Its been a lovely week I think, its been so damn hectic that when people ask me if we have been busy I can’t remember!! But the benches in the flying ground have been OK in terms of people sitting on them! So what has been happening, well the weighing room is all but finished, just three drawer fronts to arrive, the lagging on the pipes and the water heater to get working. It is great to have the space and we moved all the stuff back in on Sunday and we just about know where to find everything now! Although I still try to go through the door that is no longer there and the dogs still bark to come it at it! Joan and Iloana are here, and Iloana works far too hard, but the garden is benefiting from her attentions. Iris is a work experience student from France, she has started today, although I have not had much time to spend with her as yet. James, Cynthia and Linda came from the US to stay, so I had to borrow Tony Bucklands Landrover again because I can’t get more than one passenger legally in my van! Well I can, but not take them on the road. We went to the Yew Tree for supper the first night they came which was great. It was a busy weekend with Experience Days and 11 people on a half day Photographic Day, which was lovely.

The birds are well, the Stellers Sea-eagle is a mean little bugger though!! He is a handful and will be interesting to train in the future. He is going back with his parents soon. The baby Great Horned Owl has just come out to be worked with, he has now got Holly’s Ural Owls’ toy Walrus, did I tell you that Holly’s baby owl had a toy walrus to cuddle up to, I didn’t – well it did have, however it has fast grown out of it and is now causing havoc at the Centre by trying to get everywhere!! I think it will be taking a plane to Australia soon as it is extremely adventurous!

Adam and I have been working with the Bald Eagle trying to get her better to pick up, she is improving and we flew her loose again after hours this evening, she is a handful that is for sure.

The leaves are coming out fast, everything is looking wonderful and the lilac in my garden is amazing, but the wisteria in the Hawk Walk will be even better. I did the lecture at Gloucester Museum, which went OK I think, although not a huge audience. Now we have to hope that I have a vehicle in time for the Bath and West show early next month.

Now just for your edification, here is another example of the superb brainpower of the people who insist on still using lead in their ammunition, well done boys, you poison your national emblem and manage to get the rarest vulture in the world sick as well, congratulations!!!!

PINNACLES, Calif. - It was just this past March when a condor chick was born at the Pinnacles National Monument. Records indicate this may have been the first time that had happened since the 1860's.
"We've never had a chick this severely lead poisoned at this age and at this point we just hope the chick survives," says Joe Burnett, Senior Wildlife Biologist with the Ventana Wilderness. Earlier this week the 50 day old rare bird and its male parent both tested positive for severe lead poisoning, and were rushed from the Pinnacles to the Los Angeles Zoo. "It's a sad ending to such a historic event and for us as biologists it's our worst nightmare," says Burnett who was one of the first people on site when the chick hatched. He says this all traces back to only one thing.
"These condors are victims of some illegal shooting activity of some sort." The use of lead ammunition has been banned in the area of the Pinnacles since July of 2008, but apparently not all are following the new restrictions.
He explains that lead based bullets scattered erratically through the body of game, while the new restrictions which encourage using copper based ammunition for hunting are far less destructive. "Someone shot an animal with lead ammunition and the birds are suffering the consequences," he says. The condor chick and the male parent are still being treated at the Los Angeles Zoo which is home to a state of the art treatment facility.
They are considered to be in serious condition and their health will be re-evaluated in the next few weeks.

OK I am whacked and off to bed