ladybirds and other Aliens

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As the days got colder I noticed visitors in my owl shed, ladybirds were gathering to hibernate – how cute I thought!!

ladybird-party

Ladybird party

They even looked like they were having a party with a spider and woodlouse, or chuggypig as my brother calls them.

I was thrilled – until a friend who has an allotment in the next field pointed out that they are Harlequin Ladybirds, Harmonia axyridis, and are a danger to our native ladybird and should be destroyed 😦  I have seen ladybird farm kits for sale and previously thought it was silly to keep pollinating insects captive, but now I see this as the perfect solution to these alien invaders and I am sure my nieces will enjoy looking after them.

My other aliens are, of course, my birds.  Not Whisper the barn owl as she is native to the UK – she actually came to me from Somerset.  However my other birds, while born and bred in the UK for many many generations do originate from other countries.  Peanut the burrowing owl is native to America – found in many states and doing very well over there, almost a pest to some people when they dig up their gardens.

BB King the Eurasian Eagle owl came to me from a back garden near Plymouth.  The species used to be native here until about 400 years ago, and many are still found in the wild across Europe.  Victor the Spotted Eagle owl actually originates from Africa – although he also came to me from Somerset where he was bred.  In Africa these owls are a favourite pet with children due to their quiet and calm nature – Victor all over!

Chaya the Harris hawk also came to me from near the Tamar in Liskeard; but her species originates from South America where they are often seen perching on high cacti as lookout perches while hunting for wild jackrabbits.  I think in this cold weather Chaya would certainly prefer the desert heat – and I may join her!

chaya-in-the-cold

Chaya a cold harris hawk

Roll on Spring!