The first young bred in Nepal

I know I know, I have not updated for ages, but things have been busy since I got back from India and Nepal. We survived the trip, it turned out to be eight flights, no train trip - probably a good thing, two five hour drives and one nightmare nine hour one in Nepal. That was not fun, we ended up in a rice paddy field, with no lights on the car, no idea where we were and the possibility of Rhino's about, I was not amused! However we got most things done, and that in not particularly good weather, I think it rained in West Bengal, Assam and Nepal!! Next trip is Bangladesh in November with a possible side trip to India on the way back to assess potential release sites. I have not been to Bangladesh, I hope there are not floods when I am there, I have to say that flying always worries me, and now you wonder if the plane has been somewhere like West Africa recently and if so has it been fumigated!!

 

I came back to the most beautiful end of September, I was a little miffed that I had missed such lovely weather, but it was great to be home and at the start of autumn which I love. It has been extremely wet since, but as I write the sun is out and the colours on the trees are sparkling as is the pond.

 

New tractor shed and Jimmi pretending its all his own work!

We have been very short staffed with various people having holidays so I have been out in the Centre and neglecting my computer, the dreaded emails and this weblog. However the new workshop/tractor shed is done with a little more to do inside and the power to get down to it, but otherwise all the stuff is now safely away. We took down the very dilapidated and ugly old workshop, boy that was a task, but its done and the tree roots are out so we are getting it all looking smart again. While I was away Mike and Rob with a little help cut the leylandii that are behind the small falcon block right back as they had got far to large, it does not look pretty right now, but it will smarten up over the next growing season and we will be able to keep it in check now. The difference in the light levels in those enclosures and in Barn 3 is amazing. Next job is the leylandii's by Real, which need to go and that will give those birds far more light throughout the year.

 

All the new birds are going well, some have left us for new homes and the rest are going to join the official team. The Brahminy Kite Zephyr is now fishing on the pond which is very exciting, a great chance of wonderful photos! The three Lanners that we have kept are all doing well, the two Sakers we bought have been a challenge, they were in my opinion not parent hatched and reared, but hopefully once we have got over their temperament problems they will fly well.

 

Sedge is doing really well in his new home and if you do FaceBook I think you will find he has his own page, I have no idea how to work Facebook and I am not sure I want to learn at this point! The puppies are well, Agapanthus has so far destroyed the kettle and a salt cellar, I have to put everything out of reach at night, which is a challenge as he gets bigger, and bigger he is getting!

 

The charitable status is coming along, it is hard work and my role apparently is going to be to raise money, so look out, I will be on the hunt once we are a charity, I need you to introduce me to lots of rich friends (I don't think I have any!) so that we can make this place sing the way that it should do. I have a ton of ideas, just need the funds to do them all - oh and a very long life!