PRE-DEMO DEMO: FLYING AT 1:30pm 15th - 23rd FEB
VIP Keeper Day
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Follow in the Falconer's Footsteps!
If you’ve ever wanted to experience a day in the life of a BOWC falconer, then the VIP Keeper Day was made for you!
Find out what goes on behind-the-scenes and learn about the day-to-day management of the centre’s extensive collection of owls and birds of prey.
In this exclusive 1-to-1 opportunity, you’ll be able to get hands-on with handling, training, flying, feeding and more under the guidance of our knowledgeable falconry team.
VIP KEEPER DAY - AT A GLANCE:
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DURATION: 5 HOURS
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AGES: 16+
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PARTICIPANTS: 1 - 2
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PRICE: £250 for 1, £400 for 2; INCLUDES LUNCH
What Can I Expect?
This full day (5 hour) session runs from 10:00am until 3:00pm, beginning with an introduction to Baytree & Owl Wildlife Centre by your falconer for the day.
Throughout the course of the session, you’ll have the exclusive opportunity to shadow the BOWC team. As well as answering any questions you may have, they will be on-hand to provide 1-to-1 guidance - while you jump in and get involved with all the good parts!
You’ll learn how our birds are prepared for flying, receive instruction on how to handle them, help with preparing food and much more.
After, you’ll be able have a go at flying the most comprehensive range of birds featured in any of our experiences; including owls, eagles, vultures, hawks, falcons and even some non-raptor species.
During the breeding season, you’ll also have the chance to help feed our babies in the brooder room, too!
The price for this session also includes lunch (provided by the Baytree Restaurant). As such, there will be a break half way through the day for food and refreshments.
Please note: This session is not intended to be a falconry course for prospective bird keepers and will not cover the full breadth of knowledge required for owning a bird of prey.
Who Can Take Part?
This session is designed for older children and adults aged 16+.
Unfortunately, we are not able to allow any spectators on this session.
This is a private session for up to two participants. As such, you will not be joined by any other participants beyond those in your group.
We are confident that our sessions can be enjoyed by anybody irrespective of age or ability. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in taking part but have additional needs, we would be happy to discuss how best to accommodate these so that you are able to get the most from your time with us. However, please bear in mind that participants must be able to use - and take moderate weight - on their left arm.
How Do I Book?
VIP Keeper Day sessions can be booked online using our Online Booking Portal.
You'll be able to see upcoming availability for your desired session to either purchase your places or redeem an existing gift voucher.
To get started, just select the "Book Experience" option from the portal's homepage.
VIP Keeper Day: FAQS
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Do your experience sessions run all year round?Yes, all of our experience sessions can be booked at any time of year. Note that a small selection of dates may be unavailable due to seasonal closures or scheduled maintenance works (generally 25th December - 1st January inclusive.)
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Do I have to use the Online Booking Portal to place a booking?Our Online Booking Portal is the easiest way to place your booking. You will be able to view up-to-date session availability and purchase your spaces directly through our e-ticketing service. However, if you have any issues using our Online Booking Portal, please get in touch so we can help arrange your booking. You can do this by telephone, e-mail, or in person if preferred. Note that you will be asked for some personal information (including an e-mail address) and payment details so that we can process your booking through the Online Booking Portal on your behalf.
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How far in advance do I need to book?The short answer? It's best to check the Online Booking Portal first to see the current availability for your chosen session, as the way we manage our space allocation means short notice bookings are usually still possible. All initial bookings for a given session will need to provide at least seven days notice - but as soon as a date has at least one booking, the additional spaces will remain available right up until the day before the session. Weekends and school holiday dates (particularly the summer holidays) generally have higher demand, so dates for some sessions may be booked up to a month in advance at peak times.
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Are your experience sessions weather-dependent?In a word: no! Unlike most other falconry centres, we have the benefit of a 100ft indoor flying arena which allows us to provide you with an incredible experience whatever the weather. However, in rare situations we may postpone a session due to extreme weather conditions - in this case, we will contact you to discuss your options. The Eagle and Vulture Experience in particular is more likely to be affected by poor conditions due to the size of the birds being used. We advise our guests to wear weather-appropriate clothing to their session (such as a raincoat) as in milder conditions we aim to hold as much of the session outdoors as possible.
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Can spectators take photographs?Yes, feel free to take as many photographs as you like! We love seeing your snaps, so if you get some great shots don't forget to share them or tag us in!
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Can you tell me which birds will be on the session? Can I make a request?Although we generally have "staple" birds for certain sessions, unfortunately we are not able to guarantee that any particular species of owl or bird of prey (or a specific bird from our collection) will be on any given experience. Part of the reason for this is that each of our falconers has slightly different teams of birds that they prefer to use - and the team will also vary based on whether the experience takes place indoors or outdoors. Members of the demonstration team may also be rotated seasonally or for welfare reasons, e.g. to allow them to go through a full moult. As such, if you wish to request a particular bird we will attempt to accommodate this where practicable, but we hope you understand this may not be possible.
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Are your experiences suitable for someone in a wheelchair or with difficulty standing?Most of our birds are happy to fly to seated participants, so we are able to accommodate our guests however they feel most comfortable - whether that's standing for small periods of time with support, or remaining in a sitting position for the full duration of the session. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your requirements further.
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Do you offer any private experience sessions?Our Family Experience is designed around private groups of between 4 and 8 participants. Not only is this our best value session, it is also the easiest to adapt to your specific requirements. It is particularly suited to family groups of adults and children, but we can provide all-adult sessions too. The Eagle and Vulture Experience is also offered on a strictly private basis for just one or two participants. This experience features our largest and most powerful bird of prey species for the biggest thrill-seekers! Our other flying experiences are offered on a semi-private basis for up to four participants, meaning you may be joined by other groups on the day of your session. This is so we can provide the ideal balance between price, session duration, and individual "glove time" with the birds. To book a "private" Owl Experience, Bird of Prey Experience, or Junior Owl Experience, all four available spaces must be purchased - even if you intend for fewer than four participants to take part. This can only be done if there are no other bookings for a particular date. Note that in most situations, we would recommend booking a Family Experience instead.
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I'd like to book an afternoon session. Is this possible?Sorry, all of our experience sessions are held in the morning. The reason for this is because our flying demonstrations take place during the afternoon for a majority of the year. Note that outside of peak season, our display birds are still regularly flown in the afternoon to keep up their routine - or to practice for our event nights - so we are unable to use this time for experiences.
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I'd like to book a particular date, but I can't find it on the booking calendar. Is it still available?Our Online Booking Portal only shows dates with remaining availability. If no sessions are shown for a particular date, then it is no longer available. Note that some dates may show multiple available experience sessions with the same start time. Once one experience session has been booked, all the other session types will no longer be available. This is because only one type of session will run on any given day.
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Do I need to buy a separate admission ticket to visit the centre after my experience?No, there is no need to purchase a separate admission ticket. Anyone taking part in your experience session - either as a participant or a spectator - will have full admission to the centre included with your booking. Note that anyone watching your experience must book a spectator place, as this is not included under a general admission ticket. Since our admission is valid for a full day, most of our guests like to return to browse the collection (or watch the flying demonstration) in the afternoon following their session. You will need to purchase admission for anyone visiting with you who is not taking part on your session as either a participant or spectator - for example, if they'd like to walk around the collection while waiting for your session to finish.
Questions?
If you have any queries about booking a place on one of our Owl Experiences, get in touch using one the methods below!