Junior Owl Experience

This is the only session we offer for juniors under the age of 12 (twelve) but we like to think that it is a good one. Enabling young children from the age of 4 (four) to get hands-on with any animal is not easy unless it is under very controlled conditions. However, our Junior Owl Experience utilises the most calm and tolerant birds of prey in our collection to give children the experience of a lifetime as they fly an owl for the first time.

We like to start our participants with, for example a barn owl, which will fly to and from the gloved hands of the children. There is something quite magical about witnessing the delight on the face of a child when they interact with any animal but particularly with something as enigmatic as an owl.

Meet the Birds

We offer one of the best raptor experiences you can find in which you will get "hands-on"to fly a variety of different species of bird of prey. This is not simply a falconry lesson or display where a falconer talks at you for a while. This is a unique experience that will enable you to fly up to six different species from our collection of flying hawks, owls, falcons, eagles, buzzards and vultures.

We train a variety of young raptors every year to join our falconry display team and as a result every session is different depending upon the time of year that you redeem your experience voucher. This means people come back again and again to sample this thrilling experience.

Walk on the Wildside

When falconry was first practised over 2000 years ago the principles of training are likely to have been exactly the same as those utilised by our bird of prey experts as they carefully prepare the birds for all of our falconry experiences. Of course, back then the aim of falconry was to create a weapon that could be used against wild quarry species for sport or for the table, not to provide wonderful experiences with birds of prey in Cheshire.

Our Walk on the Wildside experience is as close as we can get to the traditional application of falconry as practised in Ancient Times. This experience is not a full-on hunting expedition but a leisurely stroll through the Cheshire countryside with one of our professional falconers. It demonstrates the ability of trained birds and their relationship with their human partners.

Owl Encounter

This is not a 1hr owl taster session but the ultimate experience for owl lovers. This session is an immersion into the lives of these nocturnal beauties. Owls are one of the most enigmatic groups of animals in the world and they stir great passion in those that admire them. We offer our guest the opportunity to handle and fly our owlsin this three hour experience while under the expert guidance of a professional falconer.

Most of the owl species that you will fly have been raised and trained here at the centre and as a result they are extremely trusting of humans and actually enjoy our company. From amongst the smallest to the largest the Owl Encounter is an experience you will never forget.

Family Falconry Encounter

An exclusive family package deal. A session intended to allow families to enjoy our birds together in their own private group. By keeping to family groups we can now offer up to four people (including at least one junior) a session where they will be able to handle and fly a variety of birds of prey under the expert guidance of an experienced falconer. This session is carried out on an individual family basis ensuring that we can offer the maximum amount of "hands-on" experience with the birds possible in the time allowed.

Sessions MUST be pre-booked through the booking telephone line on 01606 882223. Additional family guests, above 4 (four) people can participate in handling and flying the birds of prey for an additional charge.

Full Day Falconry

A full and unique day with our birds of prey in which participants get "hands-on" with and fly a variety of different species throughout a morning session. You will first of all get to know the trained birds that comprise the working part of our collection.

Hawks, buzzards, falcons, eagles and even kookaburras can all be trained using traditional falconry techniques and many of our birds have been raised by our professional falconers to such an expert degree that they really enjoy their interactions with humans. This becomes apparent as they fly to your glove and we make sure that every species flown is different.

Eagle Encounter

One of the most wonderful and exciting experiences available in which you will do exactly what we say, Encounter Eagles!

A full day experience with a morning session designed to familiarize you with falconry, its origins over 3000 years ago and the various techniques involved. Participants will handle and fly these birds in a friendly, no pressure atmosphere in which the professional falconer will impart a small amount of his or her vast knowledge about these wonderful animals.

Make sure you eat a hearty meal at lunch (included) because you are going to need some sustenance for the afternoon session! We rendezvous at the appointed time and begin to introduce you to our largest and most magnificent birds of prey, the eagles. Here you will experience some of the largest raptors in the world flying directly to your glove. You really cannot get much closer than this to eagles that have captivated mankind for millennia.