By RUTH LOGNONNE ruth.lognonne@hexham-courant.co.uk

Last updated 09:42, Friday, 29 May 2009

LAST Sunday, Ray Lowden took his first day off in more than four years.

Soaring success: Kielder Bird of Prey Centre’s owner Ray Lowden is pictured with nine-year-old Sable the Saker Falcon.

And, after working with birds of prey for nearly half a century, the head of Kielder Birds of Prey Centre admits he’s just a little obsessed.

“In 12 years I’ve had 10 days’ holiday,” he said. “I work 365 days a year and I never take a weekend off if I can help it.”

Growing up in North Shields, Ray’s father kept a flock of homing pigeons, and it was through racing that Ray discovered his passion for birds.

“My dad liked his pigeons, but when his mate brought round a kestrel, I was mesmerised. I asked if I could keep it and start training it.”

Ray didn’t know anybody in the falconry world and admits it was down to pure luck that the bird responded to his calling.

“Everything is self taught,” he confessed. “There were few books around in those days, so I had to use my instincts.”

It was instinct that led him to buy his first Common Buzzard and eventually a European Eagle Owl.

But it was Ray’s very first hawk that nearly broke the bank.

“I paid £2,000 for a Harris Hawk 28 years ago. That’s a lot of money by today’s standards, but back then I had to take a loan out!”

Before working with birds full-time, Ray was a time-served joiner and then a special needs teacher for nine years, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

“Whilst I was teaching, a few teachers asked me to bring some birds in for the children to see,” Ray explained. “More and more schools asked me along, so I quit teaching and started working with birds of prey instead.”

Ray remembers driving out of Leaplish Waterside Park, in Kielder, and thinking to himself what a great place it would be for a birds of prey centre.

In 1997, he wrote to Northumbrian Water, which called a meeting with Ray to discuss his plans. The company agreed a rent and the centre was built that same year.

Ray started off with 40 birds and that has now grown to 75, including owls, hawks, falcons, eagles, vultures and one or two other interesting species.

All of the birds are bred in captivity and, through the work of the captive breeding programme, Ray is able to further the awareness of conservation and rehabilitation of birds of prey.

“We get them back out in the wild if we can,” said Ray. “I sometimes get rescue birds brought here and we try our best to release them because, if they’re not bred in captivity, they shouldn’t stay here.”

The centre is not a charity and the running of it is very expensive.

Visitors often ask how they can help with its upkeep, and so Ray introduced an adoption scheme, which allows people to adopt their favourite bird, knowing all the money goes towards looking after the animal and its environment.

“Quite a few people who would love to own a bird of prey see all the work involved and decide letting us look after it is a better idea,” Ray said. “It’s good for us as the money goes towards feeding and looking after them.”

Ray’s commitment to his beloved birds of prey is further demonstrated by the 100-mile round commute he makes to work every day.

“I moved to Ryton 17 years ago and I’m here in Kielder all day every day,” he said. “I have a great team of staff and it’s not as though I don’t trust them. I just love what I do.”

Without hesitation, Ray’s favourite bird of prey is a nine-year-old Saker Falcon called Sable. She has been at the centre since she was just 14 weeks old.

“She has a wonderful temperament and is one of the best demonstration birds I own. She flies so high you can’t even see her through binoculars.”

Ray also owns a pair of Pelicans that he brought across from Germany last year. They were expensive but he was shocked to receive a £3,000 donation towards them from a member of the public.

“A lady from Rothbury gave me the money to go and buy them,” Ray said. “She says the centre is therapeutic and that it’s better than valium!”

The Kielder Birds of Prey Centre puts on two demonstrations a day, as does Alnwick Castle where Ray has a number of birds permanently based. He says this is an additional attraction that gives people who might not travel to Kielder a chance to see the birds elsewhere.

One of the most memorable moments for Ray since opening the centre was being voted Tourist Attraction Employee of the Year by the general public. In winning this regional award he beat off competition from the Discovery Museum in Newcastle and the Gateshead Flower Show.

“It’s nice for people to appreciate what we all do here,” he said. “Sometimes people ask me ‘are the birds happy?’ To which I reply, ‘they wouldn’t fly back to me if they weren’t!’”

Ray is all for educating the public about birds of prey, which is why hevisits schools to explain each bird’s essential role within the natural world.

“I can’t stand these guys at fairs who ask people for money just to have their photo taken with a bird,” he said. “I mean where’s the education in that? It’s criminal in my opinion.”

So would Ray be happier in front of a computer screen, with regular holidays and a comfy chair?

“No way,” he insists, “to be outside with nature in this sort of environment is just phenomenal. I could not wish for a better profession.”