" Sam's Sanctuary "

Well; Here it is, folks:

And, by the time ye hear from me again, my two little POW's should be in there. Only, right now, they're getting on with their last night in the Larsen Trap they've called home since god knows when.

That old trap's served me well. Dean O' gave it to me, a couple of years ago now. But, having two magpies living in it ~ and pecking the shit out of it! ~ for half that time's really rather taken its toll on the poor old thing. Despite my own best efforts with a fresh coat of paint and a stretch of new wire, last year.

So, I think I'll buy a sheet of 1" square, steel mesh and make myself a new, all steel, one for next 'season'. Lighter. Stronger. Unpeckable. Drop of juncus cammo paint and ..... well; I might even make two or three! Maybe knock up some seperate 'Call Bird' Cages. We'll see.

Meanwhile, that's " Sam's Sanctuary ". It's called that in honour of an e mailed conversation I had with a young friend of mine; Sam, incredibly enough. I can hardly remember how it all went odd now. But I Do remember that Sam somehow inspired the idea in me that I might build my POW's a proper aviary.

I remember getting all excited about the fact that just owning an aviary has been a life long dream of mine. Would ye believe that, eh? Whole damn life. All I ever wanted was an aviary. Birds have always fascinated me, one way or another. Knowing about them led to catching them. But I usually caught them for other people. And those bastards had aviarys!

Well, now I have one. So there! LOL! And that's it. Six foot high. Four foor wide. Eight foot long. My POW's won't fucking know themselves! And this is the bastard that one poor bird died of old age, waiting for. Subject of a post below. And, if ye don't know what I'm talking about? Go and start at the beginning of this damn Blog and read ye way through, as one should! I promise ye I'll type shit far slower than ye can read it.

I must say; This thing's far removed from the " Sam's Sanctuary " envisaged on that night. My original plan was 'just' to pin some netting between some of my trees. (Yes; I own a small stand of mature trees. Eat ye fucking heart out!) But, you just try checking out the cost of eighteen square foot of anything! Even half decent plastic mesh. It's shuddering!

So, along with many other, practical considerations, I thought I'd go for a more traditional thing. Thought I'd build one myself. Or, at least, have a frame work built for me. And, again, priced myself right out of the market. I couldn't even buy the damn materialds for that the above cost me.

And now, there it is. In my compound. Right across from this window. It arrived, on a pallet, this morning. By this afternoon I had it all bolted together and was off into town to buy some finishing touches. Ye can't see them. Because they ammount to three sheets of perspex. They're fitted to the top corner. Give the birds somewhere to roost, protected from the prevailing winds and rains.

All it needs now is a few sprays of fir tree branches, to give my birds somewhere to feel hidden. And a signalled tunnel trap along the outside, to take care of anything, ground level, that comes to visit and inspect them. Sort that out tomorrow and " Sam's Sanctuary " should be all go.