We are delighted to be working with the Cameron Bespolka Trust who have kindly agreed to support some exciting educational projects. The Cameron Bespolka Trust is a charity that has been set up in memory of Cameron and his passion for wildlife. Cameron was a young naturalist who loved nature and in particular birds. He spent much of his time exploring the outdoors and visited the Hawk Conservancy Trust on many occasions where he loved getting close to the birds here, whatever the weather! The main aim of the Cameron Bespolka Trust is to inspire and encourage young people to […]
My name is Ben Cox and I am a Bird Team member and the Events Coordinator here at the Hawk Conservancy Trust. My time at the Trust is nearing its end and I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you my story and journey of working here. First of all I would like to say a huge thank you to the Trust as a whole: I have been so blessed to have worked alongside so many incredible people and Birds in my time here. The organisation has given me so much over the years, from priceless experience to […]
Transects are an essential aspect of our conservation and research with British birds of prey, where sightings of these birds along a set walked route are recorded. These surveys take place in the spring and autumn to inform us about numbers and population changes across Southern England. We caught up with our Research Assistant Tanith Jones to hear about what it’s like to walk a transect. “Spring has truly sprung and with the emergence of Snowdrops, Daffodils and some slightly warmer and sunnier days, it marks the beginning of the fieldwork season for many conservation biologists. Here at the Trust, […]
We were delighted to welcome Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North, now our local MP, to the Hawk Conservancy Trust on Friday 21 March, as part of her visits for English Tourism Week. We were thrilled to be acknowledged as one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the constituency and recognised for our contribution to conservation, education, rehabilitation and research of birds of prey and their habitats. Caroline Nokes met some members of the team at the Trust to hear more about our work, including our conservation projects in her constituency and overseas, our engagement with schools […]
Five things to get egg-cited about at the Hawk Conservancy Trust! Fly over to see us here at the Hawk Conservancy Trust this Easter. Bring the whole family along to enjoy a jam-packed day watching our new display, cracking our Easter trail, plus activities running from first thing in the morning through until the very end of the day. Easter is a popular time to visit, so pre-booking your ticket is recommended to guarantee your visit on your chosen date.
A new bird of prey flying display is being launched just in time for the Easter holidays! The new ‘Woodland Wonders’ flying display will take flight daily from Saturday 5 April, following extensive remodelling work within our Woodland Arena. It will bring to life the quintessential British woodland environment and highlight its importance as a habitat for the many species of wildlife it supports. Multiple birds of prey will take to the air as stunningly choreographed music, special effects and narration give visitors a close-up view of life deep among the trees. Some may feel the breeze of an owl’s […]
Last month, we said goodbye to our Conservation and Research Intern, Mathilde Ducroz, as she finished her seven month Internship here at the Hawk Conservancy Trust. We caught up with her in her final month to hear about her time with us and the hands-on experience she gained. “As my time at the Trust is coming to an end after an exciting and packed seven months, here are some of the things I have been up to as Conservation and Research Intern. My first week started strong with a successful moth trapping session in the Savannah Arena. Having not studied […]
An impressively sized Steppe Eagle is settling into his new home here at the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Visitors to the Trust have already been meeting the new resident and learning his name is ‘Stilton’, in line with the bird of prey charity’s 2024 cheese-based naming theme. However, this migratory species is named after its preferred breeding habitat – the Steppe region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.Stilton is a magnificent example of these dark brown eagles, which can be between 71 and 81cm tall, weigh from 2.4 to 4.9kg (the same as an average Yorkshire Terrier) and have a wingspan […]
February brings us National Nest Box Week – as you can imagine, a pretty big deal for us here at the Hawk Conservancy Trust! Started by the British Trust for Ornithology, National Nest Box Week starts on 14 February – Valentine’s Day – every year. Nest site availability can be a limiting factor for bird populations that typically nest in cavities, such as tree hollows, old pots and pipes or the lofts of old buildings. Providing artificial nesting sites (nest boxes) can help improve this. This forms the basis for our Raptor Nest Box Project that focuses on the four […]
While we’ve been closed, our team have been busy caring for our birds, and preparing the Trust for another jam-packed year! We checked in with Bird Team member Katy Barnes about working with our birds over winter. “It has been a busy winter on the Lower Section of the Hawk Conservancy Trust! Every year during this closed period, we have a good spring clean here at the Trust, making sure we’re ready for another fun year. The Lower Section of the Trust is often one of the first places visitors explore when they visit. It’s where one of our biggest […]
