Raptor Rambles by Raptor Aid CIO Raptor Aid CIO

Apologies for the delay in bringing you another podcast and also apologies that once again Apple & Google Podcast's appear to be playing up. We are trying to fix this. You can find us on PodBean & Spotify though!
This episode I spoke to eagle falconer and anthropologist Dr. Lauren McGough from the USA. I've followed Laurens work with eagles and travels for a while now and since I have a former life working with captive birds of prey its always interesting to see other individuals and cultures perspectives on this ancient field sport.
Lauren is a fantastic ambassador for the world of falconry and she comes from a country that leads the world in using falconry techniques for the conservation and preservation of the worlds birds of prey. Lauren puts these skills into practice by training and rehabilitating Golden eagles.
She has also travelled to the remote regions of Mongolia to learn about the cultural significance of Golden eagles and the role they play in the nomadic lifestyles of the people in this region. Lauren didn't just go for a holiday though, she fully embraced and immersed herself in the culture by spending over 12 months with a family learning eagle falconry and the nomadic lifestyle first hand.
Lauren is very active on social media and anyone with an interest in falconry, birds of prey and anthropology should check her out on Instagram - @eaglefalconer 
www.laurenmcgough.com

A very special episode for our UK fundraiser for the Philippine eagle Foundation!
In this episode I am really lucky to bring together Neil Rettig and James Aldred, two amazing wildlife camera men who have both been lucky enough to film a wild Philippine eagle nest. 
Neil Rettig is an award winning cinematographer based in the USA and has been championing the Philippine eagle and its conservation since the very early days of science even knowing about it. Along with his Partner Laura Johnson and friends in the early days he has been a shining light for this species and its conservation.
James Aldred is an award winning wildlife cameraman based in the UK who specialises in canopy access. He has worked on some of the biggest natural history productions seen on British television, has pulled the great Sir David Attenborough into a tree to film and even been attacked by a female Harpy eagle whilst rigging cameras on a nest. He is also the author of the brilliant book "The man who climbs trees".
Thank you to both of them for taking the time to chat to me and support this fundraiser. If you can donate feel free to visit the fundraising page below.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-philippine-eagle-conservation-fundraiser

Episode 9 of Raptor Rambles and we are talking about one of my favourite birds the Bearded vulture with Dr Sonja Krueger. Sonja is based out in the incredible region of the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa and having been lucky enough to visit this part of the world I can personally testify what a stunning place it is.
The Bearded vulture is happiest in this mountain environment and I discuss with Sonja the pressures this species faces in Africa, the issues she and her team have to face accessing and monitoring as many breeding territories as possible and also how they are trying to support the population with innovative captive breeding. 
Anyone who has been to Africa I'm sure will know what it is like to have that urge to visit again and again! Talking to Sonja certainly brought so many memories of seeing my first Bearded vulture in the wild!
https://bred4thewild.com
Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the episode 8 of Raptor Rambles!
I am joined by Dr. David Anderson an ornithologist and biologist for the Peregrine Fund but also a specialist is canopy access which he uses to monitor various species including the Harpy eagle. David also uses his skill set to train budding biologist's to reach for the canopy and is the founder of not for profit organisation Canopy Watch International (https://www.canopywatch.com). 
David realised fairly quickly the power accessing the canopy can have on people from all walks of life and runs recreational climbing events alongside training events for biologists. As a tree climber myself it was great to hear about the incredible adventures and work that David has accomplished.
Raptor Aid is also proud to have made donation to set up a scholarship to support two raptor biologists take part in Canopy Watches International Training camp in Colombia this year!
Go and find your favourite tree and sit in it or under it and enjoy this interview with Dr. David Anderson!

In episode 7 I welcome Karla Bloem, director of the International Owl Centre in the United States.
Karla and her team do an amazing job focusing on the dissemination of education on owls and their conservation around the world. On a personal level Karla has carried out extensive work on understanding the vocalisations of Great Horned Owls. 
The International Owl Centre is also home to the Owl Hall of Fame awards where not only individuals who excel in   owl conservation are recognised but also an award that recognises ambassador owls themselves! 
Karla has also founded the International Festival of Owls which takes place annually held in a different country each year. More information can be found using the links below but also the IOC also has been running a brilliant virtual expert speakers series recently which is available on their YouTube page. 
Thanks for listening! 
www.internationalowlcenter.org 
www.festivalofowls.com
 

In this episode we are joined by none other than avian super vet Neil Homer-Forbes BVetMed Dip ECZM(avian) FRCVS and it is a real treat to hear what its like to be on the cutting edge of avian veterinary medicine.
I have been fortunate to work closely with Neil in the past and see first hand the amazing work he carries out 'fixing' birds. A man of incredible empathy and knowledge it was brilliant to hear in his own how he got into veterinary medicine and what he is proud of achieving.
Thanks for tuning in and as always if you enjoy it please give us a follow, like and share and we'll keep the great interviews coming!