DODDINGTON Place Gardens is awash with celebrities.

First there are television presenters Leigh and Jo Holmes, who own the Hawking Centre, and are best known for children's programme Wild World, a fun show about wildlife found on people's doorsteps.

Taking flight: Barn owl Oscar with reporter Suz GIIS20110224A-024_C (with box)
Graceful: Eagle owl Jacob flies to Rob Davinson (corr) from Fulham GIIS20110224A-036_C (with box)
Ready to fly: Hooded vulture Maggie with falconer Mark Brattle GIIS20110224A-044_C (with box)
Coming in to land: Harris hawk Mina flies to Suz GIIS20110224A-062_C (with box)
In flight: Hooded vulture Maggie shows what she can do GIIS20110224A-050_C
Famous face: Augur buzzard Jack has rubbed shoulders with several celebrities GIIS20110224A-012_C (with box)
Making friends: Hooded vulture Maggie eats raw meat from Suz's glove GIIS20110224A-052_C
Drying off: Peregrine falcon Bassett, 16, shakes to remove water from the feathers GIIS20110224A-010_C

But at Doddington, the real stars are the birds and one in particular is no stranger to the limelight.

Jack the Augur buzzard entertained Sir Cliff Richard and Cilla Black at Leeds Castle, the centre's home until its move to the private estate last year.

However, the rare 20-year-old's real claim to fame is that he has starred in music videos with British DJ Fat Boy Slim and Duncan James from boy band Blue.

He is one of 12 birds that can be found swooping above the landscaped lawns in the shadow of the Victorian mansion.

Groups of up to six people can try the ancient sport of falconry, under the guidance of head falconer Mark Brattle.

The centre has three owls, four Harris hawks, a kestrel, a peregrine falcon, a vulture, a buzzard and a recently acquired Chilean eagle, ranging in age from 10 months to 20 years.

Mark explained how kestrels are the only birds of prey that hover and they use ultraviolet vision to spot drops of mouse urine when hunting.

Peregrine falcons, he said, swoop to grab food at an average speed of 180mph. The fastest peregrine ever recorded reached a staggering 223mph.

The group of amateur falconers then walked a four-year-old barn owl around the grounds, taking turns to call him and watching him land gracefully on their reinforced gloves.

The eagle owl was equally graceful but noticeably heavier. Both owls could be stroked, the feathers on their heads and stomachs were particularly soft.

Definitely not one to stroke was the vulture, who clumsily retrieved pieces of dead chick from the gloves and spent as much time waddling along the ground as flying.

Finally, a young Harris hawk swooped between trees and above a picturesque rockery, also tempted onto visitors' gloves by small pieces of raw meat.

To book various falconry experiences go to www.thehawkingcentre.co.uk or call 0845 8388789.