Ryan’s September Reflections

“September is by far one of the best times to come and visit us at the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Although not guaranteed, there seems to be a trend of warm September days as the beginning of autumn sets in. After the excitement and exhilaration of the busy six weeks of the summer holidays, September brings a sense of calm and tranquillity; a perfect remedy to those post summer holiday blues. The Trust is bathed in glorious autumnal sun highlighting the changing colours of the trees and Reg’s’ Wildflower Meadow.

As a member of the Bird Team for many years, September has always been a particularly enjoyable period of the year for myself; it is a time to reflect on some of the highlights of the year so far.

It is always so rewarding nurturing a new member of the team and seeing their true potential unlocked. You may remember seeing the introductory videos with myself and Willow at the beginning of 2024. Willow is now a fully-fledged member of our Woodland Owl demonstration team, her development and growth over the past year has been remarkable. She is a pure joy to work alongside. James Knight from the Bird Team has had similar success with Kiara the Steller’s Sea Eagle. As the first Steller’s Sea Eagle to take to the skies as part of our demonstration team, her presence flying over Reg’s’ Wildflower Meadow is a spectacle. As one of the newest birds to the team, she does not fly everyday so if you do catch her, it is even more of a treat.

Of course, we cannot forget the introduction of our newest members of the team: a pair of Little Owls, Mozzarella and Cheddar. The pair are in the very earliest stages of training and are developing brilliantly; watch this space.

Looking forward to the autumn and winter period, we are looking forward to welcoming our visitors and Members to the exciting events this season brings. Our owl team are getting ready to fly during our popular Owls by Moonlight evenings, so you can witness these awesome predators at their very best. At the end of October the Trust gets spooky for our haunting Owl-O-Ween evenings – a special event for fans of all things spooky!

Then, before we know it, Christmas is here!  This year we have Christmas Owls by Moonlight, Christmas Carols and Owls, Father Christmas Back in Flight and our very popular Christmas Market to look forward too. Our Christmas events tend to book up fast so make sure you book up early to save disappointment.

We look forward to seeing you soon!”

Ryan Stephens, Registrar, Bird Team member.