Monday, 29 April 2013
Look at this and weep..............................
Look at this and morn...............................
Look at this and feel the shame that we all should feel...........................
Look at this and share, show it to everyone you can think of..........................
Look at this and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...........................................
http://www.midwayfilm.com
Look at this and morn...............................
Look at this and feel the shame that we all should feel...........................
Look at this and share, show it to everyone you can think of..........................
Look at this and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...........................................
http://www.midwayfilm.com
Saturday, 27 April 2013
I know I know, it’s a while since I wrote,
but it has been busy and I have had a lot to do!!! Finally that awful bitter
wind has gone. It has done some damage to the plants around the Centre with
wind burn, but amazingly the daffodils have survived it. I think a couple of
shrubs in the field hedge may have to be pruned right back, but they might survive.
We did – just about! We have had a respite for about ten days week now, I have
to say we were very relieved, particularly as I did a demonstration for the
Cotswold Hunt Point to Point and Country Fair and it is high up on the
Cotswolds and if it had been as windy as it has been I think the birds would
have got home before I did. Luckily the weather was great, a little chilly, but
fair and the birds were brilliant. Zaurak (Lanner Falcon) did his first away
demonstration and was faultless, Theft was good, Hare was excellent, as was
Karis and I was particularly pleased with Bay Middleton because he can be
tricky away from home. I also took Pleiades, whom I did not fly, but she
travelled well and came out of the boxes very well. She has not been flying as
well as she was in the cold wind, but we are working on it.
The breeding goes on apace. We now have two
baby lanners, one of the white-faced scops owls went up the Charlie, the other
was not well for a while, but has recovered and is doing much better. The Asian
Brown Wood Owl hatched, although we did lose the second egg. The first Steppe
is out and doing very well, the Savigny’s from the second clutch has gone back
with mum and dad and they are pleased to have it. The baby Bald Eagle is doing
wonderfully well with the Verreaux’s Eagles, the baby Tawny Eagle is back with
the Steppes. We tried him back with the Grey Buzzard Eagles but they would not
take him, they were still in incubation mode, although they are in disgrace
because they broke two of their eggs, which was very disappointing. However the
other pair have now finally laid, it will be interesting to see if they are
fertile.
As I write the second Steppe Eagle is
starting to hatch and so is the Condor, which is very exciting, both Holly and
I will be very relieved when it is out safely.
I went plant shopping and bought a ton of
plants with my birthday and Christmas vouchers, and have just spent the last
two hours tidying up my courtyard, and the last few days weeding and planting,
I still have a few to go and I hope the bloody rabbits don’t eat them. Oh and
two days ago there was a Roe Deer buck in the field, that was a sight to see,
and I heard my first cuckoo yesterday, it only cuckooed 1.5 times but it was
there.
I was sent a link to a Wildlife programme
made in Wales a couple of days ago, it features a Dr Rhys Jones, who works at
Cardiff University. He is a herpetologist supposedly, but does this programme
that rescues wildlife, or in the case of the Kestrel in the film, fails to
rescue wildlife. All of us were incensed watching it, Firstly it was obviously
desperately thin and he should immediately have taken it to an expert as he is
most definitely not one on birds of prey, it should have been put in the warm
and on fluids, through the night and it might have had a chance of pulling
through. As it was he did none of that, at least not on the TV, instead he fed
it mealworms, which it could hardly manage. He also did a bit on a snake in a
shed, it turned out to be a gravid Grass Snake, so what does he do for the
camera, but handle it until he upsets it enough that it goes into defence mode
and squirts out a smelly fluid which they do if upset, and then it pretended to
play dead. These people who deliberately upset wildlife just to look good on
camera really piss me off. Dr Jones you need to come here and learn what to do
with sick or injured birds of prey before you touch another one. I would be
happy to teach you.
On our side all the injured wild birds that
we had had in and that had been in a fit state to survive have done so and all
have been released back the wild by the various people who brought them in. We
did not upset them, wave them in front of camera’s we just did our job
properly.
Linda and I went shopping at some mall near Bristol, the name escapes me, its really frustrating when you want jersey's and all the womens clothes are for summer and not a jersey to be seen, or at least not one I would be seen dead in. Even though it was bloody freezing outside, so I ended up buying three men's jerseys, which are cheaper as well! I also bought for the first time in 15 years new knickers!!! I bought 15 pairs to celebrate.
However the nicest sight we have seen recently is Hemp with a baby. Holly and I decided that as she had been so good with all the eggs we needed her to sit for us, we would try her with a chick, so she has a baby Spectacled Owl, and does she love it - oh yes, she thinks it is wonderful, it is a sight to behold.
Saturday, 6 April 2013
What a turn up for the books, today after weeks
of bitterly cold wind and generally grey and cold weather – although very dry,
today has been glorious and literally almost warm by the afternoon. Yesterday
was bitter and very windy, although the day before was even worse and you could
see that the birds were getting fed up with it, and apart from the Kites not
flying quite as well the last four days. However today they all had a field
day. I was particularly pleased with Pleiades (female Tawny Eagle) whom I
thought might be lazy today with no wind, but she was a star and loved the warm
and even managed to find a little bit of lift, I came out of the flying ground
with a big grin. Fortina too was first class today and was gaining height even
though she was the last bird of the day.
Yesterday was an interesting day. It was
hectic to start with and we were short of flyers for the first demonstration
because of an experience day and the wind, so I reckoned that Hare should be
the right weight and could do his first demonstration of the year. He was the
last bird, so started at about 11.45, and finally came down again at about 2.30.
While he was in one of the many trees that he sat in that day, Sally came over
the radio and mentioned that there was a car on fire in the car park. And it was
most certainly on fire, in fact quite dramatic. We were worried that the petrol
tank would go up and cause some damage. Luckily the poor family who owned the
car had literally just arrived and so they were out of the car and safe. The
fire engine arrived and all was put out, although the car was not a pretty
sight. I spoke to the family a bit later and I would like to make a comment
about the Prudential Insurance Company with whom they were insured. The husband
phoned the company and bear in mind that at this point anyone would be shocked
and stressed. The pratt on the other end of the phone said that they had to
have the policy number, and he pointed out that the policy was in the car which
had burnt. Eventually the insurance company woman hung up on him!!! Now I think
that is disgraceful, surely insurance companies train their staff to cope with
stressed and upset people and if they don’t, they bloody well ought to. I would
like to bet that if you phoned your company and said that you wanted to insure
another car, and just gave them your address they would find you with ease!! So
be warned – don’t use the Prudential, they are not a pleasant or professional
company in our opinion. Good job I was not on the end of the phone or I would
have ripped them up hill and down dale!
Green Flag on the other hand collected the
car before we had even closed, so they get brownie points. The rest of the day
went OK, although it was cold and windy to the bitter end.
The baby Verreaux’s Eagle is doing very
well and growing nicely. His or her parents are now rearing a baby Bald Eagle
and doing a wonderful job. The chick which was with the Steller’s recovered
from being cold and upset and on Tuesday we tried it with the Verreaux’s. It was
a risk, but one that we felt worthwhile. They had had a Steppe’s Eagle egg last
year, but the chick vanished. However this chick was large enough that they
could learn how to care for it. They brooded it the first day, although they
did better once we had removed the goose egg. The second day Holly watched the
parents on the nest ledge and the male was feeding himself and the chick was
trying to feed, then the female started to eat and the chick moved to her and
each time she pulled a bit of rat off for herself, the chick took it, so after
a few minutes she got the idea and was offering the food to the chick. It is an
amazing thing to watch them learn and bodes really well for next year. We were
all delighted.
My baby Savigny’s Eagle Owl is doing well,
he is called Coll, the theme being British Islands, although some of my staff
insist on calling him Collin, however they will grow out of it. And I like to point
out that names are very important. I believe that if you have stupid or
careless names it shows a lack of respect for the birds. We try to make sure
that the birds have nice names that suit them and show them the proper respect
that they deserve.
We are in a lull on hatching, just waiting
for the next batch to arrive. Hopefully the new mincer which I have just
bought, will arrive in time to be useful with feeding chicks. Although we have
been having to chop up food for some of the injured wild birds as well. More have
arrived in, roll on the weather change, so that the wild birds can have a
chance at recovery.
Monday, 1 April 2013
Its April 1st, and the coldest
Easter on record, but actually yesterday was really very pleasant, yes it was
cold, but it was sunny most of the day and the birds flew just amazingly. We
had one visitor who had been concerned about paying to come in and indeed I
think two of them stayed in the car, when he left he said it was the most
amazing place, quite fantastic and he would come again. It’s always so very
difficult to encourage people that what they will see here is amazing and well
worth the entry money.
Mark’s young Grey Buzzard Eagle was just
staggering yesterday, he is almost unfailingly good and uses the wind really
well, but yesterday as you will see in the picture, he got really ambitious and
did the most amazing stoop. Holly and I were watching him from the Hawk Walk
and we were really excited about it, so John got an even better view and the
visitors were entranced. I have to say that Fortina also went brilliantly, both
she and Alexandria and getting back to fitness and she had a whale of a time
yesterday. Alexandria is more tricky, she is 11 years old now, and she had a
couple of illnesses last year, so some days I think I will never get her fit
again, and others she does really well, so we persevere and I am pretty sure
she is having a good time with it.
The babies are doing well, the young Bald
Eagle that we put with the Stellers had to come out though. When we put it in
the Steller’s chick was about twice the size, but they were doing OK, now
however the Stellers is nearly four times the size and the problem is with this
interminable cold is affecting the young. When the parents get off to get food,
or feed the chicks, it is so cold that they quickly lose heat and then don’t
want to feed. So we have whipped the Bald Eagle away and will try it with
another parent on Tuesday when more staff are in. However our most delightful
hatching is our baby Verreaux’s eagle, he or she is doing well, five days old
now, feeding and growing well and due to go to a foster parent in a week or so.
We are really pleased about that. We also have a Hooded Vulture egg with the
hooded vultures, and the Palmnuts have laid and so far the eggs are well, the
new nests are making a difference and the eggs are not getting pushed around as
much.
The Lanners had four eggs and we are double
clutching them, the Sakers have laid and Sage is doing much better with Jack
Danials, he looks like he will be a potential dad, which will be lovely, its not
easy to find pure bred birds these days. We just hope the weather will break
soon and we will have some warm dry weather to encourage everyone else to get
on with laying.
It’s cold and grey today, but at least it
is dry again. The mares have gone back home, Autumn is getting close to
foaling, and my field has no grass left. I need to chain harrow and roll it now
so that if the grass ever does start to grow again, it will have a good chance
and the field needs to look good and be sound by the end of August for our
Falconry Weekend!
And as usual, thanks to Linda for not only her staggering photo's, but her endless generousity in sharing them with us. And that thanks goes to all the photographers who are amazing with their support and their offering of photos, we really appreciate you all.
Monday, 25 March 2013
I am so fed up
and pissed off I probably should not write this now. Late last year an email
came through about a local grant. Now I have never applied for a grant before
and I suspect I never will again!! The people organising it came out and were
great and advised us on what to do, and to be fair they have been wonderful all
the way through. With help from David and Sally we did the application and got
Robin to do the bits that I knew would make me throw the paperwork in the fire.
We then applied
for planning permission to replace our very old 8 foot wide by 18 foot long
shed, that we have used for decades as a hospital room. It is a horrid room, it
used to house a huge generator when we moved here. The place is very
dilapidated and will eventually fall down and be a health hazard to the staff
probably, the tiles on the side are falling off now, it is far too small and
not suitable any long for taking the injured wild birds that we take in (free
gratis and for nothing with a substantial cost to us).
So it was with
enormous joy that we heard that if we could get everything going and finish the
building by June, we had a high chance of getting a £20K grant, that was a huge
lift to all the staff here, particularly after such a shitty year that we had
just finished. We were all very excited about it.
But things were
not going to be that easy, oh no. Now bear in mind that I am a conservationist
but a realistic one, keep that in mind! We have planted a wood, which will
probably all die in the next ten years because of Ash dieback. We have built a
large pond, we manage the 12 acres for wildlife as well as being a public
facility. We have more small birds living here than any of the surrounding
land, but unfortunately and I never thought I would say that, but I do mean it
now, we have bats as well. I had intended to help them and put up bat boxes
around the place, however that is not going to happen now, not a chance in
hell. I can see why Charlie feels the same. We had both thought about putting
bat boxes on the barns for them, here and in Yorkshire but if we did and then
we needed to do something to the barn we would not be allowed to, so no bat
boxes for us I am afraid. This sort of legislation is completely
counterproductive to conserving and helping bats, in fact I would say it does
the opposite.
After we had
applied for the planning permission, we were hit with the fact that we had to
have a bat survey - £480.00. The chap was very nice, very efficient, but sadly
found about 10 bat droppings in three places. Well now the shit as it were has
hit the fan. I have to have more surveys – see the price going up!!! I may have
to have DNA done on the bat droppings (£125.00). If they are Pipistrelle bats,
which the expert considers they are, there are 2 million of them in the UK, it is found in Europe, South Africa and South
West Asia and its conservation status is least concern, which means there is
not a problem with the damn thing!
This roof, which
we are not permanently removing, but just taking down and replacing had no
winter bats, so it is most likely a summer roost. The building that we will put
up will have a larger roof, it is attached and yes I do mean attached to
another identical roof, so if by chance we upset a bat, it can move 8 feet to
another part of the damn roof. I am very happy to put up whatever bat
mitigation is required, special tiles etc. etc. If we had done the building in
April it would have been finished before the bloody things wanted to roost
anyway. We may lose the grant, we have had to pull the planning application so
when it goes in again it will be another six weeks, after the next survey which
has to be done in May. The effect on the bats would have been negligible in
April, however I doubt we will start, if we even get the grant and are able to,
before July. We have had three buzzards, two sparrowhawks, one barn owl, one
goshawk and a Kestrel in during the last two weeks and we are absolutely
stretched with them all, so I have to say that there goes any affection I might
have had for bats, or any assistance I might have given them in the future.
And want to know
the best bit, technically you are not allowed to apply for a bat license to
disturb the little dears until you have planning permission to do whatever it
is you want to do, but you won’t get planning permission without the licence.
What fucking moron worked that one out!!!!!
Then Charlie’s
bank in Yorkshire has told Charlie that my credit rating is not good because
when I moved my bank account over to Lloyds, (where we have paid in our funds
since 1967) I did not give them identification to prove I am whom I say I am!!!
I have only known some of the people down there for over 4 decades!!! However I
am obviously a dangerous risk to the world and am trying to launder money.
Believe me if I had any it would not be going into the bank!!!! So I had to
take my driving licence and a utilities bill down, but I took one that was too
old – it has to be in the last three months. So as you can see, life has been
frustrating.
However Carl
Jones’s has a pair of condors and they have laid, last year they broke their
egg, so this year, he decided not to risk the first egg and brought it here. It
is huge!! We are incubating it and hoping that all will go well and it will
hatch. That will be great stuff and good experience for Holly. The Stellers
managed to hatch one chick by themselves, sadly they lost the other egg, but
they are rearing their own baby plus a Bald Eagle for a friend. The Palmnut
vultures have laid an egg, so fingers crossed for that one.
Just to put the
cap on things the weather is bitterly cold and we have snow on the ground and
it does not look like it is going to change for Easter which is particularly
scary financially I have to say. I did win £5.10 on the lottery last week, but
that is not going to help a great deal.
Sunday, 10 March 2013
There are people in life who are doer’s and
people in life who talk about it. I am without doubt a doer, I get things done,
I don’t wait around for others to do it, because I don’t have the time or the
patience. I would rather get going when whatever needs doing and get it started,
and then see what happens, than wait around for someone else to get going!!! I
am also a finisher, I am better at the final touches of whatever the task,
usually in finishing, a physical one, I see things that others don’t see.
So it pisses me off sometimes when people
don’t see what we are about.
Consequently I just want to give you an idea of what
we cope with in a day…………………….. after feeding the dogs and taking them round
the field, always my first job of the day, feeding the horse was a part of that
until he went to his new home. I start on emails, bloody hundreds of the
damn things, well OK probably not hundreds, but certainly over 50 per day, many
of which are crap (do I really want Viagra – no, nor do I want anything to do
with a man who wants the stuff – they need to learn that hours of what they
consider to be fun, is way over the top for any sensible female, who is only
thinking to themselves, for God’s sake get on with it!) but I don’t have a spam
filter because otherwise on occasion I lose stuff that is important.
Today, just around 9.00am Holly comes up to
the window during her feed round, because as usual I have forgotten to put my
radio on, and asks me to come out as we have a problem with a Ural Owl, so
after looking at the owl and giving it some treatment, I decide that he
probably needs to see Neil Forbes (oh great – a Sunday, so the cost will not be
insignificant!), but you can’t count the cost, it is a bird whose life is
reliant on you. So I phone him, explain the details and thank goodness he is
working on a Sunday, and so John bless him, grabs a box, I start the van, and
off he goes to Swindon which on a good day is an hour’s drive, with the now
fitting owl.
This means that we are down to two staff
only, with thank goodness a great volunteer in the form of Katy, but that is it!! Its bitterly
cold and I do mean bitterly, and we have three people on a half day experience,
plus we are open and it’s a Sunday. So, things are a little tight. The emails
will have to wait, the five year plan for the vulture breeding Centre in Nepal
will have to wait, as will the book, the five year plan for ICBP and a few
other things pending as well.
Katy finishes off the jobs John was doing
with baths. Holly finishes feeding round, I get the food ready for the birds on
an experience day. I am friendly and polite to the people on the day. In the
meantime Sally who has put in a lot of effort in the new photography competition
emails me to say that people are complaining that they have to pay £5.00 to
enter for three photos– although if they win they could get an exclusive day here one on one
with birds and my staff – not an insignificant prize I think to myself. Plus it
takes our time and effort to look at the photos and judge the competition – are
we supposed to do it for free!! No, and any funds we get go towards the work
we do, surely visitors who are regulars know that! Luckily Holly answered the
Facebook stuff as I suspect I might not have been so tactful!
I then go up to the shop to bring the
people down for the experience half day, plus their partners and as there are
only three of them and it is seriously cold in the flying field with a freezing
north easterly wind racing up the field, I am kind and let the three partners
come into the weighing room as I kit the experience day people with gloves and
instruction.
Holly gets the first bird ready, we do the
initial flying in the field, and then end up with Lunar in the indoor Hawk Walk
before going down to coffee, which by this time is very welcome, we warm up,
and we then have 15 minutes to sort out the flying demonstration, Holly gets
the people sorted out with a couple of birds inside while I get food ready for
four birds on the demo. We run the demo, Katy looks after the people on the
experience day. All goes well, in fact with this wind the birds are first class
although the customers are frozen!!!
Holly and Katy finish off the experience
morning, I manage to do a little to the five year Nepal plan, John phones to
say he is on his way back leaving the owl at Neil’s, but it is still with us
and OK at this point. I then go down to the café and help with the washing up
before having a bit of lunch, and finish just in time for the next
demonstration! It’s still freezing, perhaps more so now, but we have intrepid
customers and the people on the half day have stayed to watch the flying. It’s
still a bitter wind, but the birds are brilliant, the wind is perfect for most
of them although there are a few rather untidy landings.
After the demo, one of our wonderful life
members has again sponsored Pinotage, so John takes him and the vulture into
the weighing room for a photo, I fly the peregrine off demo. After than John
and Holly get various birds flown, I do a little more in the office to the five
year plan, then I fly Kalyke who is one of the six flyers going up to Yorkshire
on Tuesday morning, and blow me it’s time for the last demo!! And guess what it
is still freezing – and trying to snow. We finish the demo, and close up the
doors of the birds in the Hawk Walk so they can benefit from the heaters. The PA
is turned off, the loos are closed as the last customer has headed for home.
The babies food and Eve the sick eagle’s food is prepared, the workshop locked.
Holly finishes feeding the owls, John moves the injured wild goshawk into a new
clean box and in the freezing cold cleans the dirty box. Katy tidies the
weighing room, and then John and Holly switch the Ural Owl eggs for dummies in
case she deserts them with her husband not there. Oh and in the meantime they
bravely check the Steller’s who has one chick and two more eggs!! And nearly
broke the special camara!
Then the phone rings and there is an
injured wild bird of prey in Newent, so while Holly treats the last bird on the
list of birds that need treatment, there is always one in a collection like
this, John and I drive down betting it is a female sparrowhawk – wrong it is a
beautiful adult male, and when we get home and check it over it has a badly
broken wing – right by the joint, so its chances are very slim. But we will
take it to Neil when we collect the Ural Owl tomorrow, who hopefully is on the mend. In the meantime, Holly
and John check eggs and feed the baby owl that is three days old and by this
time, it’s about time to finish!!! Except that I have emails to do, John and
Katy have to drive home and Holly has to finish the paperwork for the birds
going up to Duncombe on Tuesday.
We all between us, Jan included, finish a
bottle of wine, I go in and light the fire, the wind howls through the house, the dogs
are now settled. I will tackle the five year plan again and we look forward to
another day!!!
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Good God, no
wonder I get nothing done these days, I am sending about 35 emails per day,
sometimes I really hate email, there is no way I ever had to write 35 letters
every day! It’s ridiculous!! I have been trying to get onto a website to look
at vans they have for sale. Manheim have auctions near Gloucester every week,
however their website is dreadful and to get onto the site and see the vehicles
is apparently impossible, I have tried about four times and have now given up.
For God’s sake you idiots if you want to sell cars let people onto your site –
how stupid can you get!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And that should
not happen on your birthday either!!!!
We had the most
glorious day yesterday, sunny, warm, just perfect, today is a little bit of a letdown,
but at least it did not rain worth talking about. As long as it stays dry I am
going to be happy. We all just need dry weather for the ground to recover.
We, well
actually I, have been building nests, I have to say they are rather good. I
have been worried about using Leylandii for some time, its horrid stuff, and we
had some problems with a chick earlier on, which I am glad to say is fine now.
So I decided that we would go back to building nests for all the birds that
need them. We put one in with Athena and she laid in it two days later!!! With
a nest you know the egg is safe and can’t roll around and so the risk of them
breaking is less. I have two big ones and three smaller ones to do, its amazing
how many twigs it takes to make them. You also really realise just how amazing
birds are, I have two hands, sticks brought to me by the staff, and two pairs
of cutters, they have a beak!!!
I had a lovely
birthday breakfast, bagels and cream cheese and smoked salmon at coffee time –
far better than a cake!! I did give myself a break from the nest building and I
am not exactly sure what I achieved today, but I am sure I managed something!!
I rarely do nothing.
My sister Anna
gave me some more, plants tokens so with those and the Christmas ones I am
going to go on a shopping frenzy!!! For plants soon, I love buying plants, it’s
so much fun, although planting them is fractionally less fun! But the end
results are great. I had planned to go today, but failed dismally.
I can nearly run
again, well trot slowly might be a better description and not for long, but I
will get there, not planning a marathon, but running is something I like to do
if I can. If only I could get my socks on more easily life would be less of a
stretch!!
The daffs are on
their way up again, and I expect to see a yellow head or two soon, which will
be so nice, I am fed up with cold now, I want to have spring!!
Have just been
out to supper, I drove my little van, but I have to say that having looked on
ebay, I really really want to get an old morris shooting brake!!! There is one
at a reasonably price and I am sooooooooooo tempted !!! They are just such
simple cars, and with so little to go wrong. The trouble with new cars is that
they are so complicated that they cost a fortune to fix. The old ones are
really cool, and there is no tax either!!! Oh well, I guess I had better be
circumspect – damn it!!
Hemp now has three eggs and we have the only Savigny's egg hatching as I write, that will be very good as my best owl was a Savigny's called Papyrus, who was wonderful. I hope this is a male!!
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