Many gamekeepers and stalkers will be having a well deserved rest after spending some very long days and nights working throughout the season and there is only a small window before it starts all over again. As I’m writing my blog there is a dull thud on the window setting the dogs off on a barking frenzy but it transpires to be a one very dazed cock sparrowhawk which had been after the songbirds at the peanut feeder. He looks like something from a Tom and Jerry cartoon but I am sure he will recover and be back in an hour or so terrorising the wee birds.
Talking of dogs, I am taking Ruby to the vet at lunch time. It is now 24 days since she had her tail cut off and she is still on antibiotics. The tail will just not dry up and finish the last part of the healing process. Poor dog! On Monday 20th February I am off to the University of Glasgow to attend the third steering group meeting on tail docking and I am very hopeful that we will now have scientific evidence to show the minister that the suffering amongst our working dogs is horrendous and, for the sake of our poor dogs' welfare, this stupid law is thrown out the window. The anger amongst country people is now very palpable.
During the week I attended a species reintroduction meeting in Perth at AK Bell library. This group was set up to discover the views and the opinions of many different stakeholders who have an interest in the countryside. Note carefully the word INTEREST. This is a wee bit different from the word WORKING in the countryside. Many different species were discussed from beavers to wolves and, as you can imagine, it was a very controversial meeting. Look forward to meeting everyone at the AGM on the 2nd of March at Inverness.