Thursday 17 October 2013

There are times in life where you think something is a good idea and you will do it, and then as the time to do it comes closer and closer you think to yourself, why the hell did I think that was a good idea!! I leave for Argentina tomorrow (don’t mention the Falkland’s!). I am going to a joint Raptor Research Foundation/World Working Group for Birds of Prey and Owl/Neotropical Raptor Group Conference. I am giving a paper on the vultures in India and Nepal, chairing a session and taking the minutes for the Board Meeting, because the secretary is not going to be there. However, I would much rather stay at home!!!

 
It’s an important conference, and if you don’t show your face at these on occasion you tend to get forgotten, however we are in the throes of building the hospital and I really need to be here as well. Plus there are a ton of birds that we are training, and so much stuff to do that I am really regretting that I am going.


I know my staff and volunteers who are wonderful will keep things going and get stuff done, but I hate to not be here!! Plus I am missing the autumn, which is my favourite time of the year – damn it!

 
The front lawn is done and dusted and reseeded, just waiting for the grass to show its head, which I think it will soon. The hospital is really coming on, one side of the roof is done, the other side will be started tomorrow, Mike and Craig have done sterling work on it. The plaster boarding is started inside and the windows and doors will go in over the next couple of days. The boxes are being made, the tiles for the floor are ordered, the electrics is being done now and we are on track – I hope!!
 

All the birds are flying well, my hobby is loose and called Kiligray, Muckle Row, my Red Kite is going well and Holly’s – Virtle Rock, is flying brilliantly, but not always turning on time before landing in a tree. Generally the falcons are coming on and we just got Cool Ground ( Snowy Owl ) going, ready for the Owl Evenings, which start in November.
watching the new roof go up, admiring staff!!
 

Needless to say I am away for the first one, I have to go back to India on November 4th to 11th, for the SAVE meeting, but at least it is a reasonably short trip this time.

Briza is still lame, she has a torn cruciate ligament, which is going to take a while to heal. We are hoping that Sorrel is pregnant, although the votes are out on that at the moment, sometimes I think she is and sometimes I think she isn’t. 

 
There is talk that we are going to be facing the coldest winter for 100 years, but I am told that the people forecasting it are not experts, I have to say I hope we don’t, because it does make life tricky, but with the heaters in the Hawk Walk, and the new very insulated hospital, we should be able to manage.

 
Ah well, back to getting ready to leave, phone charged, better get the camera batteries done, notepad organised, clothes clean, dog food and fish food in, all should be well.

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.

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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