12:30pm Thursday 20th August 2009
By Nicola Davies
“I CAUGHT my first owl when I was 12, it was 50 ft high in a tree. I grew up in the country and birds have always been extremely special to me.”
These are the words of expert falconer Ian Middleton, founder of Wild-Wings bird of prey sanctuary in Great Sankey, who hit the headlines last week when his 2ft 6ins eagle owl Mumble winged it and went missing for three days.
With 20 birds of prey in the sanctuary he runs with his partner Carole Rose, Ian’s passion for raptor birds is infectious.
From a three-and-a-half inch tall striated scops owl to rescued falcons, hand-reared hawks, a collection of owls and a large black vulture, Ian and Carole’s back garden has been transformed into an aviary.
They had hoped to set up a falconry centre in Spain last year but lost thousands of pounds after they were duped by dodgy builders and are now looking for a more permanent centre in the UK.
Ian, who has more than 25 years’ experience of breeding, training and flying birds of prey and an international reputation for his bespoke hand-stitched falconer’s gloves, said: “We have devoted our lives to the birds. This is my passion.
“You must always treat raptor birds with the utmost respect. They are extremely powerful and a full-grown eagle owl could easily kill an adult fox.
“Hand-reared birds are not frightened of you and they are killing machines so you can never be blasé around them – they can cause you some damage.
“Years ago I rescued a sparrowhawk. They have very long legs and it was on my arm. It got hold of my eye with its talons – I thought I’d lost my eye but he let go.”
Ian, who is known among his friends as the owl whisperer, said he has dedicated his life to developing an understanding with raptor birds and strongly believes in the therapeutic use of owls.
The 52-year-old added: “There are many myths and legends about owls across the world. I regularly see the positive impact owls have on people with special needs. Several years ago I gave a talk to a meeting group at a hospital where a woman who had not spoken in seven years came up to talk to me afterward about the birds – it was amazing.”
Carole, aged 54, added: “We also have a lot of success in curing people’s phobias of birds. They have a special kind of magnetism and have a very calming effect.
“As well as bird therapy we also go into schools, perform at displays, corporate events and birthday parties. We can cater for anything, including weddings. We are currently training the barn owls to fly down the aisles with wedding rings.”
Anyone wanting more information on Wild-Wings can call Ian on 07719 717197.
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