Gosh that was a tough week, a ton of things to do and a five day course, a half day experience day and a full day experience, plus the normal things to do and a trip to London! All three of the courses went well, we had five on the five day which is a good number and they all did well and enjoyed it I am told! We had great weather, not one damp day, cold some of the time but clear and sunny and it is another glorious morning today.

The rabbits were a story last week, Rupert scared us to death on Tuesday as I looked in their box only to find two rabbits, Rupert was missing – in a room full of five eating rabbit dogs. He had climbed out of the box and fallen behind the cupboard, luckily he had not moved out or he would not have survived to tell the tail. They then all got moved to a sky kennel after that. Very sadly Roger leaped out the kennel on Friday as I opened the door, he seemed fine and was eating lettuce, but died about ten minutes later which was upsetting for all, I buried him next to Randal. The other two have got off with Ann and Peter Gosling who stayed with me over the course, and they fell for the rabbits, who will have a much higher chance of a long life with them than here! I do miss them though.

The baby vulture is doing very well, feeding easily, growing fast and very pretty (yes it is!) we will make a decision on putting it back in the next week, dependant on the weather. The breeding season is behind because of the weather, as indeed is spring, I still have no daffodils out, although they are up and green, but no yellow.

The drainage is coming on, Mike has almost done outside the café and I hope that we will finish as much as we are able to do by the end of this week, meaning we can move onto the weigh room. Mozart’s block is stained black and looking good, Iloana, Joan’s mother did much of the painting, and has been gardening for much of this week. Tom has finished the fence and gate at the top of the Hawk Walk and will finish the bottom side this week, and then that job will be complete. Friends and visitors are commenting on how good the Centre is looking, Nathan has already got the grass looking wonderful and this after a hard winter.

The Tawny Owl that came in having gone down someone’s chimney was well enough to release so that has gone, and we are starting to see the wild buzzards soaring again, which is very good to see. The wild Kestrels are about again and we have seen a couple of wild Peregrines over, plus Sparrowhawks and Goshawks that nest close by.

With all the dry weather we have been able to fly everyone daily and they are all coming on, and more birds are coming out this week, Hare and Hard Tackle the Tawny Eagles, plus Watamu the Verreaux’s Eagle, who will be added to the flying team, plus Copper, and the Turkey Vultures. We are going to be busy.

Yesterday was a stunning day, the place looked good, lots of nice visitors for Mothers Day, the only downside was Real the Condor, she was not looking well and Simon was worried about her, so we caught her up, she was not pleased and checked her and as suspected we could feel an egg. So I phoned Great Western Referrals, and off she and Simon went. She does have an egg there, she was dehydrated and so was given fluids and improved, she stayed overnight, is well, but has still not produced the egg this morning, although it is much further down the oviduct, so hopefully it will be reachable under anesthetic this morning.

We have a quieter week this week, of course I should never say that, because it will immediately change, and I hope that before it rains we will have got the paths back and the car park spic and span ready for a wonderful Easter!