Local families join residents for birds of prey experience at Brackley Care Home

It was a magical experience that bridged the generation gap at Brackley Care Home.Visiting children and the elderly residents at the Kingsley Healthcare home were equally enthralled by a close-up encounter with birds of prey.Local families were invited to share in the display by Jason Ashcroft, who runs south Wales-based business Falconry UK.

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Jason brought five birds to the Wellington Roada home, Bailey, a white faced owl from Africa, Blu, a kookaburra from the Northern Territories of Australia, Taz, a Tawny Frog Mouth from Australia, Rocco, a pygmy falcon which is the smallest falcon in the world and Brooklyn, a Verreaux Eagle Owl from Africa.

People were given the opportunity to hold the birds.

Brackley Care Home hospitality manager Julie Wilson said : "Our Birds of Prey day went off really well and we will definitely host this again. We had a lot of interest from the community and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event."

Jason with Brooklyn, a Verreaux Eagle Owl

Mr Ashcroft said : "We visit a lot of care homes and it always goes down really well. The carers are always amazed by the positive response to the birds from people living with dementia.

"Maybe it reminds them of encounters with birds much earlier in their life when owls were plentiful in the countryside."

His fun, educational talk covered everything from the birds' hunting prowess and sharp eyes and hearing to their habitat, camouflage and flight.

Brackley Care Home prides itself on its close relationship with the community and hosts and open, free coffee morning on the third Wednesday of every month from 10.30am to noon.