Malta, Part 3: Falconry Centre!

I'm skipping ahead in the Malta timeline because this was the best day of the entire vacation and I just can't wait any more to talk about it! Or maybe just post a bunch of really fun pictures of me and Tony hanging out with the birds and grinning like idiots. I cannot recommend this experience enough if you ever venture to Malta!

We booked the full day falconry course/experience (for 80 Euro/person; a splurge but so worth it) at the Malta Falconry Centre, which began at 0930. Since we weren't quite sure the best way to navigate there via bus from our hotel, we also went ahead a booked a taxi ride there in the morning, with a plan to bus to Valletta afterwards. We asked the taxi driver to show up at 0830 because I am paranoid about being late to things, and we weren't sure what traffic would be like on a Tuesday morning. Turns out, I needn't have worried and we didn't have to leave so early after all, because we arrived at the center just before 0900; fortunately, they were open.

We walked into the welcome area, which also doubles as a little coffee shop, and introduced ourselves. They weren't quite ready for us, so we were just about to order some coffee and tuck in for a little wait when the owner, Doreen, strolled in. She instantly made us feel at home and volunteered to take us on a tour of the center while we waited for class time to start. We started up a slight incline past the parking area, and started with the eagles. I'm not sure what we envisioned for the day, but everything pretty much surpassed our expectations. Doreen opened the center 7 years ago, though she's been taking care of birds of prey for 9 years, if I remember correctly. Most of the birds were born in Malta, or at least Europe, though she had birds native to many parts of the world. I thought it was more a rehabilitation center, but it's more to introduce birds of prey and the art of falconry to the island, though of course she cares for whatever birds they have. She has also bought birds who were being abused by their owners, so in that sense she is a rescuer and rehabilitator; it may only take a week or two for birds to learn how to fly for a human.

Doreen had some very tall, fenced or netted enclosures like what you'd see in a zoo. In those, she had three or four different kinds of eagles, some vultures, and some Peregrine falcons. There were a couple of other large birds that I can't recall at the moment. While all of the smaller birds had names, Doreen does not name the larger birds; I think primarily because they don't really handle or fly them, and so don't really get attached to them. And boy, was she attached to the other birds. After we saw the big ones, we went through a tour of the yard, which consisted of two rows of partial enclosures, with a cable run to a perch or stoop out front. The birds were tethered to this cable so they could take only short, low flights. She had owls, many Harris Hawks, and at least one more vulture. Probably other kinds of birds as well, but those are the ones I remember. Each of these birds had a name, often for some physical feature or personality characteristic. Doreen also admitted that she sometimes changes the names of the birds if she thinks of something funny or they remind her of, say, a cartoon character.

This is Lurch. I don't know why he was named and kept with the smaller birds, but he is a handsome fellow.

By this time, it was 0930 and we met Warren, who would be our primary teacher/guide/bird sherpa throughout the day. We started out with some introductions and he gave us a brief history on the art of falconry, and brought us into the workshop. There were two Little Owls and two types of kestrels being cared for in there, and the place did not smell good. Like bird poop, mostly. I suppose that comes with the territory, but it took me a few uncomfortable minutes to get used to it. Warren then explained that most of the birds they fly on a regular basis (not for hunting, just for demonstration and exercise) have a healthy or safe weight range for flying. If the weight is too low or too high, it's not good for the birds. They get weighed every day, unless the centre is closed. So we jumped right in with gloves and set out to fetch the birds for weighing. Warren showed us how to hold the jess, or tether, in safety position so the bird couldn't get away from us, and also how to position our hands (gloved, of course) so the bird would step on and off its perch. Our first bird was Dexter, and Tony fetched him off the perch and brought him back to the workshop to be weighed. I think his flying range was something like 680-750 grams - bird bones are essentially hollow and feathers don't weigh too much. Warren was really fantastic about letting us take pictures, and insisting that we took turns handling the birds and trading off the camera. He really took his time and patiently answered all eleventy million of our questions. Did you know much of the falconry equipment is made of kangaroo leather? It's tougher than cowhide. After handling Dexter, we weighed a few owls and another hawk, then took a coffee break.

Some of the birds really like to be petted or scratched, just like a dog!

The Malta Falconry Centre is a family enterprise. Doreen is the owner, and her daughter works in the coffee shop/gift center. Her son, a contractor in his regular job, also comes in to work with the birds and help with grounds upkeep. Her husband is also a contractor and apparently a lot of the family money goes right into the centre; Doreen says it is a labor of love and isn't fully self-sustainable. You can really tell she cares about these creatures. After our coffee break, we went to a field near the top of the hill on which the centre is built to observe a public demonstration. I think those happen daily from 1130-1300 or something like that. The day we were there, a few days before Christmas, the public show had an audience of less than a dozen people. Doreen and Warren came out with owls and pointed out some distinctive characteristics about the way they fly, and then went down the line so people could pet, hold, and otherwise interact with the owls. Apparently in the summer time their crowds can be upwards of 200 people, and they often have school groups come to visit, so I felt special in getting all the one-on-one attention. They even called Tony up to help with a flying demonstration, and to pull a lure across the field for one of the birds. After finishing with the owls, Warren brought out two of the Harris Hawks, which are some of the only birds to hunt in teams. They further explained the anatomy of the birds, and in particular pointed out the white tips on the birds' tail feathers, which are used for communicating while flying and hunting.We also got to see first hand the difference between how owls fly and how the hawks fly. Warren directed the birds to various perches throughout the field, and demonstrated how they are alert and answer when their names are called. The birds are definitely treat-motivated; while they are often used to hunt other birds (the owls had to be put away before the hawks were brought out, as they are natural prey for the hawks), these guys got a special reward of part of a dead chick every time they did something the handler wanted. To get a bird's attention, Warren would hold up his hand and tap his glove while calling the bird's name. He also had a whistle to which the birds responded; one call to get their attention and one alert to let the bird know it had just done something favorable. Not too different from clicker-training a dog, I guess.

A distinct resemblance

Finally, Doreen and Warren dismissed the general public and it was time for Tony and I to have our flying lesson! Warren brought out one of the hawks (alas, not a falcon) and sent us to opposite ends of the field. He kindly used my camera to take a couple hundred photos of the two of us with the birds. Toward the end, you could tell the bird was getting less interested in flying, which meant his craw was getting pretty full. You could definitely see his craw was extended from the throat, and quite full. Interestingly, owls are some of the only birds that do not have craws, so you have to be careful how much and how quickly you feed them, as they digest food a little differently from other birds. Not only did we get to fly the bird back and forth between us, but we also got to throw the food or bait into the air for him to catch mid-flight! Have I mentioned what an amazing experience it was?

One of my top favorite pictures of me, ever.

After the flying lesson, we went back to the workshop. While Doreen fed the little owls and kestrels, Warren showed us how to tie a falconer's knot, which is used to connect the bird's lead to the glove. I'm pleased to say that Tony and I were very quick learners, and that to the best of Warren and Doreen's recollection only one other person learned as quickly as the two of us. Thanks, Girl Scouts and Coast Guard! (Tony's just naturally good at everything. He obviously was never a Girl Scout or in the Coast Guard.) I could rave on and on about how nice Warren and Doreen were - giving us restaurant and tourist information, patiently answering all of our questions, etc - but I will close with one more story which illustrates their kindness.

When we went to the coffee shop to pay for the experience, Doreen's daughter presented us with training certificates and a little booklet of information, so we wouldn't forget the things we learned that day. I pulled out my credit card, and their faces fell. Apparently I didn't read the fine print closely enough, because they don't have a processing machine. And unfortunately, Tony and I didn't quite have enough cash to pay. I asked if they would take a personal check to cover the difference, but Doreen said no. However, she told us there was an ATM in her town just a few minutes away, and offered to drive us. So we piled in her little car and zipped over to the ATM, and then back to the shop. Then, after we paid and she learned we were going to catch a bus to the capitol, she insisted on driving us BACK to town and dropping us off at the correct bus stop! Talk about good customer service. Two thumbs up, five stars, 10/10!

Here's the link to their website:
http://www.maltafalconrycentre.com/