Moors Valley Country Park and Forest is home to a whole range of wildlife, from dragonflies and birds to water voles and reptiles.

But visitors can now enjoy the fantastic sight of birds of prey flying over the trees, thanks to the new interactive family attraction – Hawk Walks.

Led by passionate falconer John Elliot, who has more than 30 years’ experience flying birds of prey, participants can take part in an intimate walk with free-flying Harris hawks, learning about these extraordinary birds and the ancient art of falconry, as they recall the hawks to their fist.

It took several months of preparation, including permission from the Forestry Commission, to set up the walks, including hours of John and his close friend and fellow falconer Marion, driving around the acres of park to find the perfect spots to fly their birds – all of which are named after famous singers.

“For many years I have recreationally flown my birds,” says John.

“As you can imagine, it is a fairly rare sight to see raptors being flown and we have had much interest when flying from both visitors and staff at Moors Valley, where we regularly visit to fly.

“Following many requests and enquiries about our birds being flown, we were then given the opportunity to work closely with Moors Valley Country Park and Forest and the Forestry Commission to bring the Hawks in the Forest – Hawk Walks.”

John and Marion have been running the walks, for individuals, families or small groups, since Easter, and the pair are keen to engage with people of all ages to share their love of the majestic hawks.

Anyone booking a walk will have the chance to chat with John and Marion first, who will find out more about the kind of experience they are looking for, and about their level of confidence, and choose the appropriate hawk for the activity, effectively tailor-making each walk for the participants.

We were lucky enough to take part in a walk with birds Freddy (Mercury) and Marvin (Gaye), both of whom showed their cheeky personalities during our time with them, which amounted to a little over an hour.

After meeting with John and Marion at the designated point, we were driven to a quieter part of the park and introduced to the birds, before being gloved up and setting off on the walk.

We spent a simply fascinating hour learning more about the birds as we meandered through the forest, watching Freddy and Marvin glide effortlessly from tree to tree, in between being called back for rewards, first to John and Marion, and then to myself and my husband.

Those who are a little unsure, are given the opportunity to instead call the birds to a post.

We discovered that the male of the species was generally smaller than the female – after also meeting Gloria (Gaynor) – and that John’s birds also work patrolling landfill sites along the south coast, as an eco friendly way of controlling the number of gulls and other pest birds.

It soon became clear that four-year-old Freddy was the more stubborn of the two, but also the more lazy, while his younger brother Marvin would swoop in and grab the rewards offered given a moment’s hesitation by Freddy.

Three-year-old Marvin was the first hawk in his family to be trained specifically as a “passive hawk”, meaning he doesn’t hunt, although he has a good go at “killing” sticks, twigs and leaves.

It’s a fascinating insight into these birds, rounded off by the chance to walk the birds back to the starting point once they had finished flying, and a great opportunity for John to share his passion with others.

Hawk Walks are suitable for children aged 12 years and over, as well as those who would just like to spectate. To find out more, call John Elliott on 07954 522843 or visit hawksintheforest.co.uk.