Every booking for Mr Scuffins' Leigh Valley Hawk and Owl Sanctuary mobile raptor displays was wiped off the calendar and it was only recently that things started to return to a slow normal.

Then the most recent lockdown sent jitters through the business once again.

"Business was virtually 100 per cent down," Mr Scuffins said.

"We had to funnel all our available funds in to making sure our birds were well maintained during that time given the high level of welfare standards they are used to experiencing.

"We would have been in a good position to get a new van last year if COVID did not occur."

Mr Scuffins' JobKeeper payments went toward the food bill and upkeep for his 17 birds of prey throughout 2020 with little work on the horizon.

"Our feed bill is not over the top. We breed mice, rats and pigeons and buy in quail and rabbits but our big expense is in building enclosures.

"Even six or seven years on from starting our business we are still in the process of building new enclosures to make sure everybody is adequately housed.

"Bird welfare, quality of food and quality of housing is everything. I can't compromise on bird welfare so the one thing we have compromised on is the van and that's why it's been allowed to age so much and why we need a new one."

At least one large enclosure project was shelved for most of the year but Mr Scuffins managed to finish it recently.

"I think the birds enjoyed the restrictions because they got taken out flying every day and didn't have to work overly hard but what that means is that the van has continued its inevitable decline. At this stage it's mechanically ok but it's not really a very good ambassador for the show and business," Mr Scuffins said.

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He asked around to try to find people who might be able to assist with upgrading the current van, but friends urged him to start a fundraising campaign to replace the aged van.

While bookings are slowly returning, Mr Scuffins said they were not yet nearing pre-pandemic levels.

Before the lockdowns Mr Scuffins and his birds gave regular flight displays as part of Narmbool's environmental education program, at Eco Link Bacchus Marsh, did incursions at schools and displays for community groups such as Landcare.

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