For the past few weeks, I have been talking about some medieval European castles so I’ll stick with the medieval theme just a little longer but this time I’m bringing it to Southern California again (apparently you can find medieval times all around you). For today, we are visiting San Juan Capistrano where you can have a hands-on experience with falcons similar to the medieval upper class – except without the hunting.
If you have ever driven near the coast in Southern California, chances are you have seen the Red-tailed Hawk soaring above. I see them all of the time cruising over the 73 Toll road. So, imagine my surprise when I recently found out that Adam’s Falconry Service offered a program where you can see demonstrations of the hunting skills of these amazing birds of prey and actually interact with them. I just had to do this – and I did a few weekends ago on the grounds of A Stone's Throw Winery in San Juan Capistrano (not far after the 73 Toll road converges with the 5 Freeway).
Falconry, often referred to as the sport of Kings, was a popular sport and status symbol during medieval times but accounts actually date back to 2000 B.C. Some things have changed since then but the concept is actually very similar – using the instincts of the bird to assist humans.
We arrived a little early so we were able to ask the staff questions before the session began. We also got to meet Harry, a very noisy Harris Hawk, before the session began. He was a young fellow – four months old – and I gathered he was an equivalent of a human teenager eager to voice his opinion. I found out that the hood he was wearing is called a rufter (like most trained birds of prey we see in pictures and on TV). The purpose of this is too keep them calm and not get distracted as these birds are on constant alert by nature.
Falconry now applies to the use of trained birds of prey to catch game or serve other purposes. Adam’s Falconry Service primarily uses the birds for conservation and pest management. A big part of that is using falcons to prevent crop destruction by naturally keeping pests away that eat the crops. The falcons also naturally control pest birds at resorts, beaches, vineyards, airports, landfills, schools, and golf courses. We learned other fascinating and interesting facts throughout the morning but let’s be honest, the real fun was watching the magnificent birds in action!
Well, and the real highlight, was having the opportunity to have a Peregrine Falcon fly directly to me. Of course, I had arm protection and was given detailed instruction of what to do and what not do beforehand. The thrill of seeing that glorious bird fly straight towards me was exhilarating! The drill consisted of tapping my wrist, calling him, and feeding him after he landed on my arm. He looked at me when it was all done as if to say, “What’s next?” I had been instructed earlier to make a turn facing the next participant and he flew on. It lasted only seconds partly because the Peregrine falcon is the fastest moving creature on Earth – flying an average of 100 miles per hour while chasing prey. The fastest one recorded was 242 miles per hour…and that same bird flew directly at me…well to be fair, he flew at my arm, but still! How exciting is that?!?
We were also given the opportunity to interact with a few of the other birds and hold them (including cute chatterbox Harry), if we wanted. Of course, I jumped on that chance – as if I was going to turn that down. The gorgeous 16-year-old white Gyr Falcon pictured below was named Zsa Zsa. Notice that she is very large. Interesting fact: a male falcon is one-third smaller than a female falcon! Who knew?
For the last bit of the presentation, Adam brought out a crate with a very large stunning owl. We watched Mr. Bojangles (Bo) fly beautifully from one end to another, landing so gracefully. We had the opportunity to pet his incredibly soft feathers which actually felt more like luscious velvet. Take a look at those enormous talons. Those hooks are stronger than a Rottweiler’s jaw.
Like many animals, birds of prey are food motivated and one of the reasons why they were driven to “perform” for us in the first place. I’ve always wondered if they ever reached the point of having full bellies and are no longer willing to “perform”, so I asked. The answer was “yes”. And I learned a fun fact too: the term “fed up” comes from the ancient falconry term for when a trained hawk has eaten its fill and is no longer willing to fly and hunt for the falconer anymore. Of course, today it has a different meaning, but it makes sense how it evolved to its meaning today.
I highly recommend this falconry experience if you are in the Orange County area. For more information, check out their website https://adamsfalconryservice.com. And I’d love to hear if you have any fun experiences with these amazing birds as well. Become a member of my blog and leave a comment down below!
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