What's Included
Half Day Falconry
• Allow three hours at the venue
• Your session will be spent watching, handling and flying many types of bird which include several species of Falcons, Hawks and Owls
• See the beauty and grace of these magnificent birds as they dominate the sky and fly them to the glove in spectacular countryside
Owl Encounter
• Fly a variety of owls from the smallest to the largest
• Get up close and personal with a wide variety of owls including Little Owls, Barn Owls and European Eagle Owls
• Please allow three hours for this experience
Full Day Falconry
• Spend the morning getting to know the birds
• The opportunity to be up close feeding, handling and flying a selection of birds of Prey
• The afternoon is spent flying an eagle or European eagle owl during summer months or hunting with harris hawks, ferrets and dogs during the winter months
• Lunch and refreshments are provided
• Allow seven hours on site for this experience
What Can I Expect
Falconry in Leicestershire - get up close to cute little owls and fly beady-eyed eagles! This centre is situated on a farm near to Market Harborough, which is south of Leicester city centre and in the farming heartland of a county with a long tradition of hunting and country sports.
Opting for the half day or full day falconry experience at this Leicestershire venue will see you spending time with Andrew as your host. To put it simply, Andrew loves being a falconer. It's hard work and long hours, but after you've spent weeks or even months training a raptor and you then watch them fly free for the first time with such grace and finesse, it is a magical moment and ultimately very rewarding, as you will learn for yourself in just a few hours with Andrew.
You will get to meet a variety of birds, from eagles (just check out the size of their claws!), to the nimble falcons, as well as the falconer's four footed friends Boris and Walt the gun dogs. You will also be shown the classic falconry techniques to get the raptors flying straight onto your gloved hand. In fact, you can expect to be getting so close to these birds that you'll be able to see their feathers ruffle in the breeze and, if you dare, look them right in the eye
And those on the full day course get to spend the afternoon out and about with the birds, typically flying an Eagle or Eagle Owl in the summer months and out hunting with the Harris Hawks assisted by the ferrets and dogs in the winter.
Andrew also offers an Owl Encounter session, where you’ll spend three hours meeting, learning about and flying a variety of species of Owl.
Whichever course you pick, you’re sure to learn an awful lot about falconry at Leicestershire's friendliest centre near Market Harborough. See, hear and learn all about things such as breeding, hatching, rearing, feeding and developing the unique relationship between handler and bird. Andrew is a superb host and is very skilled with and enthusiastic about each and every feathered friend he trains and flies.
Availability
• Experiences run on selected weekends and weekdays throughout the year
• Half days and owl encounters usually run 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm
• Full day sessions operate from 10am-5pm (9.30am-4.30pm December and January)
• You may form part of a group of up to six participants
Suitable For
• Minimum age is 14
• Under 16's must be accompanied by an adult
• No alcohol or pets on site please
Spectators
Spectators are welcome for an additional charge payable on the day;
• £30.00 for the half day if you with to spectate, this does also include taking part (but not flying to the glove)
• £50.00 for the full day to spectate which includes a lunch
Anything Else I Need To Know?
• There are toilets on site
• Nearby pubs, hotels and B&B's can be recommended when booking
Location
• The venue is located just outside Market Harborough, Leicestershire
• Excellent road links and is easily accessible with Nottingham, Derby and Birmingham just an hour's drive away.
IntotheBlue offers Falconry activities at a wide selection of venues and Birds of prey centres throughout the UK (including Falconry Scotland), please see our main Falconry section for more locations.
