| mee Kujawa | | | | presents. We've all agreed that falconry is cool.' |
| Tells us about swapping her life from being a waitress | | | | About Falconry |
| to becoming a falconer with Cheshire Falconry. | | | | Falconry, the hunting of quarry with trained birds of |
| AWAY WITH THE BIRDS | | | | prey, has been a sport and pastime for thousands of |
| It was a surprise Christmas gift which sent 20 year old | | | | years and several species have been trained by |
| Aimee Kujawa away with the birds - and on a fast | | | | humans to utilize their innate skills of agility, speed and |
| track to becoming the North West's only professional | | | | reaction, to pursue their natural quarry for sport and |
| lady falconer with a job at one of Britain's leading bird | | | | food for the table. |
| of prey centres. | | | | Traditional falconry birds include the peregrine falcon, |
| A falconry experience voucher presented to her by | | | | the goshawk, the golden eagle and gyrfalcon. Cheshire |
| her mum gave her hands-on experience with the | | | | Falconry fly peregrines and many other species of bird |
| range of wild birds owned by Cheshire Falconry at | | | | of prey all trained using much the same techniques as |
| Blakemere Craft Centre near Northwich, and opened | | | | were first employed over three and a half millennia |
| the doors to a new career. Now Aimee is a member | | | | ago. Although it is possible to provide experiences with |
| of Cheshire Falconry's talented team of falconers who | | | | birds that are trained to hunt we aim to show with |
| give displays in handling the wild birds to individuals, | | | | most of our falconry experiences the types of birds |
| groups and corporate parties throughout the region. | | | | that can be trained using traditional techniques, and |
| 'Clients are sometimes surprised when they arrive for | | | | these include a much greater diversity of species. |
| a display to see a young woman in charge of events,' | | | | However, certain species , for example the |
| said Cheshire Falconry managing director Steve | | | | harris’ hawk, is both amiable enough to be |
| Birchall. 'But they soon realise that they, and the birds, | | | | suitable for everyday hands-on work with guests at |
| are in expert hands. | | | | the centre but also able to show-off its hunting |
| 'Aimee has a natural affinity with the birds that shone | | | | prowess in the field too. |
| through from the minute she arrived here as a | | | | Falconry equipment is a mixture of the traditional and |
| customer who wanted to enjoy the experience of | | | | state of the art. The leatherwork jesses and anklets |
| handling our falcons, owls and eagles. She's worked | | | | (aylmeris) have remained essentially unchanged for |
| hard to become the North West's only professional | | | | hundreds, if not thousands of years. However, we use |
| lady falconer and one of only a handful in the country.' | | | | highly sophisticated radio transmitters and receivers in |
| Aimee, from Runcorn, was employed as a waitress | | | | order to track errant birds meaning that losses are |
| when she first visited Blakemere, and said: 'My mum | | | | extremely rare. |
| deserves the credit because she bought the falconry | | | | Falconry relies on appetite management and the |
| experience voucher for me as a Christmas present. I'd | | | | building up of a relationship with the bird through a |
| always been fascinated by birds of prey but had not | | | | process called manning. This is where, by gentle |
| realised it was possible to get up close and handle | | | | exposure to a variety of new experiences the bird |
| them. | | | | becomes increasingly confident. In this way the hawk |
| Days after her first experience, Aimee returned to | | | | can become extremely relaxed around stimuli that |
| Blakemere to ask Steve if she could be a volunteer | | | | would scare a wild bird significantly such as dogs, cars |
| helper. It was not long before Steve and other | | | | or groups of people. You can aliken this process to the |
| members of the team agreed that Aimee's natural | | | | training that a police dog or horse must go through in |
| affinity for the birds could be developed and she was | | | | order to go on active duty. |
| offered the job of trainee falconer. She immediately | | | | Falconry has been practiced in the British Isles for |
| accepted the post and within weeks was skilled | | | | many hundreds of years to our knowledge. It was |
| enough to handle some of the birds without | | | | once the reserve of the gentry, possibly because in |
| supervision. | | | | feudal Britain, you would be unlikely to own the hunting |
| Nearly a year on, Aimee is an able member of the | | | | rights on a particular piece of land unless you were a |
| Cheshire Falconry team responsible for taking clients | | | | member of the aristocracy. However, it is also likely |
| through the Falconry Experience as well as taking part | | | | that you would be unable to afford some of the birds |
| in a wide range of public demonstrations. So has | | | | of prey used in falconry at the time. |
| swapping from being a waitress to a falconer | | | | Today the UK is home to falconers numbering a few |
| changed her life in any other ways? | | | | thousand. These are people who train their birds and |
| 'Yes,' declared Aimee. 'I've got an even bigger circle of | | | | hunt them at quarry rather than those who keep birds |
| friends. Since my mates started finding out about my | | | | of prey in aviaries or as “pets”. Falconry |
| new job, they've been coming up to Blakemere to look | | | | is a time-consuming labour of love and cannot be |
| at the bird collection and a few have invested in | | | | taken lightly but at Cheshire Falconry we take on the |
| vouchers for themselves or for friends as Christmas | | | | hard work and let you enjoy the spoils! |