Lafone
Well-Known Member
Couldn't find a thread on this centre so thought I'd post about it after my trip today as it was my first visit.
The Millets falconry and wildlife centre in Frilford near Oxford shares a general area with a farmshop, restaurant, playbarn and garden centre complex (though it is a separate business). The overall location was busy and seemed popular with families. In the general farm area (separate from the centre itself and accessible with no tickets / entry fee) were horses, alpacas, goats, rabbits, ducks geese etc and some rheas (the latter offshow due to bird flu). Good amount of free parking and seemed like a popular Sunday destination, reminding me a bit of the eclectic Johnson's of Oldhurst.
The centre itself is off to one side with an entrance / small shop at the opening. General admission included three bird shows at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. I was there on a photography day which started at 9am and ended at 3pm (you could then stay and watch the last show and stay until closing if you wanted to).
The centre is quite a maze of enclosures and mammal wise has a display for skunks, some racoons in a ranging space which goes through a couple of areas, a large meerkat area, ferret runs and two enclosures for common marmosets (the family of those included two juveniles). There's also a collection of snakes and a rather handsome large green iguana.
The centre is essentially a lot of wood and wire and winding paths - the signage on the enclosures is good and the birds and animals looked happy and well cared for. Lots of cleaning and feeding was going on all day.
Obviously the highlights are the bird collection from all manner of families - not naming them all as there were lots but a flavour of the ones I focused on - bald, steppe, Chilean Blue and Golden Eagle through Striated Caracara, common buzzard, harris hawks and red and yellow kites, great grey, barn, tawny, brown wood, short eared, white and Eurasion eagle owls and white back and turkey vultures as well as white stork, kookabura and a rather nice Seriema. The centre has moved to non tether so all the birds were free to move around their spaces. The aim is ambassador / education and there were a good number of families visiting, even though it wasn't the best of weather. The centre has done some breeding and exchanges birds with other collections. It's not a huge collection but if going on a regular day vs experience you could combine with a trip to CWP or All things wild.
On the photography day it was great to be able to get up close to a variety of the birds and of course to see and photograph them in flight. As a vulture fan I really wanted to see the turkey vulture flying and so that was a highlight. The talks and information both to the photo group and on the shows (went to all three) were also interesting and well delivered. The bird flight area is at one end of the centre and offers some good backdrops and a good space for the birds to fly in. It wasn't the best of weather light wise (though it didn't rain which was a plus) but it was enjoyable and overall a good day out. I am a sucker for a beautiful bird and so found it engaging. I'd recommend a visit if in the area, particularly if you enjoy taking pictures.
The Millets falconry and wildlife centre in Frilford near Oxford shares a general area with a farmshop, restaurant, playbarn and garden centre complex (though it is a separate business). The overall location was busy and seemed popular with families. In the general farm area (separate from the centre itself and accessible with no tickets / entry fee) were horses, alpacas, goats, rabbits, ducks geese etc and some rheas (the latter offshow due to bird flu). Good amount of free parking and seemed like a popular Sunday destination, reminding me a bit of the eclectic Johnson's of Oldhurst.
The centre itself is off to one side with an entrance / small shop at the opening. General admission included three bird shows at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. I was there on a photography day which started at 9am and ended at 3pm (you could then stay and watch the last show and stay until closing if you wanted to).
The centre is quite a maze of enclosures and mammal wise has a display for skunks, some racoons in a ranging space which goes through a couple of areas, a large meerkat area, ferret runs and two enclosures for common marmosets (the family of those included two juveniles). There's also a collection of snakes and a rather handsome large green iguana.
The centre is essentially a lot of wood and wire and winding paths - the signage on the enclosures is good and the birds and animals looked happy and well cared for. Lots of cleaning and feeding was going on all day.
Obviously the highlights are the bird collection from all manner of families - not naming them all as there were lots but a flavour of the ones I focused on - bald, steppe, Chilean Blue and Golden Eagle through Striated Caracara, common buzzard, harris hawks and red and yellow kites, great grey, barn, tawny, brown wood, short eared, white and Eurasion eagle owls and white back and turkey vultures as well as white stork, kookabura and a rather nice Seriema. The centre has moved to non tether so all the birds were free to move around their spaces. The aim is ambassador / education and there were a good number of families visiting, even though it wasn't the best of weather. The centre has done some breeding and exchanges birds with other collections. It's not a huge collection but if going on a regular day vs experience you could combine with a trip to CWP or All things wild.
On the photography day it was great to be able to get up close to a variety of the birds and of course to see and photograph them in flight. As a vulture fan I really wanted to see the turkey vulture flying and so that was a highlight. The talks and information both to the photo group and on the shows (went to all three) were also interesting and well delivered. The bird flight area is at one end of the centre and offers some good backdrops and a good space for the birds to fly in. It wasn't the best of weather light wise (though it didn't rain which was a plus) but it was enjoyable and overall a good day out. I am a sucker for a beautiful bird and so found it engaging. I'd recommend a visit if in the area, particularly if you enjoy taking pictures.
