Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Tuesday 12 June 2018
Tourists can now experience the ancient sport of falconry

By LISA RATHKE turnal owl with its golden
WOODSTOCK, Vt. (AP) — spotted feathers perked up
Falconry is an old tradition and took flight, flying slower
in many parts of the world, and lower than the hawk,
including the United King- its wings silent in the wind.
dom and the Middle East. Snyder called her with
But now it's starting to be a whistle and a "pshhht"
offered as an activity for sound because as an owl
tourists at hotels, vineyards she's very sound-oriented.
and other sites around the The birds have a bell and
U.S., from Vermont to Colo- an antenna attached to
rado to California. their leg so they can be
The ancient sport of using heard or tracked if they
birds of prey to hunt wild fly off. And each bird has
animals has existed for at a unique personality, she
least 4,000 years. Experi- said.
ences designed for tourists The ancient sport of using
typically show off the birds' birds to hunt rabbits, squir-
flight and faithful return to rels, ducks, even foxes de-
their handlers, though in clined with the introduction
these programs, birds don't of guns. Falconry only ar-
usually bring back crea- rived in the U.S. in the early
tures they've caught. 1900s and tended to be a
During a 45-minute ses- sport for the elite, accord-
sion at the Woodstock Inn ing to Sheldon Nicolle, pres-
in Woodstock, Vermont, a ident of the North Ameri-
professional falconer flies a can Falconers Association.
trained bird and provides a A recent best-selling mem-
history of falconry and infor- oir, "H is for Hawk," helped
mation about raptors. Then introduce falconry to con-
guests can try it themselves, temporary readers through
handling and free-flying a the story of a woman train-
Harris's hawk, or they can ing a northern goshawk in
just observe the sport. In a England while grieving for
longer 90-minute session, a her father.
second raptor is flown. Nicolle estimates there are
Bouchaine Vineyards in likely 20 or 30 opportunities
the Carneros region of for falconry experiences
California's Napa Valley around the country in ad-
started using falconers in dition to the Woodstock Inn
2016 to keep other birds In this May 16, 2018, photo, a Harris's hawk perches on the hand of falconer Jessica Snyder at New and Bouchaine Vineyards,
— like starlings and migra- England Falconry in Woodstock, Vt. including in southern Ver-
tory species— from eating Associated Press mont at the Equinox resort,
their grapes. Visitors were and the Broadmoor resort
so intrigued to see the per- showcase the birds, and to in Vermont last month, a worms. He has about 10 in Colorado Springs, Colo-
egrine falcons fly and work be able to actually hold a young Harris's hawk was times the sight ability of an rado.
with their trainer that the glove out and have a fal- eager to do what's he's average human." "As a falconer, I always tell
vineyard decided to offer con land on your hand is trained to do. He launched Next Snyder brought out people essentially all we
experience to its guests, really an incredible expe- from a high wooden plat- a screeching female barn are is extreme bird-watch-
along with wine-tasting rience," said Chris Kajani, form soaring through the owl, its flat white face ap- ers because we're getting
and lunch. Bouchaine winemaker and swirling winds over a grassy pearing a little sleepy in the to watch this up close and
"It's wonderful to showcase general manager. field and landed squarely broad daylight. The noc- personal," he said.q
the site. It's amazing to At New England Falconry on the falconer's gloved
hand where he was re-
warded with a piece of
meat.
The Harris's hawk — the
most social raptor because
it hunts in groups— had rich
brown and tawny feathers,
sturdy yellow legs with long
black talons, and intense
eyes that allow him to spot
prey while soaring high in
the sky.
"He has fun out here," fal-
coner Jessica Snyder says
of the 1-year-old hawk In this photo taken Thursday, March 29, 2018, winemaker and
In this photo taken Thursday, March 29, 2018, a Harris hawk named Audubon. "He can general manager Chris Kajani holds a Harris hawk on a hilltop
lands on the arm of a man during a falconry vineyard experi- catch himself meadow during a falconry vineyard experience at Bouchaine Vineyards
ence at Bouchaine Vineyards in Napa, Calif. voles, anything from even in Napa, Calif.
Associated Press a worm. He likes to eat Associated Press