Birds of Prey.

I think before i start this blog i should update you on the fact that Sue is now home, very sore but hopefully on the mend , thank you all for your kind words. In around 4 weeks she will be ready to be put back on the list for her "new Hip".
So to todays blog. This morning Sue was fed up sitting around so we went to look at the Christmas lights at "Fermoys" garden centre nr Iplepen, Devon, After a stroll around pushing Sue in a wheelchair, we decided to cross the road to go to the "Bird of Prey Sanctuary".
This is the Board that greets you on Entrance (entry is by donations)
PLEASE CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO ENLARGE IT.
The information board at the entrance.
One of our own British "Owls" the "Tawny".
The information board on our own "Worlds fastest bird of prey" the "Peregrine Falcon".
Here (below) is the "Escapee", this "Pergrine Falcon" managed to free himself from his tethering perch, he then flew around the site several times landing on top of his cage.It took several minutes to find his regular handler who then coaxed him down.
Here he is Safe and sound with his handler, isn't he striking?.
This is a female (below) "Peregrine" (i think), she was dwarfed by her neighbor tethered just 10 feet away which was the hugh Eagle.

One of our own here, a good old fashioned "Barn Owl".
Below I just cant remember what this Really strikingly coloured Hawk was called.
Its such a pity that your unable to get any closer to these lovely little "Harriers or Hawks" but there are fences some 12-14 feet back from the cages.
The information board for "Mozart" the "Eagle Qwl"this one is in his first year and still being "Flight trained".
Below, This is him a really big impressive "Owl" very like a snowy Owl in size. They had a "Snowy Owl" here but it was impossible to photograph him because his cage was directly into the sun.
This next "Owl" was a very large bird with a huge round face and striking plumage.
This one too, he refused to play ball and face me though!!!.
This one was quite a amall pretty owl with very striking colours.
This picture (below) is the information board to what for me is the most impressive bird here a "Eagle". This bird is massive and stands maybe 18" to 20" tall. When one of the smaller Hawks escaped staff were worried he would on return get with in striking distance of where this massive bird was tethered, had he have done so he would have been killed immediately.
Here then is "Galahad".
Isn't he beautiful?.
This small American Hawk (below)was brought in by a friend of the owner who said he thought the bird ready to be "Flown wild"so had we hung around we might have seen her fly, sadly we left before she did.
Joke of the day.

Harold is 95 and lives in a Senior Citizen Home. Every night after dinner, Harold goes to a secluded garden behind the Center to sit and ponder his accomplishments and long life. One evening, Mildred, age 87, wanders into the garden. They begin to chat and before they know it, several hours have passed. After a short lull in their conversation, Harold turns to Mildred and asks, 'Do you know what I miss most of all?' She asks, 'What?''Sex!!' he replies Mildred exclaims, 'Why you old fart. You couldn't get it up if I held a gun to your head!' 'I know,' Harold says, 'but it would be nice if a woman could just hold it for a while.' Well, I can oblige,' says Mildred, who unzips his trousers, removes his manhood and proceeds to hold it. Afterward, they agree to meet secretly each night in the garden where they would sit and talk and Mildred would hold Harold's manhood. Then one night Harold didn't show up at their usual meeting place. Alarmed, Mildred decided to find Harold and make sure he was O.K. She walked around the Senior Citizen Home where she found him sitting by the pool with Ethel, another female resident, who was holding Harold's manhood! Furious, Mildred yelled, 'You two-timing son of a bitch! What does Ethel have that I don't have?' Old Harold smiled happily and replied, 'Parkinson's.'