Rufus on Centre Court
Rufus is the Harris hawk used by Wimbledon as a deterrent for the pigeons which would otherwise be a constant pest especially when the grass seed is being put down. Rufus has his own identity card with a photo and a job description “Bird Scarer”. I was privileged to meet Rufus and watch him at work, and I flew him on Court No 1. This picture is of Rufus alert and perched high on Centre Court, with the roof behind. The picture was purchased by Wimbledon AELTC for their offices. As a postscript, Rufus was kidnapped in 2013 during the tournament but was found safe and well in Putney and enjoyed the subsequent media attention, making headlines in the Evening Standard.
