We have had a very successful breeding season this year, including two new species for Cotswold Falconry.

Among the successes were our African Goshawks, Ferruginous Hawks and Red Footed Falcons, who all had three chicks each.

Our original pair of Yellow Headed Caracaras and a newly established pair had 2 chicks each. Mags our Turkey Vulure, who frequently flies on our daily displays, and his new girlfriend had their first chick together, as did Wotan, our Bald Eagle and his girlfriend Sue. This was the first time we have bred Bald Eagles at the centre. Another first for the centre was our Brahminy Kites, who also had a chick (pictured). These take us to 46 different species that we have successfully bred here at the centre. We have also bred our Swainson's Hawks, Crested Caracaras, Barred Owls and Western Screech Owls. Our smallest chick this year was the African Pygmy Falcon, who when hatched, only weighed 5 grams!

Cotswold Falconry Centre is proud supporters of Project Lugger. Project Lugger is an organisation set up by a group of UK falconers, to help with the conservation of wild Lugger Falcons (Falco jugger).

The Lugger Falcon populations have severely declined in the last 30 years, mainly due to an increase in human populations, encroaching on their habitat. Persecution, illegal trapping and the decline in their prey species has also had a dramatic effect on their numbers. The aim of the project is to create a strong captive population of Lugger Falcons. Eventually, the UK offspring will go to breeding programmes in their home range of India and Pakistan, to produce younsters that will hopefully be released. This is where we come in! We have been donated an adult male Lugger Falcon (Maverick) by the project with the intention of pairing him up with our young female, Indy. Whilst Indy is still maturing, both birds will be flown in our daily displays and then they will be paired up to breed. Any offspring they may produce will then be donated to the project, helping to conserve this beautiful species.

Wotan, our male Bald Eagle, has become a dad, as the centre breeds its first Bald Eagle chick.

Wotan, who arrived in 2004 and was a regular member of our flying team for a number of years, was paired up with Sue, who is on loan from Gauntlet Bird of Prey, Eagle and Vulture Park.

It took them about a year to get used to each other and when Sue laid an (infertile) egg last year, we were confident that the pair were starting to form a strong bond. This year, the bond was even stronger as Sue laid another egg and whlst incubating, Wotan very proudly stood guard - cackling and shouting at everything that came too close. The egg hatched on April 3rd and both Sue and Wotan were doting parents. The chick quickly grew and at the end of June fledged the nest. In the next couple of weeks, we will be taking the chick out of the avairy and training it up to fly in one of our daily displays.