Hawk Experience

The Raptor Centre offers you the opportunity to visit our birds on a personal 'one to one' basis. You will meet all of the birds here at The Centre (including all those behind the scenes in our aviary complex). You will be provided with a glove and will help us load the birds to take them round to the Weathering Ground. You will also have the opportunity to fly a couple of birds throughout the day, and if there is time we will take a bird for a short walk around Groombridge Place Gardens.

Lunch will be provided here at The Centre (please tell us in advance if you are vegetarian or have any other special dietary requirements). We will provide all that is necessary for handling the birds, but please remember to bring suitable footwear, especially if it is wet! Hawk Experience days are suitable for young and old alike, but there is a minimum age limit of 16 (sorry, children will not be able to accompany you on your 'day'). The cost of the day with us (including your lunch) is £150. This allows you to bring a guest with you as an observer (to take pictures, and video) As there are only the two of us running The Centre we cannot deal with groups - there is a maximum of two people allowed to attend a Hawk Experience.

What happens if your camera doesn't work? Or your pictures don't come out? Or you forget the camera all together? Don't worry, we have recently started taking our own photos with a digital camera! We can take photos of both you and your 'guest' enjoying the day. Anything up to about 100 photos are taken (at 5 mega pixel) during the day, along with a little video too! At the end of the day the images are transferred to a CD along with a 'Classic collection' of pictures which we keep on file. The CD is yours to take away with you. The CD comes with a picture of you printed on it!

If you would like to give the Hawk Experience to someone else as a gift then we are well equipped to help!! - If you would like to send a Cheque for the full amount (cheque should be made payable to 'The Raptor Centre'), then we will send you (almost by return of post), a card, printed with the recipient's name and your name explaining that a day has been paid for and that all they have to do is to telephone here and arrange a date. The card will remain valid for six months. Don't forget to give us a 'safe' address so that we can send your card without the intended recipient seeing it!

We will require certain information in order to produce the card
1. The first name of the recipient (or the name you know them by - nickname etc. . )
2. Your first name (or the name(s) you want to appear on the card).
3. The date of the 'event' (Birthday, Christmas, Anniversary, Other)
4. Finally, what the 'event' is (Birthday. . . . etc)

 

If you need to stay in the area for the 'Experience', try The Crown at Groombridge, it is only 300 yards from our door!

Click here for more information about 'The Crown'.