MY HUSBAND has been harping on about the Hawk Conservancy in Andover ever since I’ve known him.

He went there on a school trip aged nine and saw his first peregrine falcon in flight and has always wanted to return.

The perfect opportunity arose when my sister asked if we would look after my nieces, aged three and six, for a weekend.

It seemed like the ideal way to combine learning with wearing them out!

The Hawk Conservancy sits in a pretty spot in the Hampshire countryside. It’s not a huge site, making it perfect for little ones who insist on walking everywhere, but then decide they are tired. Amenities include picnic tables, a shop, a café and the all-important place to buy New Forest ice-creams.

It is interesting just to have a look around at 150 different birds of prey close up in their enclosures, but the real fun comes with the flying displays that take place at set times throughout the day.

At the top of the site, Reg’s Wild Flower Meadow, planted in memory of the founder of the Hawk Conservancy, is a beautiful field bordered by huge oak trees and framed with rolling hills in the distance.

Audiences gather on the benches at the outdoor amphitheatre and watch as the handlers fly the birds in a controlled atmosphere.

The birds follow a set routine of commands and are rewarded with bits of food as they complete each task and it’s fantastic to see them in action as the handlers recreate real life situations in their natural habitat.

Hawks swoop as if hunting prey, catch food ‘on the wing’ (in the air) and vultures fly over the heads of the audience! We were told to duck as they really do fly low, even brushing the tops of some people’s heads who did not duck down quite far enough.

The best was saved until last with the Valley of the Eagles display, set to music.

These beautiful birds travel over a mile into the distance, then as the music builds they reappear as tiny dots on the horizon before finally coming into view back in the meadow for their rewards. In a new twist, a horse rider dressed in medieval costume re-enacts a mounted falconry display as the eagles swoop dramatically in to land on the handler’s arm while he rides along.

It was quite a long display for the girls to sit through but they were very patient and seemed to be taking it all in – the eldest Beth, like my husband, was equally enthralled by the speed of the tiny peregrine falcon, which drops like a stone onto its prey.

The Hawk Conservancy is a fascinating place to visit even without the excuse of taking children and many of the adults said they found the Valley of the Eagles display really moving.

I hope it made an impression on the girls and that, in the future, they might talk about this little gem to their children, so that the Hawk Conservancy can continue its amazing work, preserving wildlife and educating others about these