Golden Creek Bird Farm

Dates for The Golden Creek Bird Farm
'Falconer's Visits' to Wilmot Orchards are announced each season. For more photographs click here.

2011 Falconer's Visits to follow:

At Wilmot Orchards, concerns for all aspects of the environment are considered. One of the concerns with blueberries is the birds, Robins and Cedar Waxwings among others, who love the berries as much as their customers. After trying all the conventional ways of scaring away the birds, Charles and Judi enlisted the help of Fred and Dirk Hoesterey of Golden Creek Bird Farm.

Golden Creek Bird Farm, Severn Bridge, Orillia, provides an environmentally friendly means of bird control for the blueberries by using a variety of hand trained and hand raised hawks and falcons to patrol the patch. Known as natural predators to Robins and Cedar Waxwings, their mere presence in the patch establishes it as their territory, encouraging other birds to forage elsewhere.

At Golden Creek Bird Farm, there are over 100 birds of prey, not to mention another 250 exotic birds such as parrots, parakeets, macaws and cockatoos.

Dirk Hoesterey, fourth generation falconer, teaches courses in falconry, gives lectures and demonstrations, and uses the birds for control at airports, landfills and marinas. One of his hawks quickly solved a serious pigeon problem on the exterior of the opera house in Orillia.

The hawks and the falcons are very popular with the berry pickers. Dirk and his father Fred are more than happy to spend time explaining these fascinating birds of prey that can fly over 200 km/hr, so be sure to check our
Seasonal News Page for the days The Falconer visits.