Yesterday we were scheduled to be
at the Ashford Castle School of Falconry at 15:00. Due to a mishap with timing –
we didn’t make it. With our hopes up, we decided that we would venture there
first thing in the morning to see if they had any appointments before our
scheduled departure to see The Burren and Cliffs of Moher. When we figured out
how to navigate the castle grounds and found the Falconry School – we were
really disappointed when they told us that they didn’t have anything available
until the afternoon, by which time we would be far to the south. Deflated, we
took a walk around the grounds to look at the owls, hawks, and falcons before
we leaving. As we were on our way out the gate, a girl named Laura ran out to
us and said that she may have to cut it a little short, but if we had time now,
she had time to take us through the class.
We were
so happy that she stopped us when she did, and took us through the course. She
first told us about the different birds, and some of their traits that allowed
for high speed, hunting, and quick stops. Laura then told us about the science
behind the food limits for the birds, and that as little as ¼ ounce of too much
food would stop the birds from flying optimally, as well as ¼ too little would
make them feel starved. The birds are weighed in everyday to ensure they are at
optimal weight, and in doing so – the lifespan of the birds in their captivity
are nearly doubled that of the birds in the wild. While their instincts enable
the birds to maintain their optimal weight, being in captivity (and spoiled)
does the hard work for them to ensure a longer life.
After
the overview of the birds, Laura handed Angie a female hawk named Lima – and me
a male hawk named Andes. She walked us around the castle grounds and forest, showing
us how to launch the birds to encourage flight, and how to call them back to
perch on our arms. Working with the birds was really such a cool experience.
Being social birds, they flew together and stayed close to us – knowing we had
food for them. Andes was quite on queue at all times to return to our arms when
called, while Lima was quite the sassy girl. Being only 6 months old (both
birds) they hadn’t quite learned 100% the difference between food and other
objects while hunting. Lima kept picking up sticks and fanning her wings around
them, as a means to guard it so no one could get it. At one point, Laura went
to pick her up, and while remaining in a shield like state, Lima tried to
waddle away and protect her stick. It was quite funny to watch. Anyway, hope
you enjoy the photos from this Falconry adventure:
The bridge to Ashford Castle
Ashford Castle
Laura showing us the Owl
The weights and scale - the very top weight shown is 1/4 ounce
The weight and optimal weight chart for the birds
Angie & Lima, Me & Andes
Slowing for perch
Andes and I getting ready for launch
Landing
Perching
Matt - taking a stroll
Charlie being perched by both birds
Mid-launch
Posing for the camera
In flight
After
Falconry, we headed to The Burren. We had heard that The Burren was a beautiful
place with natural, strange rock formations. He hiked for about an hour, and
while the view was beautiful the whole way, we didn’t actually see anything.
Perhaps we missed a turn, but we were pressed for time and had to turn around.
Below are just a few pictures from the hike:
The Burren:
Our final
stop for the day before heading to a bed and breakfast – The Cliffs of Moher.
This is the number 1 tourist attraction in Ireland, and we had heard about how
amazing it was. Take a look on Google. It is literally massive cliffs,
staggered in a beautiful formation. I don’t really know what much there is to
say about the cliffs, that cannot be shown through photos, so I’ll just put
those in below. Near the cliffs, there was also a tower that we stopped for
some photos:
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