SPECIAL visitors of the feathered friends variety swooped in to a Bradley Bar school recently.

A handful of Year 9 students at All Saints Catholic College welcomed birds of prey from the Wise Owl Bird of Prey Rescue Centre for an impromptu visit.

The visit links in with their studies of

the novel A Kestrel for A Knave by Barry Hines and saw five lucky students given the chance to get up close and personal with the birds.

Ruth Elliott, who oversaw the visit, said: "As we gathered on the top field, in the most glorious sunshine, we realised that the seemingly ferocious birds were watching us suspiciously with their beady eyes.

"And then Wayne, the handler, suggested stroking the birds, including the European Eagle Owl (which was as large as a medium sized dog) and began to move towards the crowd.

"Only the feathers of our guests were ruffled, as they were stroked and cooed at by appreciative, if still nervous, students.

"But even more excitement followed when a Harris Hawk was taken indoors to be flown: just over the heads of the students. He was magnificent and we all had our photograph taken with this regal creature on our arm."