Getting ready

Three weeks since my last post. The time just flies these days.

Starting with a bit of good news. Corrie (European Eagle Owl) who in my lost blog entry I was talking about how he got lead poisoning the previous month. Well it looks like he has made a full recovery. He is moulting at the moment. I am picking up handfuls a feathers that he is moulting out everyday when I go in and clean his aviary. The fact that he seems to be having a good moult should be a sign that he is feeling good with himself and he has recovered. He is also more like his usual self which is great to see.

Things have been busy either with bookings or just working with the birds. At times it has been interesting trying to get everything done. I work on my own mainly. There are benefits to working on your own and there are disadvantages. First up the benefits - everything gets done the way I like it and I don't have to sit down and discuss what is going to happen with anyone. The down side is there is no one to answer the phone if I can't get to it and there is no one to delegate to which would of been handy at times. Saying that I have been working on my own now for 10 years and I have managed so far.

Most of the bookings booking I have been doing recently have been fairly routine things - activity days or hawk walks at the centre or over at Cameron House. Two bookings do stand out though. The first was a ring delivery that I did flying Alba (Barn Owl) at a wedding at a local hotel. Alba was a star. She flew straight down the aisle landed on the grooms glove, I took Alba off the the grooms glove and removed the pouch that the rings were in and handed it to the best man. Congratulations Stewart and Suzie the happy couple. I haven't done a lot of ring deliveries at weddings so it was all a bit new for me and Alba but I was quietly confident that there wouldn't be any problems for the simple reason - it was Alba who was flying.

The other booking that sticks out was a visit to secure unit for young people. I have done a few of these and it is always a bit of a wake up call visiting a place like that. The young people are no problem but I always come away and realise how lucky I have been. I did 3 talks and I try and make the sessions as hands on as possible to allow the kids (teenagers) to be more involved. Most are interested and are happy for the birds to fly to them, others are a bit worried  and some are really enthusiastic and happy to be involved. There is only so much I can do and show in these sessions due to the location and the fact that the talks happen in doors. I took 4 birds - Taz (Kestrel) for handling, Uist (Lugger Falcon) to talk about the hood and why we hood birds, Alba (Barn Owl) and Lobey (Turkmanian Eagle Owl) for flying. All the birds did well.

As I said earlier the other bookings have all been routine stuff but 2 do stand out and both involved Cooper (Harris Hawk). In my last blog entry I mention how I misplaced Cooper on a hawk walk at Cameron House due to me going to slow and him flying off ahead and following some other people. Well the next day I was back over at Cameron House flying Cooper and I managed to misplace him again. This time it was not because I went to slow, it was more to do with the fact that he saw something he thought he could catch - a wood pigeon. Out came the receiver for the telemetry (all my birds wear a transmitter when flying free) and I quickly tracked him down at the other end of the hotel. Once again as soon as he saw me he was straight on to the glove when called. I think it is only a matter of time before Cooper catches something. He crashed into some bushes today Cameron House trying to catch a rabbit. He also made a half hearted attempt to catch a goose but thought better of it thankfully.

A lot of what I have been doing over the last week in between bookings has been getting ready for the first big show of the year. For the last 2 years and again this year it is the Glasgow Vet School Rodeo. I have been busy flying birds getting them up to a descent level of fitness so that they will fly well on the day. Over the last 5 weeks I have been working with Brel (Harris Hawk). It has nothing to do with his ability, with Brel it is down to plain and simple fitness. After spending almost 6 months out he was really unfit so it has been just a case of flying him and building him up again. After 5 weeks of being flown for 20-30mins almost everyday for the last 5 weeks he is looking good and should be in good form for the flying displays at the rodeo. When I do these large events or any event for that matter it is not just about picking up a bird and letting it go and hopefully it will fly ok. I always try and make sure I have the birds in good form, flying well so when it comes to show time and doing the  flying display I can let them go I know that they are going to fly and come back and not fly to the nearest tree and sit. It may sound hard to believe but I am thinking about and preparing for displays that are weeks ahead. Thinking what I need  to get ready, looking at how the bird is flying, putting together a team, who I  think will be best, which bird will be flying the strongest for that event. This all starts weeks in advance. Now the Rodeo is upon me. It is happening this weekend and the next 2 days will be spent getting things ready. Some of the birds who are flying at the Rodeo will fly tomorrow and then get Friday off. The day before a big show I always try and rest the flying team. Feed them in the morning so that they are all hungry a willing to fly the next day. Saying that while the flying team get a day off to relax I will be flat out. I will spend Friday getting things ready for the next day and I am full booked with bookings at Cameron House in the afternoon. Then on Saturday it is show time. Time to see if the preparations I have done has all been worth while and the birds fly well. Don't get me wrong it can still go wrong, things happen that can be out with my control but I will always do my best to have my birds in the best condition for a flying display.

While putting everything together for the Rodeo I have also need to go and do the food run for the birds tomorrow. Something that needs to be done every 3-4 months. Tomorrows order to feed the birds for next 3-4 months will include day old cockerel chicks, quail, rat (I am running low on squirrel and not sure when I will get some more), mice and duck neck. I always try and give my birds a good selection of food.

Time to finish up this entry. Up early and it will be a long day between getting ready for the Rodeo and collecting bird food.

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