Time to say goodbyeRaising great horned owls

Saying goodbye

I’m shit at this whole ‘keeping up to date’ thing

So yeah, between band recordings, a trip to South Africa and general incompetence, I’ve evidently failed to maintain this particular blog with the regular flow of content I was hoping for. So I apologise for the huge gap between my last update and this one, likewise for the gap which has occurred since, as the birds have progressed physically and behaviourally even more.

As such, I’m dedicating this entry to ‘wrapping up’ their time with us and summarising where they were up to back in June, when we took them back to the park.

We still return to see them regularly, so I’ll definitely (he says, with unearned and misguided confidence) be updating soon with some updates as to how they’re doing now.

Taking them home

On Sunday 17th June, we returned our children to their rightful home at the Kinglsey Bird and Falconry Centre.

Anna was due to go for her regular duties anyway and although it hadn’t been confirmed whether or not we’d be leaving them behind, we had a pretty good idea. Though their personalities are largely unchanged, these are not the birds we took under our wing (ha!) just over a month ago.

Given how far they’ve come physically and in their training, I think we’ve been lucky to enjoy what extra time we have.

As such, this song seems very appropriate. It’s a fucking boss tune, too!

The following Monday, we decided to pay them a visit just to see how they were settling in their new enclosures after the first twenty four hours. Suffice it to say, between Sassy bullying their co-resident and Stinky making comprehensive use of her new-found aerial freedom, they’re settling in well.

A month in pictures

I don’t really want to dwell on the fact  that a pair of flying rodents who I’ve come to think of as family, are no longer directly so. It’s only been a month and I was away for two weeks of it, but they’ve made a strong impression with everyone they met and the house is going to feel particularly lacking, in lieu of their company.

The following are images I took during Monday’s visit, interspersed with several taking by ourselves and friends, during their stay with us.

Sincerest thanks to all who have expressed their interest in what we’ve been doing during this time.

And to Anna for bossing the living shit out of their training.

Our lives are better when shared with animals.