Latest news with #HarrisHawks
Belfast Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Hawks drafted in to scare off seagulls at Royal Portrush
The eagle will land at Royal Portrush at the weekend – the feathered type that is. For now four hawks are on the course at the 153rd Open Championship to ensure spectators aren't bothered by seagulls stealing their food. Cheyenne, Caine, Bella and Aurora have their Hawk-eyes on those other birdies flying through the sky and feeling peckish as thousands of fans flock to the Food Hall when taking a break from watching the golf. Anyone who has ever been to Portrush will know that seagulls are regular visitors in large numbers so the Harris Hawks are welcome guests to the north coast invited by the R & A. Falconer David Trenier from Clear Skies NI explained to the Belfast Telegraph: 'We are here with the hawks to make sure that the gulls stay away from people eating their food.' The Open at Royal Portrush: What happened in 2019 As well as doing their job, the hawks are proving quite the attraction with adults and kids alike taking scores of selfies with them. That will continue throughout the tournament and increase on Saturday and Sunday when an American Bald Eagle called Pilgrim arrives on the scene. 'Having Pilgrim along is a tip of the hat to our American visitors,' said David who runs Clear Skies NI with his wife Joanna.
CNA
17-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Players chase birdies at Portrush as hawks target seagulls
PORTRRUSH :The world's best golfers began chasing eagles and birdies on Northern Ireland's Atlantic coast but hawks were only interested in seagulls as the 153rd British Open began on Thursday. Tournament organisers have drafted in a team of Harris hawks to keep players and fans safe from swooping gulls on the lookout for snacks or even the odd golf ball. The four birds of prey, named Aurora, Belle, Caine and Cheyenne, have been at the course since Sunday under the watchful eye of falconer David Trenier. The Royal Portrush course had been transformed into a golfing metropolis for the week with a huge range of eating options for the 278,000 fans expected throughout the event. That also means there are rich pickings for scavenging seagulls which are known to snatch burgers, sandwiches and ice creams out of the grasp of unsuspecting punters. "When they come in, the presence of the hawk on the course puts them off, they make sure the gulls don't come down," Trenier said. "It is so lovely to see the public reaction, they want to talk and they want to ask questions. "The kids want to have a picture taken." The squadron of Harris hawks will have some powerful back-up this weekend with the presence of a 24-year-old bald eagle known as Pilgrim flying in for duty. "He will definitely disturb the gulls," Trenier said.
Reuters
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Players chase birdies at Portrush as hawks target seagulls
PORTRRUSH, July 17 (Reuters) - The world's best golfers began chasing eagles and birdies on Northern Ireland's Atlantic coast but hawks were only interested in seagulls as the 153rd British Open began on Thursday. Tournament organisers have drafted in a team of Harris hawks to keep players and fans safe from swooping gulls on the lookout for snacks or even the odd golf ball. The four birds of prey, named Aurora, Belle, Caine and Cheyenne, have been at the course since Sunday under the watchful eye of falconer David Trenier. "They are very, very sociable, used to working with large crowds and are big enough to spook the gulls enough to move them off," Trenier told BBC News Northern Ireland. The Royal Portrush course had been transformed into a golfing metropolis for the week with a huge range of eating options for the 278,000 fans expected throughout the event. That also means there are rich pickings for scavenging seagulls which are known to snatch burgers, sandwiches and ice creams out of the grasp of unsuspecting punters. "When they come in, the presence of the hawk on the course puts them off, they make sure the gulls don't come down," Trenier said. "It is so lovely to see the public reaction, they want to talk and they want to ask questions. "The kids want to have a picture taken." The squadron of Harris hawks will have some powerful back-up this weekend with the presence of a 24-year-old bald eagle known as Pilgrim flying in for duty. "He will definitely disturb the gulls," Trenier said.
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
The Open 2025: Hawks hired to scare off Royal Portrush seagulls
Golf fans flocking to Northern Ireland's north coast to watch The Open will be hoping to see more than a fair share of birdies and it is a team of birdies of the feathered variety that are working hard to protect the golfing public over the coming days.A cast of Harris hawks has been drafted in by tournament organisers to keep hungry seagulls away from the David Trenier told BBC News NI the hawks are making sure golf fans can enjoy their food in peace. "They are very, very sociable, used to working with large crowds and are big enough to spook the gulls enough to move them off," he hawks have been on the course "morning and night" since the gates opened to the public on Sunday, Mr Trenier birds - named Aurora, Belle, Caine and Cheyenne - will rotate in shifts throughout the team from Clear Skies Falconry Pest Control is specifically tasked with patrolling the skies over areas where food is served. Situated on the north Antrim coast, Portrush is a familiar haunt for Mr Trenier said, the gulls can have "an aggressive nature for food"."When they come in, the presence of the hawk on the course puts them off, they make sure the gulls don't come down" he are the ideal bird for the job, Mr Trenier added, and a "clean and green method of pest control".It is a method used frequently at other major sporting Open Championships at Troon and St Andrews have similarly called on birds of prey, while Rufus, an American Harris hawk, has been scaring pigeons at Wimbledon for more than 15 years. The tournament-going public seem to love them, Mr Trenier said."It is so lovely to see the public reaction, they want to talk and they want to ask questions."The kids want to have a picture taken and know more about them."The Harris hawks will be joined over the weekend by Pilgrim - Clear Skies Falconry's 24-year-old bald eagle."He will definitely disturb the gulls," Mr Trenier said. He added that Pilgrim's presence also tips a cap to the large contingent of American golfers playing at Portrush because the species is the national bird of the United than 275,000 spectators are expected during the eight days of practice and competition, making it the largest sporting event held in Northern Ireland.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Raptors keep £14m Scarborough station repairs on track
Two so-called "winged sentries" have been employed to ensure a £14m project to improve a Grade II listed railway station is completed on roof renovation at Scarborough station is due to be finished by next March and two Harris hawks have been taken on to discourage other birds aiming to use it for nesting and laying Rail said Maverick and Lily patrolled the site for an hour each visit, keeping gulls and crows from settling on the soon-to-be-replaced How, the hawks' handler, said: "Flying birds of prey over the station roof deters the gulls from wanting to nest there, as they see them as a threat and so will look at other locations in which to breed." A Network Rail spokesperson said the hawks were kept "under close control", only eating pre-made food from their keeper. Mr How, from Rentokil, said: "With it being the breeding season for gulls right now, we're using birds of prey as a natural form of pest control."Maverick "knows when he's on site and he's ready to go pretty much as soon as he comes out of the van," he explained."He knows he's off to work and he's rewarded with food, so it means dinner time." Network Rail said the work being carried out at Scarborough Railway Station would preserve the building's construction work would include a full repair of the roof, drainage upgrades and restoration of exterior stonework. Ann Shannon, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said the roofing project would make "a massive difference to this historical station". However, she said nesting birds could mean work having to stop work "during the critical summer months", which would incur "phenomenal" costs. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
