The Accipiter - Online magazine from The Hawk Conservancy Trust

April 2006

When I was a child my father taught me a little rhyme, which I think is in part responsible for my love of birds (and also possibly my dyslexia). It goes like this:

The spring is sprung, the grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies is.
Some say the bird is on the wing,
But that’s absurd...surely the wing is on the bird?

So, where is spring? As I write this in March, it certainly doesn’t seem to have sprung yet this year, and many at The Hawk Conservancy Trust (including the raptors) are becoming bored with winter dragging on. British Summer Time begins next week, for goodness sake!

However, the park is in full swing with our flying displays currently featuring a number of birds in training, and all of them are progressing really well. These include Goose the young Bataleur Eagle, a spectacular display by Kipling the Griffon Vulture and Mrs Simpson the Andean Condor, two young Lannerets, Wordsworth the Gymnogene, and Tolkien the Milky Eagle Owl.

Several of our breeding birds are nesting or sitting on eggs, so staff are keeping a watchful eye on certain aviaries and hoping the pitter-patter of little talons will soon be emanating from various corners of the park. The incubators in the hospital are ready for action should they be necessary.

We have been busy with a couple of college groups and our second group of Police Wildlife Crime officers on day courses. Our Owls By Torchlight evenings are popular as ever and have certainly been well attended. Now’s the time to make reservations for our autumn OBT evenings, to be held on various dates during September and October and you can book these, and other special events such as Activity Days, through our main (newly refurbished) website by clicking on ‘online bookings’ on the front page.

Sadly our very own webmaster, Keith Channing, is moving to France this month. Although we will miss seeing him at the park, he does intend continuing his invaluable work on our website and this magazine, and has been assured by France Telecom that this will be possible as his ancient stone farmhouse is due to be wired for broadband in the very near future. Fingers crossed.

Roll on spring!

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