talons private hawk walk

Several months in advance, I booked a hawk walk for a group of 4. It was confirmed, but then rescheduled by Laura for a personal commitment, which was fine. Unfortunately, that was the last we heard from her.2 days before our scheduled appointment, I tried to email her for a confirmation, and asked her which forms of payment she accepted, as well as what to do in case of inclement weather, since none of this information was available on the site. No response. The next day, I tried calling several times, and the phone rang and rang. The day of the appointment, I finally get an answering machine, and I tell her that we are on our way. This was almost a 2 hour drive, and the weather was cloudy with a forecast of showers. I didn't want to flake on the appointment, so we set off.As soon as we get there, the heavens opened and starts pouring. Laura comes out and seems surprised to see us, BUT SHE NEVER RETURNED OUR CALLS OR EMAIL TO CANCEL. We had no choice but to turn right back around and drive back another 2 hours. A complete waste of a half a day, that could have been avoided if she was at all responsive or responsible. She never did follow up.

What an amazing experience it was to get up close and personal with a hawk, falcon, eagle owl , barn owl and 2 funny and intelligent ravens. With all of these magnificent birds, I have to admit that it was Bella Luna, the barred owl, who stole my heart. Looking into her huge dark eyes was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Lorrie, the master falconer, was so warm and friendly, she made us feel like we were old friends. We were introduced to each bird, educated about their characteristics, and allowed time to enjoy them and take pictures. Lorrie has a very special rapport with all of her birds, I especially liked when she got Big Mama the eagle owl to give a "hoot " for us. Finally, we went into the woods to see Lorrie's Harris' hawk in action. It was awesome to see him fly through the trees and then land on your glove. The birds at Talons are so well mannered and friendly, it is incredible to think that they are such skilled predators. We had such a fantastic time and we are looking forward to returning again in the not too distant future. Maybe this fall when the leaves are changing.....:)

Where else can you have the chance to be up close and interact with a raven, owls, hawk and falcon? Lorrie, the master falconer, was gracious, fun and informative. In our 8 week cross country trip our time at Talons stands out as the #1 experience! We learned about the birds and how they are trained. The most exciting part was going out in the woods with the Hawk flying free, and then swoping in to land on my arm -- over and over again. Beautiful creatures, amazing experience, one I will never forget. I highly recommend it. The price is very reasonable for the experience you get. I came away high a couple hundred photos.