Following the easing of Bird Flu restrictions across the country, we were pleased to be able to reopen our Raptor Hospital last week. Despite not shouting it from the rooftops, we had a very busy week, highlighting the importance of our facilities here at Stonham Barns. Here are our intakes in that first week!
Long-eared Owlet
Long-eared Owl chicks have characteristic fluffy “ears”
This Long-eared Owl chick was found at the base of a tree beside it’s two, sadly deceased, siblings. We think that the nest may have been predated and that the chicks had been knocked out of the nest. Although this bundle of fluff looks very cute and cuddly, she’s a fighter and made that known from the start! This bodes really well for her long-term survival and we will be arranging for her to be released from a hack pen near where she was found very soon.
This defensive behaviour is exactly what we want to see. In the wild, this would make any predator think twice about attacking them!
Soggy Kestrel
We received a call about a Kestrel which had been found in a livestock trough in a field. The finder took it home to dry off, but once dry, the bird was reluctant to fly off. We arranged to have it brought to us for a check and by coincidence, our vet was visiting so gave the Kestrel a thorough going over and declared it ok for release. We put it in an aviary with some food and it was apparent that it had probably just been exhausted from being in water for so long and just needed a bit longer to recover. The Kestrel was collected by the finder and released the day after it was brought in.
Fence Kestrel
This male Kestrel is recuperating after possible electrocution in a fence.
One of our Trustees was out walking and found this Kestrel on the ground, clearly needing help. He brought it in to us and upon investigation we discovered the male had a bald patch on his neck, suggesting he’d be caught up in some fencing. We gave some pain relief and put him in the small cages in our observation ward so we could keep an eye on him. After 24 hours, he was looking a bit better and was self feeding. However, when he was caught up to be checked over again, there was a distinctive clicking sound coming from the air sacs inside his body. This strongly suggests that he had been electrocuted, and that the bald patch on his neck was likely the contact point. We know that pig farms often use electric mesh fencing to keep their animals contained, but the Kestrel wasn’t found near any pig farms, so it’s a bit of a mystery. He will be checked over by a Vet for any other injuries and hopefully released once his missing feathers have started to regrow.
Wonk the Little Owl
“Wonk” the Little Owl is improving daily with treatment for their eye.
This juvenile Little Owl was found with an injured eye. At this age they are almost fully independent, however, due to it's injury the decision was made to bring it in for treatment. It was taken to a vets near Lakenheath and we were able to arrange for one of our Owlreach Volunteers to collect it and bring it to us for rehabilitation. Within a few days the eye had started to clear, and this young one is well on the road to recovery.
Tawny Owlets
The first Tawny Owlet of the year
This young Tawny Owl (around 2 weeks) was found at the base of a tree. Sadly it was too young to be out of the nest, and unable to make its way back up so a decision was taken to bring him in and lucky he was - as he was suffering from emaciation too. We always prefer for Tawny Owlets to be left in situ if it’s safe to do so, as there is always a risk that they might imprint on us when taken into care, especially when we have singles.
Thankfully, a couple of days later, we received a call from a couple who had found a Tawny Owl chick in their chimney. They think that the parents have used the chimney as a nest, and that this youngster had fallen from the ledge and was unable to climb back up. Probably a week older than the first Tawny, they will be kept together for company and comfort until we can find a suitable soft release site for them in a few weeks time.
Two’s company