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.

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