I keep wanted to be able to write and tell everyone that the house is sold and my worries are over. But it is still not sold. I am confident that it will but the various problems I have had with the buyer would not be believed if I told you. Plus if I think about it all my blood pressure goes through the roof, which is not good for me.

Guess who!

Things are moving slowly with the house I am buying. I did a pre planning application which I am delighted to say had a good result. So we should be fine on building the very smart breeding barn for Hen Harriers. I am excited about that and now just need to find someone to come and work with me for the next ten years to breed and release Hen Harriers in Southern England.

Today six of the nine birds still left for that are going to the vulture conservation centre in Wales run by Holly and Adam are going. So more empty aviaries, but we are taking some of the mesh so that I at least save that cost on the six new aviaries I have to build to house the remaining birds (not Hen Harriers). The amount of food I have to get out each day will decrease again! That will upset the dogs as they like to help with feeding round and having titbits.

I still have one Lanner to find a home for, otherwise all the birds are in their new homes. I have a list of where they all are and if anyone wants to go and see them, drop me an email. They are spread about across the country!

Arthur's Seat

I have to say that this drought is worrying, many of my plants and trees are looking a bit miserable and my Indian Horse Chestnut tree has failed to have viable conkers for two years now. And while I am thinking of it, what is wrong with grey squirrels brains, they have again taken every single hazel nut from my tree and not one of them had any nuts as it is far too early. They obviously do not learn from experience.

I drove up to Edinburgh via Yorkshire the week before last. I dropped off the last brood of Hen Harriers, to the release aviary on a grey and chilly moor, and then drove on up the A1 to Edinburgh - what a vile road. I am not doing that again. The M6 route is far easier. I went up because one sister lives in Edinburgh and my other sister was over from New York and my brother over from New
Zealand. It was the first time in 20 years that we were all in the same place - amazing. We did some lovely walks and went up Arthur's Seat although not to the top as there were too many people up there for me. We did however hear some young Peregrines on the cliff face.

My brother and I drove back on that dangerously hot day. We left at 5.30 to miss the worst of the heat and did manage fine. Although getting out of the car into over like heat was a shock to the system.

Did I paddle in the Sea - of course!

I have been having an interesting time getting out of my car anyway, the door handle drove inside the door and I either had to climb out of the passenger door or use our patent door opening stick which meant open the window, put the stick (mark 2) into the door handle on the outside and push - worked a treat although I got some pretty odd looks!

So I am still here, bird numbers are down, and IF IF IF things go according to plan, I will start to move from here in September. But believe me when I say I am not holding my breath.

 

Apologies for not having written before, but I have a really good excuse! It appears that having to give up
the bulk of your career/passion that you have work in all your life, having to give away 99 percent of the birds you have loved all your life, seeing all the staff leave, selling this property which has been a nightmare, but it nearly d and finding and buying a new house has been a little more stressful than anticipated. - Amazing really!! I had a haemorrhagic bleed in my brain on June 3rd. Having fed and walked the dogs, done the bird, rode my bike to the livery yard, rode a friend's horse and rode my bike home, I sat down to watch the Church Service at St Paul’s Cathedral for the Queens jubilee and my sight went peculiar. When I tried to read, I could make no sense of the words. So, phoned 999 and an ambulance came. They said I should go to hospital which I did and finally at about 12.00 midnight was admitted to hospital after blood tests and a CT scan.

After a total of two session in Hospital I am trying to keep calm and quiet - that is bloody impossible! Our volunteers, some of the staff and my neighbours have been amazing, they have taken me places as I am not allowed to drive at the moment, they have chopped up and skinned food for the birds and fed them, done the baths and aviaries and even taken the dogs for a walk as well as helping with the mowing of which there is a fair bit to do! 

As well as helping with all the baby Hen Harriers that we are managing for Brood Management this year So, there we are a very valid excuse I would say. 

 So where are we in finishing off. Still trying to finish the sale of this place, which is taking tar longer than it should have done, but it nearly there now. I have found a new place very close by but am not shouting about it until it is a done deal. We have nine vultures (three Cape vultures, two African White Backs, One Condor – Real – and one Egyptian Vultures – Cara) Holly’s two Verreaux’s Eagles and two Harris Hawks, Domino and Tork still to go to Wales when there are aviaries for them. The two young condors and Keats the White Tailed Sea Eagle are
over there already with Adam. Holly has been over with her parents in a very large very yellow van full of stuff, two falcons - Kuli and Marvel, and Flax. The falcons are staying over there. 

So 13 birds to go for Wales The six I am keeping, Hare (Indian Tawny Eagle) Hemp (Eurasian Eagle Owl) Coll (Savigny’s Eagle Owl) Corsair (Lugger) Windward (Merlin) and Pinotage (elderly Egyptian Vulture). Will all stay here until the buying of the new house is done and aviaries built for them which will hopefully be able to happen in August. There are two kites and one African Fish Eagle still to be collected That just leaves two male Lanners to find a home for now, one is a great flyer and one is for breeding.

We are hearing great things about all the birds that have gone, particularly those who were demonstration birds here before they left us. 

However the dogs hate it as there is no one here to mug for sandwiches or get stroked by, so a lot of the time they have to put up with just me. We are now in the waiting stage of this house sale being finalised and all the stuff that needs to happen when buying a new one. Once that is done I guess we will be running around trying to finish up an clear every thing to leave it as tidy as possible before actually moving.