Well autumn is here. The sun may of shone today and it was very warm but it is safe to say autumn is here. the trees are loosing their leaves fast. It seems to be faster this year than previous but then again as I have said this summer has been rubbish with gales in May, raining most of June, July and August with the tail end of a hurricane in September with lots more rain. Some summer. They are talking about an Indian Summer - I won't hold my breath. Any way enough moaning about the weather.
Time to talk about what has been happening in the centre. The answer is quite a lot since my last entry.
I eventually managed to collect the new Harris Hawk. I have decided to carry on the theme of naming the Harris Hawks after pubs in the West End of Glasgow by naming it Cooper after Coopers which is on Great Western Road. Cooper's training is progressing slowly. I don't like to rush the training so I have been taking the first 10 days or so very easy. The first part is all about getting him used to me and people in general so he has been coming home with me so I can spend some time with him sitting on the glove and he was eating fairly quickly when on the glove. Now that he is standing on the glove confidently I have changed the routine. I have now started walking him round the grounds of the hotel while offering him food to get him used to moving about on the glove. He doesn't seem to impressed with the new routine as he hasn't eaten anything since I started this yesterday but all I can do is offer him food. It is up to him to eat. He already knows how to eat off the glove so he will eat when he is ready. Now he has got to do it while I am walking. At this early stage I try to always feed him off the glove.
He has made quite a bit of progress already. He will stand on the glove, eat off the glove if I sit still, he is getting better at getting weighed and will stand on his bow perch. He is also alot more confident in his pen and out on the front lawn when people walk past him.
The rest of the birds are doing ok. The flying team has been cut back a bit in that as the diary quietens down the team is reduced. Taz (Kestrel) is now in moult (dropping out old feathers and growing in new ones). At the moment he is growing in a whole new tail. Alba (Barn Owl) is also being allowed to moult as Bella the new Barn Owl has been flying very well. I felt Bella was now flying at a standard where I could rely on her. Mardy (Harris Hawk) has also been allowed to start his moult and boy does he need it. He is looking a bit of a mess. I also took the decision to stop flying Bob (Gyr x Saker) yesterday. He has been moulting feathers even though I have been flying him. He was making good progress with his flying to the lure and I am looking forward to flying him next year but he is looking a bit scruffy now so a bit of a moult will be good for him.
While some birds are being a bit of a break after working hard all summer it is time to start working with birds who have been moulting over the summer. Pele (Harris Hawk) flew free today for the first time in 4 months. I just asked him to fly from perch to glove but he did it and was no problem. It will be now a case of building up his fitness. Pele is a great bird to work with. He is 9 years old. One of the original team and the oldest Harris Hawk in the centre. He is also not related to the other 4 Harris Hawks who are all related to each other in some way or another. He tends to be a bit calmer and a bit more calculated than the others. He is normally quite a reliable bird who does all sorts of events for me in the fact that he will do corporate work, small demonstrations, activity days, hawk walks and hunting days.
On the work front things have been up and down. Saying that I have been busy. I have been getting back into the routine of working on my own again after spending the summer having various vet students out helping me so they can learn a little about birds of prey. A big thank you to all the students who came out over the summer to learn and help out in Strathblane Falconry.
There have been a few bookings in the centre and over at Cameron House but 1 does stand out. We were asked to take a team of birds to Bellahouston Park for the BBC Deadly 60 road show (Deadly Day Out). It was a great event to be involved with. It was a long day though. I started at 5am in the centre opening up and loading up cars. I think I finished up at 7pm. So a long day. The only down side was the rain came on in the afternoon. I had 11 birds at it with myself and 3 other people helping me. Guil and Gail were out and about in the crowds with falcons talking to the public while myself and Jo were on the stand where we had the birds sitting out. We talking about how the birds fly, owl pellets and why you shouldn't touch a bird of prey. It was a great opportunity to tell people why they shouldn't stroke birds of prey. On the whole a good day. A big thank you to Jo, Gail and Guil for all their help at this event.
I was also able to go and collect the squirrels which had been culled. I think I got about 50 and I have filled a freezer with then. The birds have been loving them. The eagle, the eagle owls, the buzzard, the Harris Hawks, the flacons have all been eating squirrel. Even Taz (Kestrel) has been eating it. It is good eating for the birds as it is quite a rich meat with no fat. I always try and provide a variety of foods for the birds when I can. I feel there are other benefits other than nutritional. The birds always seem alot more excited when given something other than day old chicks. I like to see it as enrichment for them be it a deers head for Artemis or a mouse for Alba.
The coming weeks are bit quiet at the moment but I am expecting that to change when the October school holidays start. Saying that I am not complaining as it will give me a bit more time to work with Cooper.
595
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Rubbish weather
It's been a while. It's been a month since I last updated my blog. The first part of August may of been a bit slow with bookings the second part of August just flew by. Where to start?
The weather that is where I will start. This summer has been the pits. In August I got to the point where I stopped hoping for the sun to shine and I just hoped it would stay dry each day and even that was to much to hope for on a lot of days. I know that this is Scotland and I know that it will rain at some point over a summer and that there is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothing but this summer even by Scottish standards has been rubbish. I have spent to whole summer keeping a waterproof jacket close by and I even found myself thinking at the end of August that maybe I should of had thermals on while doing a highland games at Hopetoun House. That's bad! So far September hasn't been much better with talk of the tail end of a hurricane coming into tomorrow and 3 days of rain. Oh great.
On the booking front there has been some good bookings. As mentioned we were back at Hopetoun House for our 4th visit this summer. It has been very much a regular venue for us this summer and what a venue. This time we were back for a highland games. Unfortunately it was a bitterly cold day with gusting winds. This meant that there wasn't a huge number of people attending. Saying that we got a good crowd for our displays and the birds flew well but it was a long day due to the weather.
We were also back at Inveraray Castle for a demonstration for a group visiting the castle. I have said it before but Inveraray Castle is 1 of the most beautiful venues that I get to visit. The timings for the event were thrown into disarray due to the group having to take a detour in getting to the castle due to a traffic accident and the road being closed but they made it and we were able to do the demonstration. The best part was that it has been one of the rare days that the sun has shone this summer.
This weekend we had an event at Lennoxlove House where we were doing a display a group who were having a wedding there. All the birds flew well apart from Sanda who went a landed in a courtyard and became a bit dis-orientated and I had to go and look for her. I found her a short time later and she jumped straight to the glove when she saw me - so it all ended well.
While I have listed 4 of the larger events that we have been doing over the last month there have been many more smaller bookings with up to 4 bookings in a day on some days.
There is another very large high profile booking coming up. At the moment I am not sure if I can say anything but I should know by tomorrow morning as I have a meeting with someone tomorrow about it. It will be happening in the next few weeks. Watch this space.
Now to the birds and how they are getting on. First up Lobey (Turkmanian Eagle Owl). I finished my last blog entry talking about Lobey and saying how he was almost ready to start flying again. Well about 2 days after that entry Lobey was back and flying in bookings so Duffy (Bengal Eagle Owl) is now on a well deserved break and being a typical Bengal Eagle Owl by being a bit grumpy.
Bella the new Barn owl is progressing well and has been flying well in bookings at the centre and at Cameron House. She has really come on leaps and bounds in the last few weeks and is proving to be a lot more reliable.
On the down side I was hoping to have my new Harris Hawk by now as I was meant to go and collect it last Thursday but everything was thrown into to disarray by Oran (Harris Hawk) on Wednesday. I was out flying him with a friend on Wednesday evening and he was playing up. I am not sure why. We were somewhere new but that shouldn't bother him as it has never done so in the past. There was also some heavy showers about and we did get caught in 1 so maybe he just got wet and decided no I'm not playing. Like I said I don't what his problem was. He is normally very reliable so i was really quite disappointed by what was happening. In the end I couldn't get him back and I had to leave him where he was that night.
How wrong was I. Everything was going great right up to the point where Oran was meant to fly to my glove at first light. First light came and Oran flew off and that was the start of a 5 1/2 hour chase through a wood with some of the thickest most overgrown vegetation that I have have ever had to deal with. I had to walk along streams because in place that was the only way through, walk through nettles and brambles that were waist high and I even got bitten by a dog - thankfully it was only a Labrador and I was wearing gaiters so it didn't hurt. When I got him back I was exhausted. It was hard going being only able to follow him as he wouldn't come back to me. All I could do was keep up with him and hope I got a chance to try and catch him - which I did and I took my chance when he swooped down trying to catch something and missed. He flew back up in to a tree but landed on a low branch so I was able to throw food attached to the creance (long line) up at him to get his attention and try and get him to come towards me, which he did. All I can say is thank goodness for the Marshalls Telemetry transmitter that he was wearing and the receiver I was using.
I had to cancel collecting the new Harris Hawk but I should be getting him this week.
Also this coming week I am meeting someone who can supply me with gray squirrels as bird food. They have been trapped to try and stop the spread of them and they want to use them rather than just throw them away. I had a quick chat with the guy and told him that I have a Steppe Eagle and 3 Eagle owls who all love to eat squirrel. They will be say for my birds to eat as they have been trapped and killed by being shot in the head with an air rifle.
Talking of squirrels. I had to use Brel (Harris Hawk) for a hawk walk at Cameron House the other day as Oran was grounded as I had to go and catch him the day before after he flew off. Brel hasn't done a hawk walk at Cameron House for a few years as all I really use him for now is display work. Well we were out flying him and he was looking good when he saw a gray squirrel and he was after it in a shot. It just goes to show you that even though he has never been taken hunting and has only ever caught 1 mouse in the 7 years I have had him he still has the instinct to hunt. It can never be taken out of them. He came very close to catching it.
567
The weather that is where I will start. This summer has been the pits. In August I got to the point where I stopped hoping for the sun to shine and I just hoped it would stay dry each day and even that was to much to hope for on a lot of days. I know that this is Scotland and I know that it will rain at some point over a summer and that there is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothing but this summer even by Scottish standards has been rubbish. I have spent to whole summer keeping a waterproof jacket close by and I even found myself thinking at the end of August that maybe I should of had thermals on while doing a highland games at Hopetoun House. That's bad! So far September hasn't been much better with talk of the tail end of a hurricane coming into tomorrow and 3 days of rain. Oh great.
On the booking front there has been some good bookings. As mentioned we were back at Hopetoun House for our 4th visit this summer. It has been very much a regular venue for us this summer and what a venue. This time we were back for a highland games. Unfortunately it was a bitterly cold day with gusting winds. This meant that there wasn't a huge number of people attending. Saying that we got a good crowd for our displays and the birds flew well but it was a long day due to the weather.
We were also back at Inveraray Castle for a demonstration for a group visiting the castle. I have said it before but Inveraray Castle is 1 of the most beautiful venues that I get to visit. The timings for the event were thrown into disarray due to the group having to take a detour in getting to the castle due to a traffic accident and the road being closed but they made it and we were able to do the demonstration. The best part was that it has been one of the rare days that the sun has shone this summer.
 |
| The display team sitting out waiting to start at Inveraray Castle |
 |
| Midge (White Faced Scops Owl) at Inveraray Castle |
 |
| Sanda (Lanner Falcon) at Lennoxlove House |
There is another very large high profile booking coming up. At the moment I am not sure if I can say anything but I should know by tomorrow morning as I have a meeting with someone tomorrow about it. It will be happening in the next few weeks. Watch this space.
Now to the birds and how they are getting on. First up Lobey (Turkmanian Eagle Owl). I finished my last blog entry talking about Lobey and saying how he was almost ready to start flying again. Well about 2 days after that entry Lobey was back and flying in bookings so Duffy (Bengal Eagle Owl) is now on a well deserved break and being a typical Bengal Eagle Owl by being a bit grumpy.
Bella the new Barn owl is progressing well and has been flying well in bookings at the centre and at Cameron House. She has really come on leaps and bounds in the last few weeks and is proving to be a lot more reliable.
On the down side I was hoping to have my new Harris Hawk by now as I was meant to go and collect it last Thursday but everything was thrown into to disarray by Oran (Harris Hawk) on Wednesday. I was out flying him with a friend on Wednesday evening and he was playing up. I am not sure why. We were somewhere new but that shouldn't bother him as it has never done so in the past. There was also some heavy showers about and we did get caught in 1 so maybe he just got wet and decided no I'm not playing. Like I said I don't what his problem was. He is normally very reliable so i was really quite disappointed by what was happening. In the end I couldn't get him back and I had to leave him where he was that night.
How wrong was I. Everything was going great right up to the point where Oran was meant to fly to my glove at first light. First light came and Oran flew off and that was the start of a 5 1/2 hour chase through a wood with some of the thickest most overgrown vegetation that I have have ever had to deal with. I had to walk along streams because in place that was the only way through, walk through nettles and brambles that were waist high and I even got bitten by a dog - thankfully it was only a Labrador and I was wearing gaiters so it didn't hurt. When I got him back I was exhausted. It was hard going being only able to follow him as he wouldn't come back to me. All I could do was keep up with him and hope I got a chance to try and catch him - which I did and I took my chance when he swooped down trying to catch something and missed. He flew back up in to a tree but landed on a low branch so I was able to throw food attached to the creance (long line) up at him to get his attention and try and get him to come towards me, which he did. All I can say is thank goodness for the Marshalls Telemetry transmitter that he was wearing and the receiver I was using.
I had to cancel collecting the new Harris Hawk but I should be getting him this week.
Also this coming week I am meeting someone who can supply me with gray squirrels as bird food. They have been trapped to try and stop the spread of them and they want to use them rather than just throw them away. I had a quick chat with the guy and told him that I have a Steppe Eagle and 3 Eagle owls who all love to eat squirrel. They will be say for my birds to eat as they have been trapped and killed by being shot in the head with an air rifle.
Talking of squirrels. I had to use Brel (Harris Hawk) for a hawk walk at Cameron House the other day as Oran was grounded as I had to go and catch him the day before after he flew off. Brel hasn't done a hawk walk at Cameron House for a few years as all I really use him for now is display work. Well we were out flying him and he was looking good when he saw a gray squirrel and he was after it in a shot. It just goes to show you that even though he has never been taken hunting and has only ever caught 1 mouse in the 7 years I have had him he still has the instinct to hunt. It can never be taken out of them. He came very close to catching it.
567
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