Rufusthehawk

That is exactly right... Rufus is a non-lethal deterrent which is based on the fact that pigeons have an innate sense of fight of flight, and they don't hang around very long to fight when they see his talons! Thanks for your question :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH! That is absolutely wonderful!

A pigeon shaped tennis ball?

My hood, which is a dutch-style design, made from three pieces of leather, which is actually a Wimbledon themed special hood only used at the All England Club! The purpose of a hood is to ensure a bird is kept calm and restful, and it is important they are acclimatised to this during the manning process. The purpose of the jesses (flying and Aylmeri) are to keep a hold of your bird, by attaching a swivel and then leash, which are used to tether them down when not flying.

One of the most important parts of my job are to know Rufus' optimum flying weight, which is 1lb6oz. By flying Rufus as close to this weight as possible I know that he will not be so hungry he will find his own food. Hope this answers everything :)

Thank you for your questions!

I get to see Rufus fly in the most wonderful surroundings on a daily basis :) Also, my pass allows me in the grounds, so I try and catch some tennis from Murray Mound whenever I'm lucky enough to have a few spare moments! Thanks for your question!