(LEICESTERSHIRE) LTD
Lindridge Lane, Desford, Leicestershire. LE9 9GN
01455 824603
December 2003
To everyone at
Parrot Passions UK,
Firstly may I wish everybody a very merry Christmas and happy New Year !
Birdland has had a wonderful year we have been busy with plenty of visitors
and the breeding has been plentiful. New pairs that successfully bred this
year include: Goffins Cockatoos, Umbrella Cockatoos, Tucumen Amazons, L.S.C.
Cockatoos, African Greys and another pair of Orange Winged Amazons. First
time breeding successes are the Crimson Bellied Conure and the Yellow Napped
Amazon. So at the moment we are enjoying the closure period and taking things
a…. LITTLE…. Easier. Although just the other day we had a visit
from D.E.F.R.A. and after long discussion they informed me that we are eligible
for a grant on the tourism side of the business. This means that (if accepted),
after a huge amount of the dreaded paperwork. Birdland could be getting the
face-lift it badly needs around November 2004.
Concerning the break-in there has been no news whatsoever. We have put extra
sensors in all the buildings and had a long chat with Ronny (the top guard
dog). I still deep down believe that Jojo, Lucy and Petra will come back.
All Jojo needs is an open window or door and she will be out. And because
I think she is still fairly local we will get the call and I will be there!
Thank you for all of you who wrote in offering your help it was good to know
that there is all that vigilance.
We have just started to rebuild some aviaries and paths more in the centre
of the garden. But soon we will have to have a serious look at the psycho
wing. It is just a matter of time before our little friends have completely
chewed away the main supports to the aviary. Also I'm fed up with trying to
repair the damage done by all the macaws (including Darwin) on the aviary
roof. They insist on unclipping all the C-Clips, which opens, up large holes
in the mesh. This then takes Tosh, Inca and Cody seconds to escape and put
the fear of God in all staff. Cody use to be very easy for the girls to get
back in but now has got very wise to it and will not go to the girls. I was
up the ladder repairing the holes whilst Cody was still out. He saw me and
instantly started preparing himself for the attack. But he did not realise
that I was wearing heavy gloves. I have to wear the gloves because as I support
myself on the roof all the birds inside are tying to bite fingers and hands
through the mesh. As he made his attack I caught him and because of the gloves
he did not even get a bite in ……. Ha!
All the chicks in the chick room should be weaned soon. We are hoping for
short time with the room being empty so that we can fumigate, redecorate and
make a few alterations before the new incubator arrives. We have purchased
the new Brinsea incubator which only incubates the top half of the egg and
I am very excited and looking forward to using it. We were getting a fair
few problems with the old incubators and towards the later half of the season
we lost some good clutches of eggs due to them. Also we are having a top of
the range water filter fitted on the sinks. Appararently they claim it will
remove Heavy Metals from the tap water and bottled water, which are always
on the increase in our water supply. Heavy Metals are deadly to Macaws and
Cockatoos and are often the cause of mysterious deaths in these species of
birds.
Many, many thanks to everyone and all your help is so much appreciated and
again.
We wish you all a Very Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!
Richard, Natalie, Kaz, Martin, Gill, Lesley, Sue and Victoria.
