JPJ's Weblog

I have another damn cold, and I have no idea why, the last one, given to me by Biff (!!) came and went, and now is back again. Thank god for Vick, it is great stuff and at least means you can get some sleep. Its been a grayish week, although only yesterday did we have what I might call proper rain. And even then we managed to fly on all the demonstrations and get all the birds done. Holly is on holiday this week, so we are a little stretched, but managing and I have a horse!! Well actually a horse and a pony.

Because I work seven days a week and don’t really like having a day off, plus right now can’t really take one, I decided that I would get back to riding again as it is a means of getting away from the job for a short while. I tried a really nice little horse who lives up the road and he will be a great horse one day, but needs some work, so I looked further afield. In the mean time a delightful Exmoor pony called Hawk has come to join the family, he is only a yearling, but charming (and been placed at shows too!!). These days you look online for everything, including horses. And there are plenty out there, Michaela Swan is helping me and is going to ride at the weekends because those are our busiest times, so we went to see a horse the week before last and I bought him. He is a 15.2” thoroughbred,

bay with four white socks and very beautiful. He has been a bit of a handful to start with but is beginning to settle now and he (Henry) seems to like Hawk, and he is charming in the stable, so now I have no excuse not to take an hour off every now and then.

Dinah is back and has started painting the utility room, which is great, I am looking forward to it being done, and now if and when the boiler in there finally dies, at least we can get at it easily and replace it.

T

he Griffon Vulture seems to be doing well, he is eating well and sitting on his perches nicely and generally is the same wonderful bird that he has always been so we are positive about the outcome. And Rush is still OK, the only change in him is that he can’t seem to open his jaw to carry a mug any longer. He always carried my tea mug on our early morning walk, but I have to take a smaller one now for him to manage.

All the birds are doing well, we have been redoing the Eagle Barn, and the two completely aviaries look wonderful. My plan is to try and get all the aviaries done earlier than usual this time round, so everything is ready for the breeding season and we don’t have a ton of work to try and get done before the start. I am delighted with the way the Eagle Barn is coming up considering how old it is. We are racing through magnolia paint and black stain, but the result is a cleaner, brighter enclosure for all the birds.

The Red Kite is well and going back to the wild in the near future, it needed a little longer to get some weight on, so the people who brought it are going to come and collect and release it, its so nice that people care enough. Sadly the last three birds brought all failed to survive, two, a Tawny Owl and a young male Sparrowhawk died within hours and the third, a common Buzzard had a horrific break in its wing and a missing toe. It’s tough out there for young birds making a start in life.

OK its back to work, we have four people on a Hawk Experience Day today, so I have to get myself ready.