Eagles a lots: Birds of prey employed by the Open to scare away drawback seagulls
Eagles a lots: Birds of prey employed by the Open to scare away drawback seagulls
[ad_1]
Whereas spectators politely observe the quiet indicators held up by stewards as gamers take their photographs, the seabirds -- milling above the well-known yellow leaderboard on the 18th gap -- make a formidable racket.
As they circle for meals, the concern of being the unlucky touchdown spot for his or her waste is a continuing anxiousness, with a number of workers and followers already falling foul.
But within the skies over the close by meals courtroom and grandstands, not a single gull in sight. That is the results of some nifty recruitment by occasion organizers: 4 birds of prey.
Followers navigating the Outdated Course throughout the week will develop accustomed to seeing a pair of hawks -- a red-backed and a Harris -- an Indian eagle-owl and a tawny eagle.
Named Enya, Nailer, Sage and Fearnley respectively, the guardians perch on their handler's gloves to thrust back seagulls from the picnic space, in addition to the first and 18th grandstands.
The birds come from the close by Elite Falconry -- employed for the occasion -- with handler John on lunchtime obligation for Thursday's opening spherical after a flurry of seagull exercise across the first tee in the course of the early morning.
"With out us right here, the seagulls would actually be divebombing individuals making an attempt to steal their meals," John instructed Muricas News Sport.
With seagulls not a typical delicacies of the 4 birds of prey, they do not fly across the course and as a substitute sit calmly on their handler's glove during their watch, their presence alone sufficient to stave off the undesirable guests.
Golf isn't the one sport to name on assistance from birds of prey at occasions. At Wimbledon, Rufus the Hawk has lengthy been a neighborhood tennis hero for his efforts on the All England Tennis Membership.
In maintaining the courts freed from pigeons -- whose pecking at grass seeds can interrupt play on the tennis grand slam -- Rufus has develop into one thing of a neighborhood hero in southwest London, with one super-fan dressing up because the hawk for the 2017 championships.
[ad_2]
0 comments: