Mercer Falconry

24/10/2026

The birds will be having a well deserved rest day as they shelter from the storm! As always, their safety and welfare is always our top priority 🦅

IMPORTANT NOTICE – WHEELGATE THEME PARK CLOSURE – SUNDAY 25TH OCTOBER 2026

Due to the adverse forecasted weather conditions associated with Storm Boelo, we have made the decision to close Wheelgate Theme Park on Sunday 25th October 2026.

The safety of our guests and staff is always our highest priority, and whilst we understand this news will be disappointing, we feel this is the most responsible decision given the expected weather conditions.

What happens to your tickets?

All guests who have tickets booked for Sunday 25th October 2026 can transfer their tickets to another date during our 2026 season, completely FREE of charge.

To rearrange your visit, please email [email protected] with the following information:

-Your original booking reference number
-Your preferred new visit date

Alternatively you can log into your online account and edit the date of your tickets, we have wavered any administration fees to edit your tickets from this date.

Our team will work through all emails and ticket change requests as quickly as possible. We kindly ask for your patience during this busy period and request that you avoid calling our telephone lines, allowing our team to focus on processing everyone's requests.

We sincerely apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience this unexpected closure may cause, particularly to families who were looking forward to visiting us.

We really appreciate your understanding and continued support. We look forward to welcoming you back to Wheelgate Theme Park very soon!

The Wheelgate Team

17/10/2026

WE’RE HIRING! JOIN OUR TEAM!

We’re looking for a new member of staff to join our team at Mercer Falconry Raptor Park, based at Wheelgate Park in Nottinghamshire!

We’re looking for someone who is enthusiastic, reliable, hardworking and has a genuine interest in working with birds of prey.

POSITION: BIRD STAFF

Location: Mercer Falconry Raptor Park, NG22 8HX

Contract: Initial 6-month contract

Hours: 20 hours per week

Working Days: Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday

Working Times: 10:15am to 3:15pm

Pay: £12.71 per hour

WHAT DOES THE JOB INVOLVE?

You’ll be helping with the day-to-day running of our Raptor Park, including:

- Daily bird husbandry and care
- Food preparation and feeding
- Cleaning and maintaining aviaries and facilities
- Flying displays and visitor experiences
- General maintenance and other daily tasks around the park

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Previous experience working with birds of prey is preferred, but not essential for the right person!

We’re particularly interested in someone who:
- Has a genuine passion for birds of prey and animal care.
- Is reliable, punctual and hardworking.
- Is happy working outdoors in all weather conditions.
- Is willing to get stuck in with cleaning and physical tasks.
- Can work well as part of a small, dedicated team.
- Is enthusiastic about learning new skills.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone interested in working with birds of prey and gaining hands-on experience in a working raptor park!

HOW TO APPLY

Please email your CV and a cover letter explaining why you’d like to join our team to:

[email protected]

Email Subject: Bird Staff Application

We look forward to hearing from you!

Mercer Falconry Raptor Park
Wheelgate Park, Nottinghamshire, NG22 8HX

Please share this post to help us find the right person!

07/10/2026

Personal space doesn’t mean anything to Whip the Barn Owl!

06/10/2026

Sway the Eurasian Eagle Owl is a very autumnal bird!

05/10/2026

Ghara the Steppe Eagle caught a worm in his aviary 🪱 he didn’t really know what to do with it…

04/10/2026

Isla the Crested Caracara enjoyed a wild night out!

Yesterday, what started as a routine training session turned into an exciting adventure. Isla took herself into the flying arena, which is what we have been working towards (but weren’t quite ready to do yet!) and she was blown away by the number of perches. She had to try them all! Even the perches at the very top of each tree 😅

We still managed to do lots of positive training whilst we tried to persuade Isla to go home. She responded well to the station we have been training her to, and would follow behind us very nicely. She just wasn’t ready to call it a day. The whole time she was out she didn’t show any signs of stress, in fact all of her behaviours suggested that she was actually enjoying herself!

Luckily, at midday today she finally decided that she had had enough and took herself back to her aviary (with a little bit of encouragement from us and a pile of food).

We are very pleased to have Isla back home and we’re sure she’s very pleased with herself!

01/10/2026

Sway the Eurasian Eagle Owl is pleased that it is finally spooky season! 🎃🦉

30/09/2026

100 MILES IN OCTOBER FOR CALM!

Throughout October, Dan and Charmaine are taking on the challenge of walking 100 miles to raise money for CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably.

CALM does incredibly important work supporting people who are struggling and helping to prevent su***de. It’s a cause that deserves far more attention, so I wanted to do something practical to help raise both money and awareness.

That means over the next month Dan and Charmaine need to average just over 3 miles every single day alongside running Mercer Falconry, looking after the birds, experiences, displays and everything else that comes with life at the Raptor Park!

If you’re able to donate, even a few pounds would genuinely be appreciated and will help support CALM’s work.

You can sponsor here:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dan1790796956954?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

And if you can’t donate, sharing this post would also be a massive help.

100 miles. 31 days. Let’s see how we get on.

Thank you from all of us at Mercer Falconry. 🦅

Help Dan Mercer raise money to support CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)

27/09/2026

VOLUNTEERS WANTED AT MERCER FALCONRY RAPTOR PARK

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join us at Mercer Falconry Raptor Park, based inside Wheelgate Park.

Location: Wheelgate Park, NG22 8HX
Volunteer hours: 10:30am to 3:00pm
Days available: We are open 7 days a week

This is a hands-on volunteering role and would suit someone with a genuine interest in birds of prey who isn’t afraid of getting stuck into the less glamorous jobs involved in running a busy raptor park.

Duties can include:

• General cleaning around the Raptor Park
• Cleaning and maintaining bird areas
• Food preparation
• Helping with day-to-day husbandry tasks
• Assisting Dan and Cerys with jobs around the park
• Helping us keep everything clean, organised and running smoothly

In return, you’ll get the opportunity to spend time around our collection of birds of prey and gain experience of what goes into their daily care.

As you gain experience and depending on the birds, activities and circumstances, there may also be occasional opportunities to get involved with handling and flying.

Volunteers will also receive a discount on our Falconry Course, which is designed for people wanting to develop their knowledge and practical skills around birds of prey.

We are ideally looking for people who:

• Have their own transport or a reliable way of getting to Wheelgate Park
• Have a genuine interest in birds of prey and falconry
• Are reliable and willing to learn
• Are happy to work hard and get involved with practical jobs
• Are comfortable with cleaning, food preparation and outdoor work
• Can regularly volunteer between 10:30am and 3:00pm

You do not need to already be an experienced falconer. A good attitude, reliability and willingness to learn are far more important.

If you’re interested in getting involved and gaining hands-on experience around a working bird of prey centre, get in touch with Mercer Falconry and tell us a little bit about yourself, your availability and why you would like to volunteer with us.

Mercer Falconry Raptor Park
Wheelgate Park
NG22 8HX

Must be at least 18 years old!