Falconry

Hello all, I was at a Falconry centre last weekend - the English School of Falconry at Old Warden. A great place with some beautiful animals and the ability to get really close to them and have go at having them fly to and from your hand. Here's a bunch of pics of some of the residents. Picking up on John's earlier thread, these are all captive animals, and there is an additional pic within that thread of a European Eagle Owl from the same day:

1. Great Horned Owl. I think this was with the DA*200



2. Bald Eagle, doing his best to look like a Bouncer. This was with the DFA 100



3. This is a rather wonderful Kestrel called Bentley, also with the DFA 100



4. A bit of a monster! this is an Andean Condor, still not fully grown. He is massive and needs a decent level of wind to get airborne I believe. This was with the Sigma 100-300



5. Launching one of the Bald Eagles, also with the Sigma 100-300



6. The Daddy! This is a Steller's Sea Eagle, which I think is the heaviest Eagle in the world (although a Harpy Eagle maybe edges it for physical dimensions). Either way this fellah was awesome looking with a huge bill! Also with the Sigma 100-300



7. Barn Owl, with the DFA 100. Pretty much silent in flight



8. Great Grey Owl (this one is called Marshall) touches down. He was fantastically endearing, although not as heavy as his size might suggest as his feathers are very thick. This also with the DFA 100.



I hope you like these - as ever there are more on my flickr stream.

Cheers

Nice photos Mat.

I have always had a soft spot for falconry.

(who is old enough here to remember 'Kes'? Poor young Casper forgets to put a horse bet on for his big brother Judd!)

Pic number one is very nice.

Deryn

Very nice set

These are great!
Looking forward to the falconry day we got on groupon now!!

Very nice indeed

Thanks all for the comments. I do remember Kes (having read it rather than seen the film); and Dave I am sure you will enjoy the falconry day - it was enough for me just to get so close to the birds let alone have them flying off your arms and doing their thing. Very cool

Cheers