Wednesday 30 June 2010
We are all feeling a little low this week, I am hoping things will improve for us all to cheer us up soon. The show at Fawsley Hall went very well, it was a superb location, a little tight for the faster birds and the eagles, but generally very nice outside, and what a lovely house inside, just amazing. All the birds went well and I took D’Arcy Spice instead of Papyrus, I wanted to see how he did with travel and being away from home, he took to it like a duck to water, not in the least phased by travel and stole the show as it were, he had a lovely day playing around, with John following him to make sure he did not get into trouble, D’Arcy Spice that is, not John! And finally when he got tired he snuggled up in the roots of the huge tree under which we had put the birds for shade, it was a Cedar of Lebanon, one of my favourite trees. We got back at nearly 8.00pm and noticed that Holly’s car was in the car park, so instantly I thought that a bird must be out lost, however all were present and correct in the Hawk Walk, so we unloaded, only to get a phone call just as we finished – it was Papyrus, my beautiful Savigny’s Eagle Owl, who had flown off. So off we went to find everyone. We then split up and searched for about another hour and then I called a halt, because we really had no idea where he might be. I stopped off and let my neighbours know we had an owl missing and then walked home, I was talking to Simon and Joan by the café and damn me there was the owl. I called him down, but his feet barely touched the post before he buggered off again and we have not seen hide nor hair, or feather of him since. We have searched for hours, and I have had at least one night with literally no sleep but no joy. In the 43 years we have been here I have only lost three owls, and two of them we have got back in two days, the third was Mozart who was out for three months in one of the coldest of winters, and he came back on his own accord. So this is why we are all feeling a little low.

The weather is still amazing, although somewhat humid at the moment. Holly has a new Ural Owl called Bramley, and I have a baby Goshawk, who is very very greedy, but doing well, it was an amazing sight to see him sitting on the lawn surrounded by three Labradors just lying there relaxing, he is certainly going to be dog proof.

The new speakers are in as of yesterday and working well and the new speaker boxes were weather proofed today. Mike has removed the old fireplace in the education room which never really worked properly anyway. We have a huge wood burner to put in there later, when I can afford the chimney bit, and I think that will make a big difference to the owl evenings in there. Its time to paint it now – hummmmm what about magnolia I wonder!!

Sedge went lame the day before yesterday and as I have been a little worried about Nettle too, I took them both to the vets, both seem much better now, although nothing in particular was found and Sedge immediately went sound as a bell on arrival at the surgery. Gypsy King, Adam’s Spectacled Owl was a worry to us, but whatever was wrong is now sorted out and he is going back on duty and looking great. And the two baby Burrowing Owls Rival and Wayside are getting close to being on demonstration soon. Azor is now moulting (Steppe Eagle) as are three of the falcons and Pretender, Holly’s Harris Hawk. New birds will take over from them soon. Oh and I have an engine for the Range Rover, at least it is now at the garage, so I might even have a car back soon. I have forgotten what it looks like!


Oh and while I was out on one of my trips looking for Papyrus, I found the horse I would love, he is very sweet and black and only 15 hands, all of which of course would be perfect, just have to start saving up now.

0 comments:

Hello

I have to say that keeping a weblog can at times become compulsive and at other times a chore. Sometimes I am berrated for not keeping it up and sometimes I get wonderful comments from people who follow the news of the Centre.

It is fun to share the daily goings on here, some good and some bad, some funny and some sad, but all a part of our daily lives.
And as I said before its a pretty cool to be here and it is a great place to visit, you should try coming and watching the birds and meeting the staff and of course the dogs.

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An interesting video on Lead

An interesting video on Lead

I find it staggering that people who want to hunt don't see the value in changing their ammunition from lead to a safer product. We have stopped using lead in petrol, in paint, in our water pipes, but they still want to use lead - ah well, apparently eating it not only kills birds but leads to reduced intelligence in humans......................

NO ONE is asking you to stop legal and genuine hunting, they are just asking you to change your ammunition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHZGQ8i8AwI

HC

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