I got to spend part of the day yesterday out at Church and State Wines Brentwood vineyard having received an invitation to come and see their new raptor flying demonstration.

Church and State wines have been operating the Brentwood winery for a few years now, with 11 acres devoted to Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, and another 80 acres of grapes growing on their Okanagan property.

But enough about the wines — we were there to see large birds of prey!  Church and State has teamed up with Pacific Northwest Raptors Ltd. based in Duncan, to bring these magnificent birds to Brentwood.  Pacific Northwest Raptors are dedicated to the conservation of birds of prey, and put on demonstrations of raptors in flight with captive-bred birds.  For spring/summer 2011, some of these birds will be living at Church and State, and flying the skies around the winery (for the record, the area surrounding Church and State’s Brentwood winery is apparently the raptor equivalent of Disneyland!)

We got to meet a number or raptors including hawks, who the handlers work with with lures to help them acquire hunting skills (like a squirrel on a string)

All of these birds are flying free during training and the demonstrations — while they do have radio transmitters on their legs to help track them down, they are not restrained.  The handlers rely rather on the relationship they have built with the birds (and some treats on hand!) to encourage the raptors to come back on their own.  Only rarely do the handlers have to go a little further afield to retrieve one.

For about 1/2 an hour, we were treated to swooping and some up-close examples of just how much personality these birds have (well not too up close as we were warned to keep our fingers close and not make sudden movements).  Overall, we got to meet two different species of hawk, a turkey vulture, a barn owl, and the big finale — Hera, a 2 year old bald eagle.

So you say, you had a great time with the birds, but  what the heck does this have to do with food?

Raptors have historically been used as a pest-control method in some agricultural and industrial applications.  Because they like to hunt smaller birds, rabbits, rodents, and other creatures who like to munch on valuable field crops, they are a natural for keeping things like the starlings at bay.  These particular raptors won’t specifically be patrolling for pests, but will naturally discourage some of the more invasive birds and rodents as it becomes clear there’s someone new in the hood.  I expect there may be growing interest in using raptors for pest control as demand for organic fruit and veggies increases, and as neighbourhood tolerance for methods like bird cannons in blueberry fields wanes.  Makes you think next time you raise a glass of wine to your lips, nosh on a blueberry, or take off safely from an airport that has used hawks to keep the gulls and starlings away.

After the demonstration, we went back into the winery for a taste of wine and a little nosh.  Church and State has a fabulous space which is used for tastings throughout the summer season, but is also available for special functions.

The raptors are at Church and State’s Brentwood winery now, and flying three times a day.  I highly recommend checking it out, and have a look around the tasting room while you’re there.

For information on the flying demonstrations, call 250-652-2671 or email  [email protected]