There are few sights more awesome in nature than a bird of prey soaring through the air.

In Edge, near Painswick, the age-old skill of training and flying hawks is brought to life by former royal falconer, Gary Cope.

Reporter James Davis went along to the Wood Cottage Falconry School to take a closer look at the awe-inspiring creatures.

There is something surreal about having a peregrine falcon perched on your arm.

Up close the relatively small bird which commands a near-mythic reputation for nose-diving at stupefying speeds is every bit the finely tuned predator you might expect.

Three-year-old Nelson is one of five birds of prey at Wood Cottage.

Shortly after I arrive there I am taken to an adjoining paddock to fly a majestic Harris hawk.

Having donned the gauntlet, or leather glove, Gary Cope, who has made falconry his life for more than 30 years, instructs seven-year-old Fern to swoop down from her perch on a gate 100 feet way and fly to my arm.

The sight of this large and powerful killing machine quickly approaching made me wince at first.

And as I brace myself for impact, Fern drops her speed and touches down gently on my glove before gobbling down an awaiting treat.

"They are not aggressive and certainly don't go for people's eyes as is portrayed in Hollywood," says Gary, 50.

"They only kill for food to survive although they can get a little protective when they are breeding."

The setting at Wood Cottage is idyllic. Its peaceful garden, dotted with lavender, flowers and fruit trees, is set against a panoramic backdrop featuring views of the Black Mountains and the Malvern Hills on a clear day.

Surrounding the house are 40 acres of woodland, which Gary and his partner Helena use to run hawking afternoons and walks with the birds - including two Harris hawks, two peregrine falcons and a goshawk.

The area has a thriving bird of prey population - including buzzards, kestrels and red kites - in part because the nearby Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge offers a readily available supply of food.

With Fern's appetite satisfied, Gary next collects Rav the Ger peregrine from her perch, which he will fly around the large paddock.

After swinging a baited rope, or lure, around his head to attract the bird's attention, Gary drops the line to the floor and Rav - who has been circling and ducking and diving just metres above our heads - quickly swoops to collect its breakfast before soaring back into the air.

The exercise simulates catching real prey, which is an unforgettable experience says Gary.

"When you fly the birds you experience things that men and women felt hundreds of years ago," he says.

"Each bird is like a weapon or tool for the job, each with its own specialism.

"You have to slip into nature and understand how the birds operate and hunt."

Views on the origins of falconry vary, with some believing the art began in Central Asia or the Middle East dating in the 1st Century BC.

Historically, falconry was a popular sport and status symbol among the nobles of medieval Europe and feudal Japan.

Because bird of prey eggs and chicks were quite rare and expensive, and since the process of raising and training a hawk takes a lot of time, money and space, it was virtually restricted to the noble classes.

Many phrases in English today originate from falconry.

The term hoodwink, or to deceive, was originally a leather cap, used to relax a bird by fooling it into thinking it is night time.

And to cadge, as in cadge a lift, was actually the name for a frame used to carry hawks out into field. The frame was pulled by cadge boy who not be paid but often received tips and so was thought of as a bit of a scrounger.

The pursuit also has a practical use - with catches of game used to stock kitchens in pre-gunpowder days.

And as a hawk's eyesight is eight times better than a human's they are far more sensitive to movement so spot their prey at great distance.

"When my hawk catches a rabbit I get the same thrill for the bird as they did all those years ago," says Gary.

"You build an incredibly strong bond with the birds and you don't take killing animals lightly."

Keeping birds of prey is only cruel if their owner does not fly them, says Gary.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with falconry," he says, adding that their lifestyle is in many ways like that of a big cat.

"They are very inactive animals which only move when they are hungry and spend about 75 per cent of their life just sat around."

First captivated by birds of prey as a 12-year-old, Gary became a professional falconer in 1979, working at RAF Fairford where hawks are used to clear off flocks of birds which could be hazardous if caught in the jets of planes.

He says he was instantly aware of the aptness of using a natural flying creation to help a man-made one.

"It was amazing that an ancient sport used thousands of years ago was working in conjunction with something at the forefront of modern technology," he says.

Gary set up a bird of prey centre and breeding programme at Sudely Castle in the eighties and in 1990 went on to become the resident falconer at the Yorkshire home of the then Saudi prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

When Gary started his career, birds of prey were less common due to the widespread use of harmful pesticides. But fortunately, they are now thriving once again.

"It was only 40 or 50 years they were considered vermin by many but thankfully we now live in an enlightened age where we are more aware and appreciative of them," he says.

*For more information about or to read the serialisation of Gary's life with birds of prey, log on to www.myspace.com/garycopefalconry.