Spring will be here soon

Well we are through January and now into February. The countryside seems to be waking up slowly but surely. There are signs everywhere to say that it will be soon be the Spring. For example Snowdrops are now through, daffodils are through and getting ready to bloom, I even saw a pair of magpies about 2 weeks ago building a nest and the days are getting longer. Dare I say it I also noticed that the sun shone the other day and there was a little bit of warmth in it. So there you have it Spring is just round the corner.

Life in the centre is slowly starting to quicken. At the moment there are four birds on a diet to bring their weights back down to flying weight. First up is Lobey (Turkmanian Eagle Owl) I would say he is about a day away from flying free. I always feel really happy when Lobey is back flying. He was the first bird I ever owned and in the 11 years that we have been together he has been brilliant. He is a real character and it is always great to have him back. Next up is Alba (Barn Owl). It will probably be another week until she is flying. After Bella my other Barn Owl who is hyper and always shouting (even when she is eating) Alba on the other hand is calm. It will be a nice change. She is a experienced hand at many an event and takes everything in her stride. Nothing seems to phase her. Brel (Harris Hawk). I would say we are a few weeks away from flying him. He has still to loose 3.5oz before I will ask him to fly. He is getting there but is a bit grumpy at the moment. Some of the people who have helped me over the years would say that is normal for Brel but when he is at weight and in a routine he is a real sweet heart for me and will fly almost anywhere. Last but not least is Mardy (Harris Hawk). I was going to give him a bit longer off but my hand has been forced so he has been brought back early. Mardy is great in the grounds of the hotel but can have his moments when asked to fly somewhere else especially if he sees something that he think she can catch or wants to catch. I have been a bit easy on Mardy over the last 2 years only really using him in the grounds of the hotel where we are based but this year I am going to try and get in the habit of using him out on the road as well. I would say Mardy is about  7-10 days away from flying. Kyle (Buzzard) is also back flying. I am not sure as to what the plan is with Kyle but I do enjoy flying him even if he is just a Buzzard. He is a bit unreliable and not that good with people he doesn't know but I will stick with him. I have for the last 11 years. Hopefully if I have enough time to fly him and get him into a descent routine he may do the odd display but we will see after all it is Kyle and he is a Buzzard but he can also be something else that begins with a B and ends with a D with the same number of letters as Buzzard. So life in the centre is picking up. We haven't even hit the middle of February and already over  half the centre are flying or are being prepared to fly. The first big event is not until mid April but the preparation work starts weeks before.

Bookings have been in fits and bursts through January and into February. There maybe 3 or 4 bookings and then nothing for a week and then another 3 or 4 bookings. That's just the way it is at this time of the year. The phone has also been ringing with enquiries and bookings for large events over the coming summer. There are a few that I am quite excited about but I will mention more about them as we get closer to them.

The bookings that we have had have all been run of the mill stuff. A few bookings in the centre and a few over at Cameron House. Over at Cameron House it has been mainly haw walks. Oran and Pele (both Harris Hawks) have been flying well with Oran catching a rabbit last week. It was a fair size weighing in at 2lb12oz. Oran was flying at 1lb6 1/2 oz. He had to crash straight into some brambles to catch it. The funny thing was 2 days before hand he had crashed into the same spot and missed but not the second time.

Oran with a rabbit he has caught

Oran with a rabbit

The second half of February seems to be same as January with bookings in fits and bursts. Hopefully the rain will ease and I can start flying/working with the birds and getting them into the summer routine quickly.

Here' shoping that the coming spring and summer are dry. I don't need warm but dry woould be great.

1244

Happy New Year

I had hoped to update my blog a bit earlier in the month but there was the small matter of Christmas which got in the way. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.

For me the Christmas break consisted of taking the afternoon of Christmas Day off and then it was back to work to on Boxing Day to go and do a display for the guests over at Cameron House. Some things in the centre just don't or can't stop. For example the cleaning and the feeding of the birds. This needs to be done. So I was in the centre on Christmas morning checking all the birds, putting birds out on the front lawn to be fed and cleaning all the pen and aviaries. Once that was done it was then time to feed the rest of the birds, get things ready for the next day, clean the food prep area and then back home. That is pretty much how Christmas has been for me for the last 10 years and next year will be the same.

Well I am now through the Christmas rush and it is the end of 2012. This year was a big year for me. Stathblane Falconry has been running for over 10 years now. I mentioned in some of post earlier in the year that it doesn't feel like 10 years yet when I start to think back so much has happened. Even if I just think back over this last year a lot has happened. On the whole 2012 has been a good year with alot of highs and a few lows but thankfully not too many low points. The biggest low point was the weather and the rain. While it is good to look back on past achievements and events, New Year is also a time to look forward.

Things in the centre may be just ticking over now that Christmas is out the way and January is a time where I feel I have a bit of time for myself but at the same time I am finding that I am already thinking about the coming season. I am starting to think when I need to start getting things ready for the coming season. When will I start to bring certain birds weights down who have had the winter off. Even though the first big event is not until April I will be getting birds flying again in February to work on fitness and routine. As the weather improves so do the number of bookings so I will need to get birds ready to deal with that  as well.

When I bring a birds weight down to it's flying weight so I can start flying it again I like to reduce the birds food slowly which in turn reduces the birds weight slowly. It doesn't do the birds any good to put it onto a crash diet. This will probably start the second half of January so that I can start flying them in mid to late February and work on fitness over March so they are ready in April. When working with the birds it is not just a case of dropping weight and expecting the bird to fly. It takes time to get a bird ready and to build it up so that when it comes to flying it I can get the best from it.

The one thing I do want to happen in 2013 is for it to be a drier.  This last year I feel I have been constantly fighting the weather. It feels like it has rained almost every day. Thinking back over the summer this year there were quiet a few big events that fell foul to the rain. Luckily most of the events I was at were OK but it was a concern at a lot of them. I remember speaking to organisers in the run up to certain events and them saying that due to the rain they are now doing plan B and in some cases as the planning was so far on or it was so close to the event and they couldn't cancel it was case of plan C. Not good. Fingers crossed that 2013 is drier. The sun doesn't need to shine all the time just for it not to rain so much. The last 2 years have seemed to be a lot wetter than normal.

I should also mention Minnie. In my last post I mentioned that Minnie had been going a bit bald and she was diagnosed with an ovarian tumour which had to be removed. After the operation she lost even more fur up to to about 80% as her hormones settled down. The fur did start to grow back just as it was starting to get cold and now it is all back. You would never know she had the operation. She has a proper thick coat and and is rushing about the hutch with the other 2 ferrets. Hopefully the operation will allow her to live another 2-3 years.

Anyway I am going to finish up this blog entry. It is the end of 2012. Overall it has been a good year. It could of been better but it could also been a lot worse. Two falconry businesses in Scotland went under this year. 2013 will bring challenges but it will bring opportunities. It will bring new experiences and new adventures. I am looking towards 2013 with optimism.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Happy New Year to everyone and hopefully we will see you over 2013. Have a great time this evening

1211

Winter is here

Well winter is here. There hasn't been any frost but the one thing there has been loads of is RAIN. The only good thing is it has been very mild. A bit like the summer. Everything in the centre is soaked. Nothing is getting a chance to dry. The ground is water logged and there have been days when I haven't even bothered to put birds out to weather in front of the centre because the rain has been on all day.

Life in the centre has slowed right down. October was steady with the school breaks keeping things ticking over. Then we got to November and things slow down even further with bookings. The weather hasn't helped. It is a hard sell to convince people they should be out doors doing things when the rain never seems to stop. While bookings have slowed up there have still been a few and we have been getting positive feed back from people who have been out which is always great. We are now getting reviews on trip adviser.

Now though we are at that stage of year where there may not be a lot of bookings but things are going to busy for me - the Christmas rush. Making sure gift vouchers get out on time. Hopefully we won't have any problems last year if I remember correctly there was problems with the website and my phone line was taken out by a tree coming down on it in a storm. Hopefully none of that this year.

At this time of the year we don't do any large events. All the bookings are for individuals either at the centre or over at Cameron House. The birds have been flying well which is to be expected as it has all been routine stuff. Oran (Cameron House) has been the stand out bird over the last 5 weeks. He caught 2 rabbits over at Cameron House and came very close to catching a pheasant on 2 occasions not to mention almost taking a duck or 2 as well. He treats Cameron House like the happy hunting ground. Saying that he always flies well there flying with real purpose and determination.

Oran with his first rabbit of the season

Oran with his 2nd rabbit of the season

In my last blog entry I mentioned how Minnie (Ferret) had to have an operation to remove a large ovarian tumour. Well I am happy to say that she looks like she will be making a full recovery. She had lost a bit of fur and was a bit bald in places before the op and that is what alerted me to the fact there might be a problem with her. After the operation she lost a lot more fur but I was told this was to be expected as her hormones settled down after the operation. It was a bit worrying especially as we are now going into winter and Minnie was missing 80% of her fur. I mean she was proper bald - no fur just skin. The only thing is that she shares her hutch with another 2 ferrets and they all sleep together so she should of been warm enough. I am happy to say though her fur is now all growing back just in time for the winter.

The bad news now. I had to send 1 of my telemetry receivers away to be repaired. I went to switch it on the other week and got nothing. It was working the day before and then the next day it wasn't. I thought no big deal the batteries must be flat - I'll change them. So went to change the batteries. It takes 6 AA batteries and 5 fell out - 1 was stuck. I couldn't get it out so off it went back to the manufacturer. They removed the battery and told me that the battery had leaked but I had been lucky as it looked like I had caught it early and it hadn't done too much damage - the price £20 to remove the battery, clean it up a bit and post it back to me. The receiver came back I put new batteries in it, switched it on and everything seemed okay. Next day picked it up and decided to check the batteries were okay and only 5 came out and 1 was stuck in the same place as the last time. So off it went back to the manufacturer. This time they did a more extensive  investigation and found more corrosion inside the receiver and they were going to have to replace part of it - £100 later and hopefully it will be fixed. It could of been worse. If the leaked battery had corroded through to the main circuit board I would of been looking at £250 to fix it.

Telemetry is a vital piece of kit for me. That is why I use what I think is the best system out there at the moment - Marshall radio telemetry. I will not fly a bird with out a transmitter on it. For me if someone doesn't use telemetry when flying a bird then they are just being reckless and not caring for their bird. I don't care how well trained you think your bird is, things can happen that are out with your control and the bird can go off on one. This is when you are glad you have a transmitter on the bird. This is also why I have two of everything when it comes to telemetry, so if I have a problem or something breaks then I can keep going - business as usual.

The next few weeks as I have said are quiet with bookings but the I will be busy. It will be a time to see what the winter brings - cold and wet or cold and dry. If it is cold and wet then it will be a bit milder with less frost. Cold and dry on the other hand it will be a lot colder with more frost. I would prefer cold and dry. In some ways it is easier and I can still fly the birds. All I need to do is up their food to deal with the cold. So I don't have any worries about the food and running out if the weather turns which happened 2 years ago I am doing the food run on Monday. This order will keep the birds going until February.
 
1172

Autumn is here

Well autumn is here and we have had 4 nights of frost this week and we haven't even reached the middle of October. The last few day have been stunning with clear blue skies. The sun light and the colour of the leaves have been stunning.

 It is always easy to work outside when it is like this. I always love watching the changing of the seasons. Autumn and spring are my favourite seasons. Times of real change and amazing to watch everyday.

I mentioned in my last entry that things had been quiet and were about to get very busy which they did. I ended up having my busiest September ever even though things started quietly it then became very busy with some large events happening back to back. All good fun with variety of events as well. From doing a display for one of our competitors, to a display for a group of tourists at Culzean Castle to doing a historical event at Paisley Abbey.

Corrie (European Eagle Owl) at Culzean Castle

Brel (Harris Hawk) in action at Paisley Abbey

September may of started quietly but it finished in a blur of activity.

October has been at a more steady pace. The bookings have been steady and Pele (Harris Hawk) has been causing the biggest stir over at Cameron House.

Last week we were doing a hawk walk over at Cameron House and a gray squirrel appeared. I hadn't seen one in ages as there had been a cull in the area but one ran out in front of us not far from the front door of Cameron House. Pele spotted it and swooped down missing it, the squirrel ran up a tree and Pele landed in a near by tree and watched the squirrel. I walked towards the squirrel was in, it spotted me and went to go further up the tree, Pele must of noticed that the squirrel wasn't watching him but distracted by me and made his move, grabbing and falling out of the tree with it. I moved in quickly and killed the squirrel. Squirrels are the one of those prey item that I don't like the birds going for because there is a real risk of the bird getting injured. Squirrels have sharp teeth and claws. I have seen pictures of birds that have lost toes, tendons severed and also a very real risk of infection as squirrels have so much bacteria on their teeth. Saying that if we catch one and the bird is ok I am always happy as they are good eating for the birds who love them. This time the bird didn't get hurt so it is all good and the squirrel is now in the freezer.

Later on in the same session in the back woods Pele took a wood pigeon. I just saw him fly into some trees and there was a burst of silvery gray feathers and I knew he had caught a wood pigeon.

Pele with a wood pigeon

It was a eventful hawk walk. Next day we were back over at Cameron House doing another hawk walk and this time Pele was flying again and on form once again catching a rabbit.

Pele again in action this time it was a rabbit he caught

After last weeks excitement this week has been a bit quiet so far with not alot happening. It has been a bit frustrating this week my car has been in the garage for the last 2 days. Tomorrow though I am meant to be going out and looking at some new hunting ground but the weather is not good with rain all day so I don't think I will be able to fly anything but we shall wait and see.

The big thing so far this month has been Minnie (Ferret). I noticed Minnie had gone bald on her tummy and I asked Jo to look at her as I thought this was a bit odd. Jo took a look and said she could feel a large mass in Minnie. So it was off to the vets for Minnie. When she was opened up Jo found that she had a large ovary tumour which she removed. Minnie is now in the house recovering from the op. I am glad she has pulled through though she is still feeling the effects of the general anaesthetic at the moment. Minnie may not be the best working ferret I have ever had in fact she is rubbish but she still deserves a chance. While she is getting on a bit in the fact she is over 6 years old which is reasonably old for a ferret it is not ancient. Patch and Fatty both lived until they were 8 1/2 years which is old for a ferret but I have heard of older.

The coming weeks in the centre are not that busy but that tends to happen at this time of year as things build up for Christmas. All I am really interested in is what will be happening with the winter a freezing and dry winter or a  cold and wet winter time will tell.

1142

It's been a while

Well it has been a while since I have put an entry on the blog. Sorry about that.

Things have been crazy. July was busy and August was just nuts right up until the last Monday in August and then it just went quiet. Looking back it has all been a bit of a blur with events and bookings coming thick and fast but all good fun with a lot of positive feed back. The amazing thing is that we were able to do so many bookings with all the rain we have had this summer. Thinking about it we were lucky - very lucky with the weather at times. There were a lot of big events this summer that fell victim of the weather.

We are now at the end of the summer and entering autumn. Life in the centre is starting to slow down a bit. Last month I was trying work with 18 birds at 1 point. That number is dropping as the number of bookings tails off. August is a month where we change what birds are being flown. Alba (Barn Owl), Lobey (Turkmanian Eagle Owl), Sanda (Lanner Falcon), Midge (White Faced Scops Owl) and Bob (Gyr x Saker Falcon) have all stopped flying and are being allowed a well earned break. Bella (Barn Owl), Pele (Harris Hawk) and Corrie (European Eagle Owl) are now back flying. This week I will probably stop flying Mardy (Harris Hawk) and I will hopefully have Oran (Harris Hawk) back flying the week after. As you can see the team is rotating. I would say by the end of this month there may be another 2 or 3 birds dropped from the flying team as we prepare for the winter schedule.

I always feel this is a time for reflection of the last summer season. At times it was crazy - getting up at 3.45am to get ready for a event or doing 15 hour days where I seem to be getting by on caffeine and sugar (not recommended). On the whole it has been very satisfying season. Looking at how events have gone, watching the birds fly in certain situations knowing that when I step out in the main ring of an event and at least 500 people are standing watching me I know that all the hard work and training that has gone on before hand is going to come good. I know that the birds I have selected for that event are not going to let me down. Don't get me wrong we have had the odd thing thing not go to plan but nothing major. I haven't had to go and look for a bird this summer. That alone is a great thing but when that little moment of unexpected brilliance on the birds part happens it is fantastic. To give you an example. Uist (Lugger Falcon) was flying at the Bruce Festival in Dunfermline. A few seagulls had been swooping overhead when Brel (Harris Hawk) had been flying but nothing that full on. Brel finished and it was Uist's turn . I got him ready and cast him off  he circled the arena to get his bearings and 2 sea gulls came into give him a hard time. They chased him about the venue, taking it in turns to swoop at him. He had to twist and turn flying in between the trees to try and shake them off which he did. I was watching helpless thinking I am going to have to go and look for him as the gulls chased him further away from where I was standing. I was getting ready to reach for the receiver to track him down when he managed to shake off the gulls, came flying back across the main arena and carried on with the flying display like nothing had happened.

Looking back it has been a good summer apart from the weather. There could of been an improvement on that front but I guess that is out with my control.

Some of the birds really stood out this summer. Lobey (Turkmanian Eagle Owl) over August was on great form on some days doing 2 booking in a day. He turned 10 this year. It doesn't feel like over10 years since I went into the aviary and took him out of the nest at 12 days old. I am glad he is getting a well earned break at the moment. Alba (Barn Owl) always reliable. Brel (Harris Hawk) for simply being Brel. When that big event comes round and I know I need a bird to fly who won't mess around or be spooked by anything it has to be Brel. Bob (Gyr x Saker) for the way he continues to develop into a demonstration falcon. This was the falcon that when I got him over 2 years ago was always baiting and crashing about his pen just because some one stopped to look at him. He finished this summer flying at the Bruce Festival in Dunfermline

While things are slowing down for the winter it has not stopped. The last 2 weeks have not been that busy but kicking off tomorrow things pick up again for the next 10 days with 5 large events at different venues around Scotland not to mention 11 bookings at Cameron House and at the centre as well.

I suppose the big stand out this summer was the fact that I tried to get the message out there that birds of prey are not for stroking and or giving money to those people who think it is ok to stand there and charge to have your photo taken holding a bird of prey. One event organiser even said I was running a campaign and could everyone please support it which was great to hear. Hopefully some people at the events took on board what I had to say about this subject

I will finish up there and I will try not to leave it 3 months until my next entry on the blog.

1106

Over 1000 views

I'm a little taken a back. I checked the counter before I started this entry to my blog and I see that it is showing that Strathblane Falconry's blog has been viewed 1012 times since we started keeping a count. I know we started the counter after the blog had started so the number should be higher. I have been doing the blog for 2 years now and while I don't know how many times it has been viewed it is great to know that it is being read and it is over a 1000.

I was given a bit of good news that other day concerning an enquiry we had for a event in August. An e mail came through from  a gentleman asking if I could do a static display at a event he was organising and he mentioned in his e mail that he had read my blog (always good to hear) and that he agreed with my views on certain types of work with birds of prey - namely the way certain people seem to think it is ok to stand somewhere and charge for photographs while people hug/stroke the birds and why it is wrong. I like to think that is why I got the booking.

 I mentioned my views on this subject in my last  blog entry and I am going to mention it again. As I said it is something I feel strongly about. I feel it is just pure cruelty. When I see pictures of birds of prey tethered for hours on end on concrete/ paving slabs with no access to water in some street/shopping centre with donation buckets scattered about for members of the public to make donations for the up keep of the birds (that in my opinion is begging and these groups are not charities) and charging for photographs, I find it really upsetting. there is no honour or skill in what is being done. There is no concern for the birds welfare in my opinion.

I admit I make a living from birds of prey and I could make an even better living if I stopped flying my birds got a pitch somewhere or trailed around the local gala days charging for photographs but I have always said NO to this type of work and I will continue to say NO to this type of work in the future. Getting to work with birds of prey everyday is an honour and I know how lucky I am to be able to do it. For me it is being about them, interacting with them and working with them. It is about flying be it Jerry my Tawny Owl flying perch to glove and back again or 1 of the Harris Hawks following on through the trees working with me like I am part of his pack if he was in the wild or watching 1 of the falcons getting ready to make a pass at the lure. That is where the magic is not standing somewhere charging a few £££ for a picture holding a bird. I know I have missed on jobs because I won't stand and charge for photos but if that is the price for giving a damn then so be it.

I would like to point out that I do allow people who come out on sessions or who see me at events with the birds to take photos. The difference is that the bird is being flown for a food reward or is sitting on a perch and does not care about the camera. There is a massive difference between taking a photo of a bird flying to the glove for a food reward or sitting quietly on a perch with members of the public staying a respectable distance and the poor birds that are taken off their perches placed on a glove for someone to get a photo with it to then be placed back on the perch to maybe picked up a few minutes later for the whole process to happen again.

While I love the interaction with the birds I know there are limits to the relationship. I view the relationship between me and the birds as a business or working relationship. There are limits. Ultimately the birds are still wild in their minds and this means you can't just take liberties with them and stroking them is taking liberties. They are not social so they don't enjoy being touched or stroked. They deal with me because they trust me up to a point and I have food for them. This limitation in the relationship is part of the attraction. I never expect any loyalty or affection from my birds.

I said when I first started doing the blog that I wasn't going to use it as a soap box and after 2 years I guess I have kicked that rule into touch with this entry in the blog. Oh well.

Anyway back to what has been happening at Strathblane Falconry.

Things have been steady. I would say that is the best way to describe it. I suspect the weather has something to do with that. Today was the longest day of the year and it rained most of the day. I had to cancel today's booking because of it. So much for summer.

When the weather has been dry things have been busy with a few interesting events. In my last blog entry I mentioned we were going back to Kelvingrove Art Gallery. The event went well and there was a lot of interest. The flying display was interesting due to the local crows and magpies not being to happy to see Brel (Harris Hawk) flying about and they had plenty to say about it.

Myself and Brel (Harris Hawk) doing pest control at a well known venue in Glasgow

Sanda (Lanner Falcon) on a photo shoot

Myself and Bob (Gyr x Saker) at Kelvingrove Art gallery

Myself and Artemis (Steppe Eagle) at Mount Stewart in the rain

Myself and Bob (Gyr x Saker) doing a historical talk

As you can see never a dull day in the day to day running of a bird of prey centre.

The other big news is that Cooper (Harris Hawk) who has been flying really well over at Cameron House and I mentioned in my last blog entry that he had been flying with real purpose and intent. So much purpose and intent that he took 3 rabbits in 1 week in the grounds of Cameron House. We are normally lucky if the birds catch something every 5 weeks on average. So to take 3 rabbits in 1 week was a bit unusual and I didn't have a camera with me for any of them.  Coopers form has been halted for the moment due to the fact he needed to have a operation on 1 of his toes which had been cut and become infected. The operation was a success and he should be flying after the weekend again after having 3 weeks rest for it to heal.

On a hunting front I feel I should mention Brel (Harris Hawk). As I mentioned earlier I have been doing a bit of pest control work this month and I decided to use Brel for it for the simple reason I only wanted to scare the pigeons.That was the plan and on the first night that is what happened . On the second night Brel had other ideas - he caught a pigeon. After that there were a few close calls for the pigeons as he tried to catch them. Even though I don't use him for hunting and never have if the opportunity presents itself the boy is straight in there. I have to admit that while I don't want him for hunting I was cheering him on when he was chasing a flock of pigeons.

Well I have been a bit slow with updating the blog this month and it is almost the end of the month of June. The coming weeks are looking ok with several large events in the next 2 weeks to think about which is great. Hopefully the weather will improve as it makes such a difference. I will try and update the blog a bit quicker next month.

1012

It's official

Well it's official. I received a copy of the Government Vet's report for the inspection of Strathblane Falconry and the centre passed and has it's zoo licence for the next 6 years.

Even though the centre is not technically a zoo in the fact that I don't have set opening times. The centre is open by appointment but if I am there and the gate is open people are welcome to come in and look at the birds and ask questions. It is because people are welcome to come in and have a look that I have been advised that I need a Zoo Licence.

The one thing I will say is that I am happy that I do have a Zoo Licence. I feel it gives Strathblane Falconry a level of respectability. It shows what I do is regulated. That there are requirements that I need to meet and standards that I need to maintain. It confirms that the level of care that I provide for the birds is correct. At the end of the day I have nothing to hide.

Talking of levels of care. I was given a little bit of good news. One thing that I have always said no to is standing somewhere and charging for photos. We have all seen them. Some guy standing there with a few birds (mainly owls) charging people to have there picture taken with it and they normally have a few donation buckets sitting there as well so the public can seemingly donate for the up keep of the birds. I have my own suspicions as to where this tax free income goes and I suspect it is not to the birds. I have seen pictures/videos of this type of set up and I can normally tell most of the birds if not all of them are showing signs of stress just by looking at the birds body language. This is because the birds know they are not going to be given time to settle. They are constantly going to be picked up and stroaked which they get no pleasure from. All they know is that there feathers are going to be damaged by people touching them. I always find it upsetting and annoying that people treat birds of prey in such a way. There is no dignity or honour in this type of work. There is no respect shown to the bird. When I am out doing an event I am keen to speak to people and explain why I don't allow people to stroke / touch my birds. I also point out how my birds are displaying signs of natural behaviour be it preening, standing with 1 foot tucked up or as tends to happen with Corrie my European Eagle Owl - falling a sleep. He has a habit of doing that at events. The birds welfare is always the most important thing and I am sorry but if you are subjecting birds of prey to used for hours on end as a photo prop then you don't give a damn for the birds welfare. That's my little rant over. I said at the start of keeping a blog that I wouldn't use it as a soap box but this is a subject I feel very strongly about.

Well the good news that got me started onthis topic is the powers that be are looking to regulate this type of work. Especially as some these so called companies work out of back gardens and are not open to the public so they don't need a Zoo Licence. So basically no one is checking up on there level of care, the systems in place for the birds up keep and the standard of care provided. Birds could be kept in boxes over night, not flown or allowed to exhibit signs of natural behaviour. I hope that legislation is passed quickly and maybe some of these companies can smarten up and improve their standards. Fingers crossed but I doubt anything will happen soon but if they are looking into it hopefully something will happen.

Now to what has been going on in Strathblane Falconry.

Life in the centre is busy at the moment as it always is at this time of the year. The flying team is always changing. There are 13 out of 20 birds in the centre who I am currently working with at the moment. Luca (Northern Hawk Owl) has now stopped for the summer and will be allowed to moult. Sanda (Lanner Falcon) is about 2 days away from flying free. She is almost at weight to fly and I can't wait. Sanda is 1 of the originals in the fact she has been with me from the start - 10 years. A typical Lanner Falcon - a bit laid back. Maybe a bit too laid back at times but always a pleasure to be around and fly.

All the birds are flying well even Kyle (Common Buzzard) - even if it is only to me. I haven't asked him to fly to anyone else yet as I suspect the answer will be "NO" and he will fly up into a tree and take the huff. I am not sure what I am going to do with Kyle this season but it will do him good to have him flying even if it is just to me. I have been trying to get him to follow on like a Harris Hawk and I think I will introduce the dummy bunny (a rabbit lure) to him again and get him chasing that. If for nothing else my own amusement. I should point out Kyle is your typical Common Buzzard - stubborn, lazy difficult but if you put the time in he will fly and is ok. Just don't expect anything too spectacular. One thing I will say for him is over the years I have learnt a lot from him

 There are 2 birds who do stand out at the moment. Cooper our young Harris Hawk. I am using him a lot over at Cameron House at the moment and he is flying well. It is great to watch him working/flying through the thick woodland behind the hotel. Saying that there have been time when he hasn't been flying through the woodland it's been more crashing through or crashing in. He caught his 2nd rabbit the other day - once again crashing into a big patch of brambles to catch the rabbit. He definitely is flying with real purpose, determination and a little bit of menace.

The other bird who stands out is Bob (Gyr x Saker). I can see real improvement in our working relationship and in what I want him to do. When I first got him I didn't enjoy working with him. It was a real challenge. This may of had something to do with the fact he spent most of his first 4 years with his previous owner sitting on a block not being flown. Now though when I go to pick him up I am looking forward to it. He will always have his crazy moments round the centre and he also has his crazy moments when flying which have had me diving out the way on a few a occasions.

We had 1 the other week. Bob was flying in a display at a agricultural show. It was all going well. The condition were good - dry and sunny with a bit of wind. Interesting conditions to fly a falcon in. Bob looked like he was going to fly over me and at last minute he flipped and did a small vertical straight at me as I was swinging the lure which I wasn't expecting. All I remember is ducking out the way and the crowd laughing at me. He wasn't even that high I would say he was lucky if he was 20 ft above me when he pulled this manoeuvre. At the end of the day all he was trying to do was catch me out so fair play to him.

As well as the agricultural show we were down a Traquair House in the Scottish Borders. A beautiful part of the country to do a demonstration for a group from South Africa. The birds flew well. Brel (Harris Hawk) once again was the stand out bird for ignoring the tempting distraction of chickens that were in near by runs.

This weekend though I have a talk and flying demonstration at Kelvingrove Art Gallery. It is tough venue as it is in the middle of Glasgow so there are lots of things that need to be considered. I am limited in what birds I can fly. There will only be 2 birds flying - Alba (Barn Owl) and Brel (Harris Hawk). We were there a few years ago doing demonstrations and it all went well so I am hoping things are the same this time round.

Well it's time to finish up this blog entry.. Thank you for taking the time to read it.

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