The Engain team recently visited the North Somerset Bird of Prey Centre at Congresbury.
A great day out was had by all, learning how staff at the centre care for the birds, and what’s involved in training them. They were given the opportunity to handle a variety of birds including the stunning goshawk, the adorable owls and the super-smart hawks. They were also privileged to experience the incredible size and power of the eagle owls.
Even better than handling these beautiful creatures, the team had the chance to fly them.
Saul said: “It was definitely one of the more unique team outings I’ve had! A great way to spend a day and a rare opportunity to get up close to some amazing animals that are usually so elusive.”
“A highlight for me was seeing the steppe eagle. Its strength and size was truly impressive and made it difficult to imagine how the eagle hunters of Mongolia, the burkitshi, carry them whilst riding on horseback. I find these kinds of relationships between humans and animals fascinating, even more so when they’ve existed as tradition for more than a thousand years!”
Hayley added “We had a fantastic day out, the experience of handling and seeing these precious birds of prey up so close was incredible, an experience I will never forget!”
Keava said: “The team’s day out at the North Somerset Bird of Prey Centre was a very fitting choice for a group of wildlife lovers. We had the incredible opportunity to interact with so many beautiful birds. It was a seriously enjoyable and educational day out; we learnt about habitats and feeding patterns, as well as some major threats to different bird of prey species. We were also able to handle each bird and even fly a few of them, which led to some amazing photo ops. Some of them were adorable as well, with my personal favourite sweetheart being a tiny Indian scops owl, named Pippin.”
The Bird of Prey Centre is not open for general admission on a daily basis, instead hosting special Open Days and educational visits. The centre also runs an extensive breeding program and takes in a lot of rescues.