Good Bye Dylan

Yesterday evening Dylan (Barn Owl) was put to sleep. I finally took the decision to have him put to sleep after speaking to Jo about it. Dylan has been struggling for quite a while with his eyesight. We had stopped him flying to people last year as he was struggling to land on peoples' glove when asked to fly. He has also been struggling to find food that is put in the aviary for him and he was starting to show signs that he couldn't see where the perches were in his aviary. I decided to end it as it wouldn't be fair to drag it out right to the bitter end where he would almost be blind. I didn't want to remember him like that. I wanted to remember him as the Barn Owl who would do big laps of the front field every so often, who once went after a Jackdaw, at school visits he would just fly about games halls and as a strong member of the flying team who could be relied upon to fly no matter where we were.

I had Dylan since he was 19 days old and he died 4 days before his 9th birthday. He was with me near enough his whole life and that was the way it was meant to be as far as I am concerned. Unfortunately that life has been cut short by incredible bad luck with him getting pigmentation of the retinas and slowly loosing his eyesight. He was not old at 9, if anything he was probably only middle aged for a captive Barn Owl. He was one of the original birds of Strathblane Falconry in the fact I got him when I first started. He worked hard and more than earned his keep. He may be gone but he won't be forgotten and will be dearly missed. RIP Dylan.

Dylan the Barn Owl in action

Life in the centre has been busy since my last post. In the last 10 days I have had the centre's 6 monthly vet inspection, 3 hawk walks at Cameron House, 3 corporate events, 1 highland games, 2 school visits and a scout group visited the centre. Plus 2  vet students from Glasgow University on EMS placement. On the whole it has been quite busy. We should of been busier in the fact that a further 2 bookings were cancelled due to the rain.

The highland games was hard going in the fact that I had too leave the centre at 6am to get up to Gordon Castle for 10am to set up and get ready for the event opening at 11am and finishing at 4pm with 2 flying demonstrations at it. I got home at 11pm after being up since 3.30am. The event itself was great fun with all the birds behaving and the flying displays going well. Uist (Lugger Falcon) was in good form as was Brel (Harris Hawk).

Pele (Harris Hawk) has not been at his best recently while flying at Cameron House but he was back to his best last Friday in the woods behind the hotel. He was flying with real purpose and determination. In other words a joy to fly. He was flying so well he took a gray squirrel out of a tree and landed on the ground with it. While it is not the hunting season, I always respect the seasons and I will always try and release what the bird catches at this time of year - gray squirrels are the exception. If I let the squirrel go I will be technically breaking the law as I would be releasing a non native invasive species into the the wild. For this reason I will always kill a gray squirrel. It is also safer for the bird and me as well - kill it quickly less chance of getting bitten. While Pele was looking good Mardy was copying Oran his brother. I was flying  Mardy on the front lawn when he crashed into a bush and came out holding on to a very angry goose. In the 5 years that I have flown Mardy at Cameron House he has never pulled a stunt like that before. Sure he chases all sorts but he has always blanked the geese. Just shows you you never know what may happen. You may think you know but at the end of the day if the bird thinks it can take it then it is game on.

Bella the baby Barn Owl is slowly progressing and seems to be taking her time. She has been preening a lot and is loosing her down feathers with the adult feathers coming through. She hasn't shown any sign of wanting to fly as yet and is still coming home with me. I keep on saying in the coming week she will be left up at the centre but that hasn't happened yet as she hasn't shown any sign that she is ready for that.

The coming week is busy in the fact that we are doing a static at the Drymen Show on Saturday. This is the local agricultural show.  We did it last year and it was good fun and it is a great day out. Sunday will be spent in the centre doing bookings which will be a welcome break from being out on the road doing events.

After the weekend it will be quiet though for the birds but not for me. I have bought a house with Jo so next week will be spent moving house so I need to focus on that and deal with the real world to get things sorted with that. For the birds it will be a chance to relax with a lot of quail, rat, pigeon, mice and venison getting used on Sunday to feed the birds. A little bit of down time for them.

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