Thursday 18 July 2013

Summer time = Show time.

We're going through a hot, hot summer in the UK at the moment.  Very welcome after three years of rubbish summers, but God is it hot!

The birds at North Devon Hawk Walks don't appreciate the heat. Although the three Harris Hawks are descended from birds that bred and thrived in the hot, arid climate of New Mexico, Texas etc. that doesn't mean that they feel like exerting themselves any more than humans do in the heat.

We've been out flying on Exmoor today with some customers, and at the end of the hour, the birds were panting with beaks open to lose heat.  I sprayed them with water before putting them in their aviaries to cool down.

Tomorrow we're off to the Devon Country Fayre at Filleigh.  This year the national sheep dog trials are also being held there and so a lot of people will be coming along.  Hopefully a large number will find their way to the North Devon Hawk Walks tent and get acquainted with the birds. Last time we were there, each of the three days was really busy with people queuing up to get close to the birds, ask questions, take photos etc.

I'll be posting photos of the day here in a few days time.  We will also be at the North Devon Show and the Mid Devon Show, in a few weeks time.