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October 2008

True to form, the school holidays ended and then summer arrived!

As a result visitor numbers through September were pretty good. Experience days and Owls by Moonlight evenings are all but sold out for the remainder of the year.

The study centre build is now complete, with the catering and toilet facilities being used daily by conference and experience day guests, and now the lift is installed.

This is now a superb facility for corporate entertaining and was officially launched for this purpose during an event held at the end of September. Details of this event will doubtless appear in a future issue.

A new aviary has been constructed in the corner of the woodland flying arena, it is a double affair and now houses two of our owls, Chestnut the Tawny Owl and one of the new birds that was hatched at the Trust this year, Little John the Northern Hawk Owl.

Talking of new birds, in this month's Accipiter Mike Riley tells us about the rest of the babies that have arrived in the On the Park section. Mike has also been training the Trust’s Merlin, a beautiful little bird that is not a youngster, but will hopefully be a new addition to the flying team for the future.

Also this month, Jack Daubney writes in the Helping Hands section about some of his fonder moments at the Trust since becoming a volunteer. Mike Wallis gives his usual rundown of the happenings in the ever busy hospital and Tracey brings us up to date with recent news in and around the Trust. Meanwhile in Meadow Muses, Monica and Brigid talk about the changes in autumn as well as introducing us to some scary beasts that seem more in keeping with a Halloween theme than the beautiful pastoral scene that is Reg’s wildflower meadow.

Lou Richie, Editor

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