IT'S not every day you get to come face to face with the heir to the throne, let alone sit on his arm.
Yet that's exactly what happened to one bird of prey from Billericay when Prince Charles visited a flower show last week.
In fact, bald eagle Zephyr behaved so well during her royal encounter that she was rewarded with a tasty diet of salmon for the next few days.
The two-year-old raptor lives at the Imperial Bird of Prey Academy at Barleylands Farm, in Barleylands Road, and she came across the Duke of Cornwall at Sandringham Flower Show in Norfolk on July 31.
She was present at the event in her capacity as mascot of the Army Air Corps.
Zephyr is owned by bird-lover Lisa Falco, whose surname incidentally means falcon in Latin.
The 38-year-old lives with her partner Andy Linford, 40, who also works for the Imperial Bird of Prey Academy.
Miss Falco took Zephyr on at the age of 16 weeks when she was already fully grown to a height of three feet and with an impressive wingspan of seven-and-a-half feet.
She explained how her bird became the mascot for the Army Air Corps.
"I first approached them as an idea and took her down to meet the committee with all the senior officers," she said.
"They loved her straight away and called the next day to say they would like her as their mascot.
"Since then she has attended everything from formal dinners, to recruitment events and memorial services."
The bird weighs 10lb but is very laid back and is used to being handled by lots of different people.
Reflecting on Zephyr's brush with royalty, Miss Falco said: "She was brilliant.
"As she backed off his arm she flapped her wings but Charles was great – very jovial.
"He offered to put his umbrella down so it didn't scare her.
"It was nerve-wracking but I am so proud of her.
"She had salmon for the two days after, a nice fly and then a few days of rest."
The proud owner added that the Army Air Corps has a special glove to hold Zephyr with in their colours.
Zephyr's daily routine involves two flights at the farm if she's not on a rest day which she has once or twice a week.
On her active days Zephyr eats quail, around two a day, depending on how much she is flying, and on her rest days she is treated to salmon.
The bald eagle is native to North America and, due to her breed, Zephyr will have a white head by the time she is five or six years old as well as white tail feathers and pale eyes.
Miss Falco added that in captivity they can live up to the age of 40.
Zephyr travels in to work at Barleylands with Miss Falco for around five days a week returning back to her home in Hadleigh each night.
Miss Falco has seven other birds which make up the 24 that are part of the Imperial Bird of Prey Academy.
"I have always loved birds since I can remember," she said.
"I started volunteering for a local guy and it started from there."
She added that her usually laid back bird has two things she cannot stand.
"She hates wheelbarrows and the new yellow hose but once she gets used to new things she is fine."
For more photographs of Zephyr, visit www.brentwoodgazette.co.uk
