OWL Sanctuary and Lake Exploring (aka - IT’S MY BIRTHDAY) !!!

Welcome back dear friends!

Today I share with you my adventures from a very special day (enter drumroll) …MY BIRTHDAY! I honestly had to think for a minute to remember how old I am (at what point are you meant to loose track?). But I got there in the end, I am 22…. You may think that’s young but after speaking to me, people tend to say I have a granny trapped inside me. On that note … let’s move on.

I decided to head to owl sanctuary based close to Cardiff, being forever fascinated of forest creatures and longing for something that reminds me of my childhood (see my previous post for more info), I wanted to see those beautiful animals up close. Originally recommended by a friend, I was unaware of this place beforehand, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve experienced a fair share of failed road trips to places that were meant to be fun and entertaining but in fact ended up being a disappointment. So I raised my bar really low…. I just wanted to see an owl… even just one.

I set off early in the morning to avoid rush hour but was stuck in traffic nonetheless… the sudden heatwave in U.K was making it hard to breathe in the stuffy air and piercing sun. At times I felt as if I was exploring Canary Islands. It’s been like that in weeks…. U.K- where’s the rain when we need it? Hilarious.
Arriving at the place, I was initially quite lost… there was a ‘’fun park’’ in front of me but no clear indication of where the owl sanctuary is. I walked around a little and ultimately I managed to spot a small arrow sign pointing me in the right direction. I walked down a narrow path, walked through the gate of an entrance and was suddenly struck by a view which seemed like out of a fairytale. Green trees, beautiful flowers blooming in May, smell of moss and wonky wooden bridge…. My excitement kicked in.

The place was really small but had a lot of character within it, as I was crossing the bridge I could hear birds chirping in the background, the green trees and plants were all around, I felt as if I was in an enchanted land.
Small cages were lined up in front of me, with descriptions of owl types and individual stories while I walked along the narrow path.

The Owl sanctuary was established in 1992, to be a home to owls, hawks and falcons who have been rescued or injured. The volunteers help rehabilitate birds back to health, where in some cases the sanctuary becomes a permanent home for them if the birds were raised in captivity or have injuries which would threaten their survival in the wild.
The Sanctuary is a free entry and is run purely on donations made by public…. They also have an amazon wishlist if you are willing to help out too! - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/wishlist/2IHWMN6JWGA6U/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1

The place is really humble, I mean while walking around.. it doesn’t really scream corporate or very business like. A lot of things seem handmade and I can tell that the money is put in all the right places, as birds seem to be well taken care of there.
The cages are clean, apart from the ones where birds are breeding. The owls seem really calm and chilled and some are even willing to come out to be held by fellow admirers! Of course, I was one of the bunch who jumped at the opportunity to hold such a beautiful bird.

The owl I held was Ellie, she was rescued from horrible conditions and seemed to be very bonded with the volunteers. As I held her my excitement was taking over and I couldn’t wipe a smile of my face for a decent photo, I asked if it’s okay to kiss her and the volunteer looked at me weirdly and said I guess. So I smootched my face into her…. She was so soft… I wanna hug her again.

(A little sneak peak selfie with her)

Her eyes were of a piercing colour, and her majestic stance overwhelmed me with beauty I was witnessing, I held her on my arm and although she was bit heavy…I wish that moment was to last forever. That’s until she was to impress me with her wingspan as she flew away to her favourite post. It was awesome.

I could tell by the way volunteers handled and spoke to the animals, that they were of caring nature. The birds seemed happy and while I strolled around witnessing more and more birds, I came across only one grumpy owl who would give me evils and occasional hiss…

(Me and my blue hair )

Although I could tell the place needed some tlc in some areas… I was surprised at the commitment of volunteers, keeping this place running all year round and being completely free to enter. Great place to witness some beauty of nature, learn some facts about the birds, get to hold some majestic creatures or have a friendly chat with the volunteers. I saw some children stunned in awe as they watched the beautiful creatures, and the place is located by a ‘fun park’ which is basically a complex of shops and cafes, so good plan for a day out!

After ending the tour of these beauties, I went to the little shop they had. Humble is a good way of describing it, they didn’t really have a lot to sell … but I did decide on buying a little owl pendant necklace which I wear every day now. After speaking to the shop guy who was very friendly and passionate about his job, and also signing in the guest book, I also donated some money for the cause. Getting back home I had an idea to pick my favourite photos from the trip, print them and send them to the sanctuary as a donation, to be sold in their gift shop, giving them 100% profit. So that’s where you dear steemians come in, which photos are your favourite? Which would you see yourself hanging on the walls of your homes? Let me know! I would love some input !

After the owl sanctuary it was time to head home, but being in this beautiful location, I had to cross some places off my list while driving home. And this would be scenic lakes surrounding the area.
I stopped at a nearby lake where I could see a bunch of families and children enjoying their time…. Whether it was sitting on benches and having some food, running around the trees or sitting by the lake and jumping into it. With the day being so hot, I was tempted to jump myself if only I brought some clothes for change with me.

Instead I just sat down, and enjoyed the view and the atmosphere of the place. Lakes and forests are like a home to me since I spent so much time around them while being a kid. It was a sweet feeling to experience, an overlap of my good childhood memories and the overwhelming gratefulness of the present, stunned by such scenery.
I took it all in, the warm air, and the gentle evening breeze. The rattle of the leaves, and voices of laughter from far away. As I sat there, people started slowly leaving, the air started getting colder and a mist started setting among the pine forest trees. I was in awe. But sadly, it was time to go so I headed back to the car, ready to set off.

I have to say that the drive didn’t last long before I got distracted again by the beauty I saw on the side of the road, and ended up pulling over to take some more photos of the misty, hazy lake and forests. The temperature started dropping down rapidly, so the air was very fresh and after a stifling day, it felt like my lungs could finally fully expand.
So that was my day! My belated birthday trip! Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!
As always thank you for reading! If you’d like to see more blog posts from me, feel free to upvote, repost and follow my blog! I will surely be grateful!

Until next time,

Cheers,

Marta x