Family Experience
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Birds of a Feather, Flock Together!
The Family Experience is the best of both worlds!
Designed specifically for groups of four or more, participants can share the thrill of meeting a range of owl and bird of prey species!
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Create a special memory together whilst getting hands-on in this private hour-long session.
FAMILY EXPERIENCE - AT A GLANCE:
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DURATION: 60 MINUTES
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AGES: 7+ (plus at least one adult aged 16+)
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PARTICIPANTS: 4 - 8
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PRICE: £100 for four (add up to four more for £20 each)
What Can I Expect?
This 60-minute morning session begins with an introduction to Baytree & Owl Wildlife Centre by your falconer for the day, who will give your group a brief tour of the aviary complex and show you to a selection of the owls and birds of prey you’ll be meeting.
Next, you'll all be given a glove along with instruction in how to handle the birds, and then it’s straight to the action - flying your first bird of the morning! But don't worry - under the watchful eye of our knowledgeable falconer, you'll all be an expert in no time!
As the day progresses, you'll all have a go at flying up to four unique members of our demonstration team, each with their own character.
Once your session is over, you are free to spend as much time as you like viewing our collection, and are welcome to return for our flying demonstration (where one is available.)
Who Can Take Part?
This session is designed for groups of between 4 and 8 participants. There can be any combination of adults and/or children in your group, provided all participants are aged 7 or older, and at least one responsible adult aged 16+ is in attendance (either as a participant or a spectator.)
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As this is a private session, you will not be joined by any other participants beyond those in your group.
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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.
Buying for someone else?
All of our flying experience sessions can be pre-purchased as a 12-month digital eVoucher or as a physical gift card, ready to give to your loved one.
How Do I Book?
Family Experience 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.
Family Experience: 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 Family Experiences, get in touch using one the methods below!