JPJ's Weblog

Just got back from the British Falconry and Raptor Fair, I gave two demonstrations and I have to say the nine birds were faultless, I took and flew Pleiades, She was very good, and behaved just as I would have hoped. The falcons were all good although some idiot let his bloody German Pointer run into the ring twice with the first bird, I was not pleased!!! I suspect he was very embarrassed by the end of my tirade, but he deserved it the prat. Thank goodness the falcon dealt with it OK. Karis was superb at the end of the first demonstration, Hare did brilliantly at the second one and I was particularly pleased with Bay Middleton again because he flew so well. We did two demonstrations and two coping sessions, and I managed to buy two shirts and a rather smart waistcoat, I never look as smart as many of the others doing demonstrations, so I thought I had better do something about. Although I have to say, I may not look as smart but my birds rarely let me down.

The Condor has hatched and what a charmer, Holly and I had to give her a hand because she had started to be less active, so we popped her out, she was a little weak for the first few hours but is now racing ahead. The two lanner babies have gone back with Dawn Run and Hector, and they are doing a splendid job and two of their eggs are fertile which is great news. We have four baby Tawny Owls, and the Long-eared Owls have just started to hatch as well. More Lanners are starting to hatch and we await some of the small falcons starting to lay.

The weather has been great, not always sunny, but dry and reasonably warm, with a couple of really warm days giving us amazing flying from some of the falcons. The weeding and planting goes on apace, well actually it stopped for a couple of days as I have not had time, but I hope to get back to it soon. If anyone would like to come and help me in the garden I would be eternally grateful.

On Thursday Holly and Sally and I, plus Pan, Orion, Coll and Mucklerow went filming at St Mary’s church in Berkley, we were filming for a new series with David Attenborough. What a charming man and what a pleasure to work with, it was a privilege to work with him. The birds were very good, we were a little worried about Pan as he was asked to do stuff that was tricky before we had expected, but he was good, we then used Orion who was excellent, giving Pan time to get to the right time in the evening and then he did some lovely flying in the churchyard. All in all it went very well and I hope they were pleased, they should have got some good stuff.

I don’t know yet if Sorrel is in pup, there are not much in the way of signs, so we may have her scanned in a couple of weeks to see where we are, at least that will clarify the situation and I can plan ahead, particularly as if she is, they are due on a weekend when I am away damn it!!

Ah well, off to help with the last baby feed and then bed, with an early start tomorrow for the second day of the Falconry Fair, hope it goes well.