The last time we visited the Hawk Conservancy Trust, Grace was 3 years old. Things were very different then. I lived a lot closer and the facilities at the Conservancy were much more limited with a small building for their coffee shop, some outside space to sit and a number of enclosures as well as their flying displays. I was interested in seeing how things had changed as well as taking Grace along to jog her memory and for Ross and Rex to have a Hawk Conservancy experience for the very first time.

About the Hawk Conservancy Trust

Set in 22 acres of woodland and wildflower meadows, the Hawk Conservancy care for more than 130 birds of prey including owls, eagles, vultures and falcons. They have a purpose-built National Bird of Prey Hospital™ where they care for sick, injured or orphaned raptors.

As a registered charity, they rely on visitors and donations and are clearly very passionate about what they do. They have the British Conservation Discovery Centre on-site which is home to the Raptor Nest Box Project (RNBP). This is run by Conservation Biologist Dr Matt Stevens, for Barn Owls, Tawny Owls, Little Owls and Kestrels. This not only looks at the ecology of the use of the nest box but it also assesses how it impacts the population of each species.

The Hawk Conservancy are also part of a growing global partnership of more than 60 specialists working together towards vulture conservation. They are clearly very passionate about their vultures and are helping to work towards the prevention of the poisoning of these beautiful birds in Africa and help create Vulture Safe Zones in south Asia.

Getting to the Hawk Conservancy

The Trust is based four miles west of Andover, Hampshire. The centre is just off the A303 and 20 minutes from Stonehenge. From the A303, follow the brown tourist signs. If you are heading east you will have to come off the A303, go round the roundabout and then head back down onto the A303 in the opposite direction until you come to the turning, which is clearly signposted.

There is plenty of free parking and they have designated disabled parking close to the entrance.

Visiting the Hawk Conservancy Trust

We certainly weren’t bored and we had to miss out on a few things due to the fact that there was so much to see and do. These are the things we took in on our Hawk Conservancy experience.

Daily Activities

Their programme is split into summer and winter. The flying displays are all dependent upon the season. During the summer months you can also see ferret racing (weekends and school holidays), the heron and wild raptor feed and the Woodlands Owl flying display is brought forward from the afternoon to the mornings during the winter.

Whichever time of year you choose to go though, there is definitely a full programme of events.

NEW FOR 2018: There is a children’s Owl Prowl with Matt Sewell. Simply search for Matt’s illustrations and complete activities and there is a beautiful owl badge at the end.

NEW FOR 2018: Meet the Burrowers. Meet the Conservancy’s newest residents, the Burrowing Owls (more about that further along in this post).

There is also pond dipping (weekends and school holidays), a fantastic adventure playground, meet an owl, fly a hawk, a young explorer’s trail, tractor rides, a beautiful wild flower meadow to walk in, feeds and talks.

Flying Displays

There are 5 different flying displays (a maximum of 3 daily) throughout the year in total which are all season dependent.

The first one we saw was the Wings of Africa which takes place at 11.30am from Easter until September. This display opens with the African Fish Eagle. A stunning bird which ably caught food from the small pond right in front of us. We then saw displays from the Milky Eagle Owl, the Secretary Bird – who expertly drop kicks cobras and stamps on snakes, and in the case of this display, rubber ones!, Yellow-billed Kites and Vultures.

The display rounds off with a dramatic performance featuring the impact of a bushfire and African rainstorm and features the appearance of meerkats together with Ibis, White Storks and a whole host of birds flying around you. A great spectacle set to music.

In the afternoon we attended the Valley of the Eagles display which takes place during February to October. Set in Reg’s Wild Flower Meadow (Reg was one of the founders), Black Kites show off their hunting skills, the Peregrine Falcon shows it’s speed and the Vultures swoop over your heads. The finale is two Bald Eagles flying in from the horizon, set to music. A beautiful end to a fabulous display.

 

Hawk Conservancy Experience

There are plenty of extra experiences to book, which cost extra on top of the price admission, to enable you to get even closer to the birds at the Trust. These include family and young children experiences as well as the ability to book a full day. This gives you the chance to fly a variety of our birds, ask questions and learn more about their work. You can either meet a greater variety of birds, or choose a more specialised selection of owls or vultures.

We were lucky enough to have a bespoke experience whilst we were there.

Firstly, during the afternoon, Grace and I had the chance to fly a Barn Owl and a Great Grey Owl, as well as give them some food. Ross and Rex joined us as it was set in the Woodland where they hold the owl’s flying display. Rex was fascinated as he watched both owls swoop past him.

Ben was our guide. He was friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. He explained that he had been visiting the Trust since he was 10 years old and always had an ambition to work there. He started volunteering at the age of 13 and then offered a summer job at 16. He told us that he had been working there for 4 years and clearly enjoys his job.

After flying the owls, Grace and I then entered the Burrowing Owl enclosure with Ben. I have to admit to have being a little bit apprehensive but Grace took it all in her stride and sat with the birds as they landed on her. I stood to the back taking photographs of both her and Ben with the birds. One took a liking to my camera and landed on top of it!

The Trust is currently having a special enclosure built for the Burrowing Owls. This will feature a tunnel running through their aviary and from this, you can look through cleverly cut peep holes to watch them in their aviary, which is designed to replicate their natural habitat.

To get even closer, you can book a VIP experience where you will be invited into their enclosure by an expert member of the team who will tell you all about the life, habits and habitat of Burrowing Owls – whilst the owls are moving freely amongst you.

The staff at the Hawk Conservancy Trust

We were greeted at the park by the ladies on reception. Gary, the assistant curator and member of the bird team, showed us around and explained what to expect during the day. He left us to explore the park and confirmed that he would meet up with us after the Valley of the Eagles display to take us onto our experience.

The weather was extremely hot whilst we were there, so Gary met us after the display as promised and not only went to fetch us all a drink, but also took us to their function rooms where we were all able to cool off a bit and let Rex have a crawl around.

After this, we were looked after for the rest of the day by Ben, also a member of the bird team.

With Gary being at the Trust for 19 years and Ben for 4, it is clear that the staff are passionate as well as knowledgeable. Despite the fact that they have expanded since our last visit, the park has not lost it’s family-feel and it is refreshing to see a place where the staff probably feel it is a bonus to get paid – they all seem to love their job so much!

Feathers Restaurant

We opted to have food at the restaurant whilst we were there, although we took our own water. They had a wide variety of options – both hot and cold as well as a fridge full of drinks and freezer full of ice cream and lollies.

The purpose-built 120 seat restaurant wasn’t in place during our last visit but is a great addition to the park. It is easily accessible for pushchairs and they have a great selection of high chairs as well as kids menus. They have a large indoor area as well as a great terrace if you choose to sit outside.

Their menu has been developed to promote locally sourced and produced food and drink wherever possible. They are open for breakfast, lunch and tea and you can book a combined ticket for a day out with afternoon tea included. You can also hire the restaurant for a private function.

There are two sets of toilets at either end of the restaurant as well as a baby changing area located in the restaurant.

I choose a bacon, brie and cranberry toasted sandwich, Ross had a pulled pork sub and Grace and Rex had sausage and chips and chicken nuggets and chips. The total cost was £21 which Ross and I agreed was reasonable.

The Hawk Conservancy Trust Shop

The gift shop stocks a large range of different items and any purchase means that you are supporting the conservation of birds of prey at the same time. Items range from pocket money toys right up to sculptures, homeware, clothing and binoculars.

Family Friendly Things to Note

The whole park is easily accessible with a pushchair, with many of the tracks being paved.

We visited on a very hot day and, one of the things that helped, was that many of the enclosures are set in the shade under the trees. The Wings of Africa display has plenty of shaded seating, as does the Woodland Owl display because it is set under the trees. There is limited shade during the Valley of the Eagles display which is set off to one side.

It was good to see a small Shepherds Hut outside the afternoon display serving ice cream and drinks.

The only slight criticism I would have about the baby change area is that there is no strap on the baby change pull-down. A bit tricky if you need to leave your little one there whilst you use the toilet!

There is a fantastic adventure playground which has been thoughtfully designed with many of the birds at the park in mind. There are also plenty of things for the children (young and old!) to get involved in. Grace and Ross chose to stamp their arms with bird stamps as we went around the park!

Hawk Conservancy Trust Prices and Opening Times

Admission for adults is £13.59 or £14.95 with a donation and £9.50 or £10.45 for children. You can also buy a family ticket for £42.05 or £46.26. There are other options available.

The park is open from 10am until 5.30pm from February until September and until 4:30pm between October and December.

The Trust is open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and closes during January. Please see their website for full details.

Our final thoughts on our Hawk Conservancy Experience

The Hawk Conservancy Trust doesn’t disappoint and is a great place to visit for families of all ages. You will certainly get value for money from your ticket as there is plenty to see, do and get involved in.

Rex probably got a little bored at the age of one. Having him crawl around whilst there was a flying display on wasn’t really an option – although he loved seeing the birds. There are plenty of spaces where he could get out of the pushchair though.  Grace, on the other hand, was thoroughly entertained and loved the whole thing. So much so, that she spoke about working there whilst we were travelling home!

Ross and I loved the place. I had a wonderful time with my camera and saw that they not only do photography experiences but run a photography competition too. I shall likely be entering a couple of my pictures.

We spent from 11am until 4pm there and came away saying that we would certainly go back to experience the things that we didn’t get around to, as well as see what it was like during the colder months.

Disclosure: Thank you so much for our Hawk Conservancy Experience to all the staff and their representatives at the Trust and for providing us with tickets in return for this honest review. Please note that all words, images and opinions have been formed by the owner of this blog. They have not been influenced in any way. Please do not reproduce any of the content or images on this post without prior agreement from Verily Victoria Vocalises.

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