The Top section will be unrecognisable to you next year. Only six aviaries will be relatively physically unchanged but half of these will have new residents.

This will be mainly due to the woodland area by the pond being utilised as our new display area for all types of woodland birds. Some of the aviaries around this area will home the display birds, as we hope to fly most of them straight out of their aviaries. Your old favourites will still be there like Chestnut, Tolkien and Achilles, as well as a few new young birds.

We have been trailing this idea over the last few weeks before we closed. We had a very positive response from most of the audiences. So we will be landscaping the area to provide the birds with better perching and for us to show a more natural display. New seating will be created to fit in with this beautiful setting. You must come next year and watch this display, at 3.30, develop and create its own atmosphere, just as the valley of the eagles has done.

Clive's aviaries - gone!

As I write, mass destruction is going on in the section. Most of the birds have been re- homed temporarily elsewhere around the park. Already 10 aviaries have been demolished. See, we do work hard when the park is closed! This has been greatly entertaining, as the younger members of staff have really been enjoying themselves with hammers, cutters and mainly sledgehammers. I must report all are still alive, even Jimmy (more from luck than judgement). All was very closely watched over by Ashley, a little for staff safety reasons but mostly to ensure no tree or plant was unnecessarily damaged.

Get me down! Jimmy on the roof

You may ask … Why the loss of so many aviaries? Well these are to be replaced by 3 large aviaries; one to house the impressive Steller’s Fish Eagles we have recently acquired. The pair are still very young but hopefully in a few years will become an active part of the breeding programme for this rare species. Our young pair of Bald Eagles (Vega & Orion) are just coming towards breeding age so they need a nice large space. Female Balds can be very dominant so the male needs to keep out of her way. The last of the large aviaries is for a mixed species enclosure (not Vultures; this is happening elsewhere). I will say no more, you will have to come and see for yourself, or read my next article.

Also 3 medium size aviaries will be in this area. We have earmarked the spaces, but the look and design will be decided when the species is finalised. We hope to complete 1 if not 2 before we open. If we have time we will demolish the chicken house and replace with two smaller aviaries.

Clive with Mugwart

Over the last few days we have been renovating the non-breeding Griffon aviary. The direction you view this aviary from has been changed. We have also opened the house and put some low perching and stumps in the ground, because today we have moved the three disabled Cinereous Vultures in with the young Griffons. We hope the changes will encourage the pair of Cinereous to breed. They did show some promising signs last year but it came to nothing.

That’s about all the section news at this time.

At the same time as all the above is going on we still have to work some of the younger birds. I am glad to say we are getting going 5 new young Harris’ Hawks. This year the theme is herbs and spices, and management came up with the obvious four names; Parsley, Dill, Rosemary and Thyme. No fifth. Ashley obviously looked in some old books and found Mugwort. Ashley called all five who were to train these birds and said we had to choose, but me being the more mature (not the old git as the others put it) could choose first. Guess what my decision was? So I am training Mugwort and this evening he has eaten out of my fist for the first time. We are beginning to form a bond but its still early days.

Hope to see you next year at the park.

Clive Chester