Tag Archives: birds of prey

A day at Falco West Sussex Falconry #photos #birdsofprey

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On a beautiful, sunny Saturday a few weeks ago, I spent the morning at Falco West Sussex Falconry. It was a mother’s day / birthday treat, a chance to research for a character in one of my future books, but mainly I went because I love birds of prey!

This is Phoenix, probably my favourite bird of the day.

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I have plenty of shots of this Harris Hawk, but here are just a couple. The first is a view of it sitting on my arm.

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We also got to fly Crystal (Chrissy) the Barn Owl. She’s tiny and weighs nothing, but is a real stunner to watch fly.

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The above picture is Chrissy sitting on my hand (such a privilege).

There were lots of other owls at Falco, which were brilliant to see but unfortunately my photos aren’t good enough to share.

I love this next falcon, but admittedly can’t remember which type it is. I think it is a Saker Falcon.

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This next bird is a Hybrid bird, clearly part peregrine falcon.

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Finally, I’ve already shared a few photos of this young Buzzard on a Wordlesswednesday post. But I had to show off this photo again because it still makes me smile!

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I really recommend a falconry day if you like birds of prey. Nothing beats having one fly onto your hand and being so close to these majestic creatures.

Tomorrow’s stop on the blog tour is a guest post about ‘How writing has turned me into an obsessive learner’. I mention this experience in the post, so it seems a perfect day to share this with you.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos as much as I’ve enjoyed sharing them.

#WordlessWednesday – Cute young Buzzard #raptor #birdsofprey #photo

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Thank you, Sally at Falco West Sussex Falconry for a wonderful morning.

Beautiful Bath, Roman Baths and Peregrines #photography #Somerset

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Bath is a beautiful city and one I was lucky enough to explore for my birthday treat two weeks ago. The weather on the first evening was fantastic, and we somehow managed to plan our stay with the start of Bath’s Music and Literary festival. Music to suit any taste was played all around the city, but the drumming and dancing procession was the highlight for me. I could have followed them around all evening!

 

MOV_1499_000025MOV_1499_000103The Cathedral and Church by the Roman Baths looked beautiful in the evening sun;

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On our wander around the city I spotted this pub. It reminds me of one of my favourite characters from my new book, The Lost Sentinel – Garrick. I know from my beta readers that he’s also a favourite of theirs.

He’s partial to an ale or three, so I wonder what Garrick would make of this pub being named after him.

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The picture couldn’t be more different from my Garrick though; he’s young, big built, shaven-headed and handsome! He’s also a hero with a big heart.

The next morning the sun had disappeared, but Bath is a beautiful city to explore in any weather. Many of the roads through the city had been closed off to traffic for a bike race happening that day.

This is the Guildhall, which I’d love to see inside.

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The church we’d seen the previous evening had been open to the public so I hadn’t seen these beautiful doors.

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There was plenty to explore inside the baths too; the different bath houses, the artefacts, and videos of ancient roman life to bring the past alive.

You can also taste the natural spring water, which is said to have magic or healing properties. It was warm and had a very unique flavour – I suggest having a chewing gum at the ready!

Finally we stumbled upon a church with roosting Peregrines, which was a real bonus at the end of the trip. Despite the rain, I managed to get a couple of shots of them though the quality at such a distance wasn’t so great. Still wild Peregrines!

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There was still so much of Bath we didn’t get to explore, which gives me a perfect excuse to go back there.

I hope you enjoyed my little tour. Next time I have a mini tour of Arundel and Chichester to share. And some wonderful shots of birds of prey from my day at Falco West Sussex Falconry. What an experience that was!