STAFF REVIEW: OWL EXPERIENCE IN KENT
Owls are incredible birds and, during this 90-minute Owl Experience In Kent, you'll be able to get up-close and handle a Boobook, Burrowing, Barn and Verreaux's Eagle Owl. This is a fantastic birds of prey experience, with the combination of a beautiful location, expert handlers who are both very knowledgeable and entertaining, and a variety of wonderful owls. To find out more about this experience, keep reading our staff review and see our favourite pictures from the day.
As we parked up at the Hop Farm, in the heart of Kent, I was impressed to find that there was a lot more going on at this venue than I had expected. As we walked towards the entrance, I noticed there was an airsoft experience that was clearly very popular with the children, and an Italian restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. We walked over to the main entrance and were greeted very enthusiastically by Liam, one of the expert handlers. He then walked our small group towards a private field where the owl experience was being held. It really was a beautiful area, and having the space to ourselves really was a big positive.
As we gathered around in a circle, Liam and Dan, the other expert handler, properly introduced themselves and explained exactly what was going to happen over the next 90 minutes. As they went to get the first owl, the group became very excited and got their cameras out at the ready. As they bought the first owl over, they introduced us to Bindy, a beautiful Boobook Owl. Interestingly, they get their name from the sound they make. It was great that we each got to take it in turns handling the birds as they flew towards us. They then got us to pair up and stand facing each other while Bindy flew between us, which was an incredible part of the experience.
The next owls they brought over to the group we're two very cheeky Burrowing Owls. They were called Tinie Tempah and Dizzee Rascal - I know, amazing names! They were released out onto the grass and had the most entertaining run, which did make us all laugh. Then the group got separated, so myself and Jade went over to one side of the field with Dan and the other two went in the opposite direction with Liam. We then had the pair fly between us and then land on our hands. This was a lot of fun as they were extremely fast and very confident around the group. I must say these owls definitely created a great photograph, as they loved jumping onto our cameras - just look at the photograph below!
The next owl to be bought out to the group was Star their Barn Owl. Liam explained that the Barn Owl was the most widely spread bird in the world and although they usually hunt at night, it has been seen that they also hunt during the day, so keep a look out for as you might be lucky enough to spot one. To help them hunt at night, owls have an amazing night vision due to their large eyes that pick up an impressive level of light rays.
The final owl that we got to meet was Kofi, a Verreaux's Eagle Owl, and It's no surprise they left him until the end because he certainly was the most impressive. I really couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the size of him and was impressed to hear that a Verreaux's Eagle Owl is actually the third largest species of owl in the world. Interestingly though, he only weighed three pounds, when by the look of him I definitely thought he'd weigh a lot more. Dan also pointed out that during the breeding season their eyelids turn pinky-red, to let other owls know they are of a breeding age. We finished the session by each handling Kofi a number of times and taking our final photographs. Dan then explained that we were welcome to enjoy the rest of the activities in the farm or we could follow him towards the exit. Jade and I decided it would be nice to go for some lunch, as we'd noticed a number of restaurants around the farm. Dan recommended a few to us, which was very helpful as we got exactly the food we had wanted.
Finally, I'd like to say a massive thank you to Liam and Dan for ensuring we had a fantastic afternoon with the owls. I have been very impressed by the entire experience from start to finish and would recommend this experience to anyone wanting to buy a birds of prey experience for a gift or for yourself. I must say, one of the strongest positives about going with UK Owl and Raptor Displays is that they ensure that the maximum group size is just four, so that everyone in the group get's a lot of time handling the owls. But for now I'm going to leave you to enjoy a few more of our favourite photographs from the day...
