The world in their hands

In the news this week is our launch of a new Young Falconers Course - something that has been created due to popular demand, and as far as we know, it will be only one of the very few courses of its kind held in the UK.

Under the auspices of of the East Anglian Academy of Falconry, who are based here at Stonham Barns, the course is designed to provide an insightful look into the raptor world, coupled with much of the conservation work that is done here at SOS. The aim is to provide youngsters aged 12 - 16 years with the opportunity to experience the best of falconry at first hand

Like many keen on this fascinating hobby, along with my colleagues my first introduction to the world of falconry was Ken Loach's beautiful film, "Kes" - the emotional story of a young boy who had very little in life except the love of the kestrel he had trained from a youngster. The film really kick-started a love of all birds and raptors in particular, and at a very young age but I remember being frustrated that I couldn't find a way to pursue my awakening interest any further.

In those days there were only a handful of falconry establishments in the UK and none close to where I lived: even then it was hard to find any one of them willing to teach a youngster, and no one locally could teach me very much. I also soon found that with a very practical sport like falconry, books can only offer a limited amount of knowledge, especially as these specialised books were - before the age of the internet - not only hard to find, but also very costly

Many years later, when after several changes of career I finally found my way into the falconry world, I still found that it is still very difficult for young people to learn about the sport first-hand. Which is strange... falconry has been in existence for many thousand of years and as today the focus is very much on conservation (rather than putting food on the table as in days gone by), there is still a big void out there when it comes to practical tuition for young people.

From this rationale, the new Young Falconers Course has been born. It will provide a unique and valuable learning experience for the young raptor enthusiast, with plenty of "hands-on" time with the birds.

Divided into 6 separate practical and classroom sessions, the course will brief young enthusiasts on all the basics of what is entailed when owning a bird of prey. The participants will be introduced to the correct way of handling birds and the differences between the various types, and enable them to discover why each is more suited to varying environments and situations. They will also take an inp-depth look at raptor husbandry, focussing general health care, weight management, feeding, & the day-to-day care and maintenance of a healthy bird of prey.

There will be the opportunity to learn about the many different techniques to train young birds and participate in the training programme, including a chance to try lure winging and radio telemetry tracking equipment.

If you'd like to participate, please click here for booking details. We look forward to seeing you!

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A Vet in the Hand...

If you are a long-time supporter of our work at S.O.S, then you will be aware that our main area of concern is the care, rescue and rehabilitation of injured wild owls and other raptors from around the region.

But you have recently joined the ranks, hopefully this particular Blog story will give you some idea of the specialised work we do, often - but not always - with a successful outcome.

Throughout the course of the year we have many injured wild Owls and other birds of prey brought in to us for inspection, usually by concerned members of the general public. For the most part we are able to treat the birds ourselves in our purpose-built Raptor Hospital, a facility which was recently fully refurbished thanks the funding of your generous donations.

When an injured bird arrives at the centre, we firstly enter the details of the circumstances & conditions of the creature into our register before giving them a quick physical assessment, looking for obvious signs of external damage. Then we check for bone fractures, concussion and other aliments, relying on our accumulated experience of identifying minor injuries that have crossed our path over the years.

But whilst we are able to deal with many of these instances, we also receive many cases which require the attentions of a higher authority in avian medicine - the veterinarian.

Such was the case this week, when we were brought a Tawny Owl which arrived in a very poor state indeed. We could see immediately that this particular individual had a badly broken wing, probably - as the bird was picked up by the road-side - the result of a collision with a vehicle of some sort. The unfortunate bird also had signs of a condition called 'frounce', which swells the throat and makes it hard for them to swallow.

Without hesitation, we decided to take the casualty straight to out local veterinary practice, the Stowe Veterinary Group in Stowmarket, who are always willing to give us first rate & usually preferential assistance when it comes to wild raptor care. Here, vet Bill Besley confirmed our suspicions on both counts. Of particular concern was the frounce, or Trichomoniasis to give it its proper name, because - as it can make feeding difficult - it can compromise the birds natural ability to heal itself. The disease is increasingly prevalent pigeon and dove populations and it seems likely that this particular Tawny Owl picked it up by injesting an infected bird of this type.

It is possible to treat frounce if caught in the early stages but the course of care is fairly intensive and drawn out, including medication twice daily and hydration by crop tube every hour, which can cause no small degree of distress and discomfort. Unfortunately, for this particular Owl the prognosis was not good, and in the end the vet recommended it would be kinder to end its suffering than make it endure a very long recovery period with no guarantee of a successful return to the wild or a worthwhile quality of life.

So - win some, lose some. Next time, hopefully we will be luckier.

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A change is as good as a rest!

Hello again from all of us here at SOS as we make a start for the New Year ahead. And a special welcome to our regular supporters and all those who may be visiting our blog for the first time!

If you are an adopter of one of the owls here at the centre, then we're like to take this opportunity to thank you for your kind consideration and support. We hope that as this diary of events through 2008 unfolds, you will come to feel part of a 'family' which primarily is concerned with the care & welfare of wild owls and other birds of prey.

Besides being a diary, we also like to use the blog as a general notice board to keep you informed about global developments in the field of raptor conservation & management that come to our attention. But also, please use it as a direct link back to us, to keep us informed of your comments, queries & suggestions.

If don't have much of an idea about the type of work that we do here at SOS, then why not check back through our Blog Archive for 2007, which you'll find contains many interesting and fascinating stories about what went on at the Sanctuary last year and it will give you some insight into what we are all about.

Now, to matters in hand! SOS is open all year round, but although this is one of our quietest times in terms of visitor attendance, it doesn't mean the work stops. In fact, we use the winter months to do all manner of things that simply would not be possible during the height of the summer, when visitor numbers prevent us from doing a lot of the necessary structural & repair work that is needed.

Much of this is weather permitting, of course, and at the moment, we have two outdoor projects that are the subject of serious attention when it's not chucking it down. The first is the rebuild of our secluded breeding aviaries: ours have been in use - by the birds! - for many years and as they didn't look as though they last another winter season, so the decision was made to tear them down and start afresh.

Down with the old... and up with the new

This was quite an undertaking both financially and in terms of manpower, but we have made good progress thanks to a generous donation of timber from the local Jewsons in Stowmarket, a free supply of Twyweld Mesh Netting from Clarkes of Walsham, and some sturdy work from our volunteers led by Mick, our able handyman. This means that with any luck we will be on track to have the aviaries completed by the start of the breeding season, which begins around Easter time. As you can see from the photo's, Mick and his team certainly have their work cut out for them - but we have every faith that their expertise will win the day and all will be finished in time!

Our other major project is to re-house our chipmunk colony within the Woodland Walk area at SOS. Our recently-promoted Senior Falconer, Matt Lott (Congratulations, Matt! Mine's a pint...!) has taken this on board as a personal project and we will of course keep you up-dated with its progress and the date when our new "Chipmunkery" will be open for business. And again, a huge "thank you"is due to both Jewsons and Clarkes - without their generous support, our life could have been a lot more problematical!

When the weather did get deathly grey outside, we thought it was time to give an interior facelift to our visitor reception area, which thankfully meant nothing more than a generous lick of paint! After three years of the same colour, we decided a new colour scheme would brighten up the place and our mood - and so we appropriately turned to a colour called "Spring", which is actually a nice shade of Apple Green. And that reminds me - now would be the appropriate time to thank Anna & Andrew (who together with Maz run our visitor reception and adoptions admin) for all their decorative skills with regard to this makeover.

So, we're getting ready for the year ahead and hopefully we will have the pleasure of welcoming you to our fresh new surroundings in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime if you would like to contact us with any ideas or suggestions that you may have for the centre, then please contact us by clicking this link - we are always pleased to hear from you.

Thanks again, and Best Regards,

The SOS Team.

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Garden Gifts for Feathered Friends

If those of you reading this blog are anything like me, then possibly your love of raptors began with a simple love of garden birds.

These wonderful creatures provide endless hours of enjoyment all year round, and they don't ask for anything in return.  But as the weather turns colder at this time of year, the RSPB has reminded us we should spare a thought for our feathered garden friends by ensuring that fresh water and food scraps are in plentiful supply over the cold festive period.

Their spokesperson Colum Delaney said: “Christmas is the perfect time to give that little bit of extra attention to our garden birds. The weather has turned noticeably colder, and while we are all celebrating the festive season we should spare a thought for the regular visitors to our gardens.

At a time when we eat to excess and throw away food in equal measure, we should remember that many kitchen scraps and Christmas leftovers make ideal snacks for birds visiting our gardens and can help them get the nourishment they need to survive. Garden birds will welcome extra treats such as crumbled up mince pies, roast potatoes, cheese and of course fruit and seeds. We also urge gardeners to ensure a regular supply of fresh water, which is vital for drinking and keeping feathers clean.

Not only are we helping the birds through the cold winter but people will also attract a diverse range of birds such as house sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and song thrush, amongst others - just in time for the world’s largest bird survey, the Big Garden Birdwatch on January 26th and 27th.”

This is an ideal that we completely support here at SOS - so please give generously to the birds as well as your family, friends & relations this year - they deserve a Christmas treat!

And to all those who have faithfully read out blog throughout the course of the year (and our regular supporters as well).

We would like to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR! We look forward to seeing you all in 2008!

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BROOKFIELD Primary - Bring and Buy!

As this will be the last blog entries we publish before Christmas we would like to take this opportunity to say a big SOS "thank you" to one particular group of school children who gave us a wonderful Christmas gift this year.

A month or two ago we were contacted by a Mrs. C. Harris, a teacher at Brookfield Primary School in Mansfield, Notts., who told us that the pupils at her school wished to do a fundraiser for The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. We thought this was a wonderful idea and - to help them get them started on their project - sent them some information about the work that we do here.

This week we recieved a huge pack of hand-written letters from the children (29 in total), telling me all about the fantastic results of their original idea - the "Owl Sanctuary Bring & Buy Sale!".  

One of the letters, from Dayna of Year 6, explained how the idea came about: "During our science lessons, we have been studying animals and their habitats.  In our I.T.C lesson (Inside Computer Technology), we were researching owls and discovered your fantastic owl sanctuary.  We had very many ideas on how to adopt an owl and raise enough money.  We came to a decision to have a toy sale."

It seems that all the children exceeded their own expectations and raised in excess of £70, a magnificent achievement with which the students have decided to adopt two owls - "Cobweb" the Barn Owl for Key Stage 1 pupils and "Snapdragon" the Little Owl for those of Key Stage 2.

Mrs. Harris also wrote to us & said, "Not only has the Owl project enhanced the curriculum, but the children now have a genuine interest and concern for the welfare of animals & birds in general - an interest I'm sure which will continue in many children's lives.  I'm sure you will agree that the children have worked hard and achieved a worthwhile goal...  if you could possibly send a reply to YEAR 6 it would mean a great deal to them!"

Well, Mrs. Harris, your wish is our command!  

The children have done such a magnificent job that rather than write a personal letter of thanks directly to the school, we decided to thank all those involved via our website - which means that everyone can see exactly what a wonderful job Brookfield Primary did on behalf of SOS. So - Elizabeth, Dayna, Adele, Matthew, Chloe, Shannon, Thomas, Bethany, Michael, Lauren, Josh, Dana, Leah, Zoe, Tonisha, Ryan, Natalie, Katie, Crystal, Connor, Dylan, Tommy, Ryan, Jessica, Karla, Katie, Byrony, Katie, Luke (and anyone else I have forgotten to mention) - a BIG THANK YOU from all at S.O.S. for all your hard work on this project. Keep up the good work!

With All Best Wishes for 2008,

David Nadauld & The S.O.S. Team

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Sea Eagles to Swoop in Suffolk?

As part of our mission to keep you updated about raptor news from around the region, we thought you'd be interested in a story which recently appeared in a local newspaper, the Ipswich Evening Star, about the efforts to bring the spectacular White-Tailed Sea Eagle to the Suffolk coast-line.

With a wing-span of up to eight feet, White-Tailed Sea Eagles are the largest raptor species to be found within the UK, and would make a stunning new addition to the wildlife in this part of part of the country. But as with most re-introduction programs which prove successful in the long term, it will take an enormous amount of effort to establish the species here.

Quoting Paul Geater, Environment Editor of the Evening Star: "Talks are continuing into an ambitious proposal to re-introduce White-Tailored Sea Eagles along the Suffolk coast. There has still been no firm decision on their re-introduction, but experts are drawing up plans assuming the first birds will be released on the coast during 2009.

The White-Tailed Sea Eagle was hunted into extinction in Britain during the Victorian era, but has since been successfully re-introduced off the west coast of Scotland. The first birds were introduced there in 1975, and this year 42 pairs have raised young - an increase of six on 2006. Now scientists have started re-introducing sea eagles on the east coast of Scotland, and are looking towards bringing them south in future years.

Richard Rafe from English Nature, who are co-ordinating the re-introduction program, said the birds to be brought to East Anglia would come from a large population in Poland. “In many ways the coast of East Anglia, stretching from the Wash to the Thames Estuary, is far better suited to sea eagles than their current range in Scotland. There is no reason why they should not do even better here.”

The sea eagle is the largest European bird and is closely related to the American bald eagle. Unlike some other eagles - like the Golden Eagle, for example - the Sea Eagle is not afraid of humans: “There is no record of anyone, not even a child, being attacked by a sea eagle," continued Mr Rafe. Though these birds eat gulls and fish, these birds are often happier eating carrion, he said. “There have been reports of eagles taking rabbits and even pets, and there is some concern that they could take lambs - that is why we are talking to livestock farmers.”

Exact sites for the release of sea eagles have not been identified. Only a few birds are expected to be released but they have a huge range so could be seen over a wide stretch of the Suffolk coastline.

For more information about the project, you could contact paul.geater@eveningstar.co.uk Meanwhile we will keep you updated with this project, and of course we wish all those concerned the very best of luck in their endeavours.

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Baby, it's cold inside!

Established as a registered charity in 2001, the primary function of SOS is to provide and operate a facility for the care & rehabilitation of wild Owls and other Raptor species. 

However, we could not undertake this valuable and worthwhile work without the support and generous donations given to us both by members of the public and the various local firms and organisations who chip in with funds, resources and various items of equipment!  

Our Raptor Hospital is fully equipped and dedicated to the care and treatment of the many injured wild owls & other birds of prey which are brought here each year, but in the twelve years since we first opened our doors, much of the original equipment has had to be replaced, and it's upkeep, refurbishment or replacement remains a constant source of concern as we aim to give the birds the best possible treatment.

But good Samaritans often come to our aid, and the most recent instance was the "East of England Co-operative Society" who kindly donated a brand new fridge for our hospital.

You might ask, why does S.O.S. need of a fridge? The answer is simple, as many of the preparations we use to treat the birds need to be kept cold and the reliable refrigeration of these expensive medicines at the correct temperature ensures we get the best out of them

So our sincere thanks go out to the east of England Co-Operative Society, who operate a wonderful scheme called the, "660 Community Dividend Fund" which means that anyone purchasing products from the CO-OP can request that their 'divi' can be given to local charities and other worthy organisations. Earlier in the week Maria Harrup, who is Communications & Community Manager of the Co-Op, came with a colleague to meet a few of our feathered residents and to mark their gift with a commemorative plaque.

And meanwhile, if you feel that you could make a donation, of money, materials, appliances or time then please do not hesitate to contact us - all contributions gratefully received!

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Stranger in a Strange Land?

This afternoon we were contacted by the local newspaper to help identify a strange looking owl that had been spotted locally, and also asked for some information on the day-time habits of our feathered friends..

A reader had sent some pictures to the East Anglian Daily Times, and they posed quite a puzzle. To be honest - we were undecided: at first glance the subject looked like a Bengal Eagle Owl - a desert dweller if ever there was one, and therefore (unless it was an escaped captive bird) way off it's normal beat - or, it was a long eared owl, much more likely because the species is a native of these isles (though in itself quite a rare siting as these birds are notoriously shy). Both species are quite similar in size. What do you think? Click here to e-mail us your opinion.

On the question of an owl being seen in the daytime, it is not unusual to see Owls during the day during the winter months as the trees are bare and the owl does not have the same cover to hide as it normally would in the summer. It is a common misconseption that all owls are purely nocturnal, but many species native to the British Isles are "crupuscular", which means they will hunt mainly in the low light at dusk and dawn.

Long Eared Owls hunt mainly on open range land - clearings, fallow fields and river banks - rather than the woodlands where they roost and nest, which is usually in old un-ocupied stick nests belonging to crows, magpies, ravens or herons.

Maz. Robinson

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Oh What A Picture!

This week's BBC Countryfile programme featured an interesting story about farmer & amateur photographer Ed Frear, who produced this stunning and slightly surreal image of Barn Owls taken on his Cambridgeshire farm.

The picture was selected by comedienne Jo Brand as one of the images for the Countryfile 2008 Calendar, which has been produced in aid of Children In Need appeal. Ed bought his digital camera two years ago, although little did he know it would lead to a passion for wildlife photography. By converting a shabby chicken coop into a bird hide and waiting patiently on his stomach in the mud for hours on end, he eventually managed to capture the amazing photograph of the three barn owl chicks sitting in the window of one of his old barns.

The calendar itself costs £9 including p&p. To order a copy, call the order line on 0870 062 3600 (Calls cost 6p from a BT landline. Mobiles and other networks may vary) or send a cheque to: BBC Countryfile Calendar, PO Box 25, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1ZG (Don't forget to give your name and address and please make cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar)

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Bird Flu Outbreak On Our Doorstep

This week Suffolk Owl Sanctuary has found itself near to the eye of a national storm as avian influenza has been found on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, virtually on our doorstep. We thought you might like to know how will it affect us.

At the beginning of the week, DEFRA confirmed an outbreak of deadly H5N1 form of "bird flu" virus at Redgrave Park Farm, a free-range poultry farm about 15 miles north of us. 

Fred Landeg, the acting Chief Veterinary Officer, confirmed the strain - which has swept across Asia, Europe and Africa since 2003 - is potentially dangerous to humans and added: "The initial sequence data suggests that the outbreak is closely related to outbreaks in the Czech Republic and Germany, which indicates a possible wild bird source. However, at this stage all potential sources of the origin will be investigated."
The Environment Minister Hilary Benn briefed MPs on the outbreak, warning them more cases could be discovered in the area. A cull of all 5,000 poultry at the infected farm has been completed and the cull of a further 22,000 birds at other farms operated by the same company has begun. A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone were set up yesterday around the area 

All free-range birds for meat and eggs in Suffolk and part of Norfolk must be locked indoors to protect them from the spread of the virus.  Hobby farmers with backyard flocks are also being visited by local animal health officers who are urging them to keep birds inside.
Bird viruses do not usually infect humans but some people who have been in close contact with infected birds have died. Scientists are worried that avian flu will mutate and spread from person to person, infecting larger numbers of people.  

But Veterinary Office Landeg said people should not be worried about contracting the human form of the virus: "This particular strain of virus has on rare occasions passed to human beings, particularly in the Far East, where poultry workers have had very close contact with sick and diseased birds.  The general public needn't worry about contact with the birds. Spread to humans is not very common and no human has contracted the disease in Western Europe."
So how will the bird flue outbreak affect us here at SOS? For the moment, we are following DEFRA Guidelines and placing disinfectant foot-baths at all out entrances and exits for our visitors to use in the hope that it will significantly reduce the possibility of our bird collection becoming infected.  

We have also cancelled all out-shows and are not moving birds or accepting wild injured birds into the centre as recommended by DEFRA until advised that it is safe so-to-do. 
Other than that, we are remain vigilant of the threat and will continue to operate as normal here at SOS.

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Case closed due to "Lack of Evidence"

In our last blog we gave you the news of the two Hen Harriers shot dead at Dresingham Bog, close to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk and we said we would keep you up dated with any further developments in the case.

Sadly, the same story has hit the news again this week, but for a very different reason! It now seems that there is a "lack of evidence" to pursue that matter further which is terribly disappointing for both conservationists and raptor enthusiasts. 

The news has also been greeted with grave disappointment by the RSPB. Commenting on the official statement released by the Crown Prosecution Service, the RSPB's Conservation Director Dr Mark Avery said: 'We regard the killing of Hen Harriers as one of the most serious of wildlife crime offenses. We would always hope that people killing Hen Harriers be brought to justice (and that) their illegal killing is the reason for this bird's low UK population, especially in England where only 20 pairs remain.'

Continuing, he said: 'Despite a thorough and swift investigation by the Norfolk Constabulary, the RSPB is disappointed there is insufficient evidence to proceed with the investigation. However, we don't want the death of these two harriers to be completely in vain. At a time when the one-year old National Wildlife Crime Unit faces a funding crisis and police forces are abolishing dedicated wildlife crime investigation posts, we would like assurances that the investigation of wildlife crime offenses will be fully investigated. Operation Artemis - the police operation to protect the Hen Harrier - needs to be properly resourced, tasked and supported by police and Natural England.

If you feel as strongly as we do at S.O.S. about this tragedy and the lack of funding to protect all our native wildlife, then why not post us a comment voicing your opinion and we will see that it is delivered to the relevant officials.

If you would like to know more about this story from an 'insiders' point of view, then why not click on these links to discover more!

Mark Thomas, Investigations Officer, has written about the RSPB's involvement in the case and you can also watch a video comment from Mark Avery about the recent events at Sandringham.

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Hen Harrier Shooting Tragedy

The protection and conservation of raptor species is now very much a global concern, and if you read our last blog entry you will see that we brought news of the dreadful killing of 52 Red-footed falcons as they migrated over Cyprus last month.

Sadly, this type of mindless killing can also be found closer to home - here in the UK.  

Many of the UK's leading newspapers recently ran a story about the killing of two Hen Harriers, which were found shot dead at Dresingham Bog, close to the Sandringham Estate. The story hit the headlines because Prince Harry was believed to have been shooting in the area at the time.

Hen harriers are the country's most persecuted bird of prey and are often shot by gamekeepers because they feed on game birds such as pheasants and grouse being reared for shoots, says the RSPB.

Hen harriers are rare in England where it is estimated that there are only 20 breeding pairs. They are legally protected and the killing of one carries a six-month jail sentence or a £5,000 fine. An RSPB spokesman said: "The population should be ten times higher than it is."  
Norfolk police are continuing their investigation, and we will of course keep you updated with any further developments regarding this story.

For the full story by Andy McSmith, go to www.environment.independant.co.uk/nature/article3115529.ece

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Conservation Has No Boundaries

Here at SOS, we like to take an active role in the conservation and rehabilitation of many different bird of prey species and if you read our diary pages on a regular basis, you may know something of the various rehab events we have been involved with in recent months.

We also like to be aware of what is happening elsewhere and I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you of recent events in Scotland, when conservationists met to discuss the many problems facing raptors in the wild across Europe.

Conservationists from 60 countries attempted to reach an agreement on the best way to protect birds of prey.  Recent research shows that many species are especially vulnerable during migration and would benefit from increased protection while crossing international boundaries. As top predators, birds of prey are sensitive indicators of the condition of the environments they pass through - for instance, how changes in the global climate which can affect wildlife and people.

Michael Russell, Minister for Environment for Scotland, welcomed the delegates by saying: "Scotland is home to the majority of raptors within the UK and I look forward to the development of a new international agreement aimed at conserving migratory birds of prey and owls in Africa and Eurasia.

"Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's Director of Conservation added: "In the UK, illegal persecution of birds of prey remains a continual threat affecting the future of many species, such as the golden eagle and hen harrier.

"A variety of human-induced threats are driving declines in migratory birds of prey - for instance, habitat loss & degradation, and electrocution by power lines. Climate change is a further concern, and so is direct persecution in the form of illegal shooting and poisoning.

To highlight this latter point, the RSPB's BirdLife International partners in Cyprus and Malta have between them recorded several incidents of bird of prey persecution in recent weeks, the worst incident being the slaughter of over 50 red-footed falcons migrating across Cyprus.

The UK's Biodiversity Minister Joan Ruddock said: "There is no doubt these magnificent birds are under serious threat... and (our) commitment to their conservation is clear. The Government has brought together experts from around the world to develop an agreement for their conservation.

"Commenting ahead of the conference, the RSPB's delegate John O'Sullivan, said:"For those birds of prey that migrate across international boundaries, it's vital that protection and conservation measures are of a high standard in each country, and are well enforced.

"The agreement is expected to be finalised at a meeting in the United Arab Emirates sometime next year. For more information go to www.rspb.org.uk

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Lasting First Impressions

Earlier in the year, SOS were asked to help with the launch of a new school logo - you may remember the story called “Minerva’s Eye” from September 14th.

The school logo launch was a very interesting project to be involved with, because it was based upon the eye of Minerva’s Owl (with a lot of Roman history involved) and because of the historical Owlery connection, the school asked a representative of S.O.S. to attend the logo launch with one of our feathered friends!

On that occasion Baloo, our young Bengal Eagle Owl, was drafted in to make a guest appearance and very popular he proved to be, too. Meanwhile we were impressed by just how many questions the children had to ask about owls as a result of seeing Baloo in the flesh, but sadly on that occasion the 'paparazzi' called in the event and Baloo was whisked away to do the all important ‘photo-shoot’ for the local press.

What was clear, however, was that the children were clearly fascinated by raptors and for us, it felt really good too establish a strong bond with such a prominent local school. As a follow-up, we're pleased to say that - having apparently made a lasting "first" impression - we were flattered to be asked back to Ipswich High School for Girls to help with yet another launch! Head of the School, Elaine Purves and Head of the Nursery School, Jane Pomeroy, wanted us to help with the launch of their new WOODLAND NURSERY, which is located within the school grounds.

We were invited to the ceremony in a symbolic capacity, signifying the launch of the nursery by "launching" one of our fabulous birds into the air. On this occasion it was Cedar the Harris Hawk who thrilled the crowds with his ariel dexterity.

That said, as magnificent as Harris’ Hawks are, they don’t have the appropriate tools for the requisite cutting of the ceremonial green ribbon which opened the Woodland Nursery, so a suitable local celebrity - Jimmy Doherty of TV's "Jimmy's Farm" fame, was drafted in to perform the honours. It was very nice to meet Mr. Doherty in person and it was a lovely gesture he made to the school by giving up his time to publicize the launch.

Jimmy Doherty of TV's "Jimmy's Farm" fame opened the new project

The reason we were particularly pleased to be involved was because this pre-school focuses heavily on 'green' issues especially concerning respect for the countryside, and it does so in a way that very young children will understand and appreciate, much evidence of which can be seen in much of the artwork adorning the classroom walls of the school - an example of which you can see pictured here. So, congratulation to Ipswich High School for Girls for all their educational efforts regarding environmental issues, and long may it continue!

The pupils show plenty of concern for 'green' issues in their decorative classroom artworks

PLEASE NOTE: If you know of a local school in East Anglia who deserve a special mention for their environmental/ conservational Activities, why not drop us a line and we will be happy to write a post about them on our website. Likewise, if you know a local school or youth group who could benefit from an SOS Educational visit, then please let us know!

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Taiga, Taiga, Burning Brighter ...

Taiga, Taiga, Burning Brighter ...and yes this is the correct spelling!

Regular readers of the S.O.S. Blog will remember the story of Taiga's arrival at the end of the summer, writes our Warden, Juli Finnis.. (Those of you new to the Blog can look back at the previous story dated 6th September)

Today (Saturday 13th October) Taiga went solo - that is, he had his maiden free flight.

He is certainly going to be a huge star in the future. He has been a delight to train and has taken to the air like a true professional. Training begins with him getting used to the falconer's glove being his dinner plate. Once he feels happy and secure we ask him to step up to the glove to collect his food and then to jump about a foot for it. The next stage is to attach a training line which has a fancy french name. It's called a 'creance' and is 25m of light-weight nylon line attached to a weighted wooden stick at one end. The free end can then be tied to the swivel at the end of the bird's leather jesses. This allows you to gradually increase the distance the bird has to travel to collect his meal whilst still being able to prevent him taking to the skies and disappearing over the horizon. Once he is responding immediately to the food on the glove at the full length of the creance line it is time to remove the line and let him fly free.

Taiga has taken the short route to free flight. His first day on a creance line was thursday. After a couple of false starts where he wobbled on the edge of the fence like a tight rope walker trying to keep his balance he summoned up the courage to let go of the fence and fly to the glove - unfortunately, he misjudged the distance and flew six foot above my head before returning to the fence. However, he quickly got the hang of the whole process and by yesterday was quite happily flying the full length of the line. (With some birds this might take a week with increasing the distance just a little each day). So today was his big day and not only has he flown free but has moved around the perches on the flying ground like a natural.

Keep watching out for news of him from time to time - with his stunning looks he's certainly destined to be a big star.

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Poor Wolter

On Thursday 27th September we received a call from a lady just south of Bury St Edmunds who had found a Barn Owl in her garden. He was obviously in some distress but she had managed to pick him up and keep him warm and comfortable in a box in her boiler room. We collected "Wolter" (as she had named him) and gave him a thorough examination. Although whole in wing and limb poor Wolter had had a very nasty blow to the head. The skin around his right eye, ear and across the top of his beak was showing the pale green of bruising which could also be seen inside his ear and inside his mouth. He sat hunched and miserable in his box and we really thought he would not make it through the night. He was taken home overnight so that he could be watched and given some fluids to help get over the shock. However Friday morning dawned and Wolter was still with us - just. Our vet gave him a pain-killing injection and some intravenous fluids and we kept him on a heat blanket and hoped. Although we did not expect him to eat we left some food in the box with him overnight.  

Much to our relief and delight Saturday morning showed us a very different Wolter. He had eaten his mouse and was standing upright again but poor Wolter now looked as if he had been 10 rounds with Mike Tyson - we have never seen a 'shiner' quite like it. The whole of the side of his face was black and blue - and red and yellow and purple and green!

So, what had happened to cause such bad injuries? Well, Wolter is only a few months old. He would have hatched during the summer and has probably only been fending for himself for a few weeks. Last week saw some fairly wild weather for late September and Barn Owls find it very difficult to cope with high winds. Although he has a wingspan of around 1 metre Wolter only weighed in at 242 gms. This combination makes Barn Owls very bouyant but unable to resist a strong gust of wind. We think that this was the first time in his short life that Wolter had encountered this type of weather and that a gust of wind had knocked him against the side of a building.

Wolter is one of the lucky ones. Lucky because the impact caused bruising rather than broken bones and lucky because someone was there to pick him up and pass him to us for treatment. He will need to stay with us for a little bit longer - until the bruising starts to fade and we are sure that there is no additional damage to his eye or ear. But we are now fairly confident that in another week or so we will be able to return him back to the wild. We'll keep you posted.

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10th East Anglian Falconry Fair

This year marked the 10th Anniversary of the original East Anglian Falconry Fair and to celebrate, this time we staged our annual event over two days. The organisation was quite an undertaking for our Head Falconer Andy Hulme but as usual he did us proud in terms of presenting falconry to a wide audience in our part of the world. 

The event allowed many local falconers and those from father afield the opportunity to meet, display and discuss the welfare of their birds; exchange ideas and advice about raptors; and also purchase falconry books and falconry furniture & equipment from many of the specialist suppliers who also attended. 

The weather was kind to us for most of the weekend, and there was a good turn-out of the show. Many different birds were displayed including some species we don’t have within our own collection, including a Golden Eagle, a Bonelli's Eagle, a Marshall’s Eagle and courtesy of the Welsh Hawking Club, several hybrid falcons.

Birds were not the only creatures to make an appearance at the show, as we also invited many other animal organizations from around the county to join us. Of notable interest here were the Suffolk Punches of the Horkesley Park Heritage and Conservation Centre - true symbols of our East Anglian heritage.

We also had several art and craft stands at the event and I have to say that the standard of artistic talent was outstanding. One artist that really stood out for me was Chris Winch, whose equine and wildlife studies in both mixed media and water colours were breathtaking.

There was even a little taste of falconry history with a significant World War II connection on view. This took the form of a beautiful bronze art-deco falcon which is owned by one of the exhibitors, the British Falconers Club. Thanks to Dave Aldred of the BFC, I discovered the statuette was created by an artist named Wilhelm Krieger (1877-1945) who lived in Herrching, Germany and trained at the Royal College of Art in Munich. The piece, which had a beautiful simplicity of line, was originally created as an honorary prize for the International Hunting Exhibition held in Berlin in 1937 and won by Gilbert Blaine and Jack Mavrogordato - the latter, something of a falconry legend. 

However, the prize was presented by one Hermann Goering and consequently is often referred to as 'the Goering Bronze'. Due to this connection it was not considered ‘politically correct’ to have the piece on public display and has spent many years hidden away in cupboards, under beds and or many years was used rather indignantly as a doorstop!  It's good that this beautiful piece has re-surfaced and is able to regain some of the respect its rich heritage truly deserves.  

We hope that everyone who attended the Fair enjoyed it and we look forward seeing to seeing you again at the next September.

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Minerva's Eye

Here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary we get many requests to visit schools and other worthy organisations to give talks, lectures and the occasional flying demonstration.

These events are something we love to do, as it gives us the opportunity to share our beautiful birds with the community at large and at the same time educate, entertain and hopefully promote the centre in regard of the rehabilitation and re-release work with the wild injured birds of prey that are brought in to S.O.S. every year.

However, every now and then these requests take an unusual turn and that was the case when we were recently asked to make a ‘surprise’ appearance at a local Ipswich school.

The school in question was Ipswich High School for Girls, which is currently celebrating two very significant anniversaries - the first being its being established for 130 years; and the second, it being the 15th anniversary of the schools move to its present 84 acre site, located just outside the town in the grounds of Woolverstone Hall.

The impressive facade of Ipswich High School for Girls at Woolverstone

In recognition, the school decided it was time to give their existing logo a face-lift, and they chose an owl as the inspiration for the new graphic because the school is a member of the Girls’ Day School Trust, whose logo is the Roman goddess Minerva.

Ready for action - the goddess Minerva is born dressed ready for battle - and with an Owl in tow

For those unfamiliar with Roman mythology, Minerva was the goddess famed for having an owl as a companion. The Romans, adapting the original Greek myths, believed that Minerva was born in a rather usual way - the story goes that when the god Jupiter once suffered a horrible headache, his compatriot Vulcan opened up his head and out came the goddess Minerva. She was fully grown; dressed in armor, a long trailing robe, a helmet, a shield and a spear; & was accompanied by an owl. As Jupiter's daughter, Minerva was thus regarded as the virgin goddess of warriors, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, crafts, and the inventor of music. As Minerva Medica, she was also the goddess of medicine and doctors.

Therefore the choice of this particular goddess was totally in sync with the current hilosophy of Ipswich High School for Girls, which encourages its students to pursue many of the vocations and pastimes listed above. And as Minerva’s owl was also thought to be very wise, benefiting symbiotically from the goddess’ own great wisdom, an owl provided a fitting symbol from which to develop a new logo. As possibly the most widely known of all owl attributes is their incredibly good eyesight, the school focussed on this as the basis of the new graphic.

And that was where we came in. The logo was developed earlier in the year, ready for the new school term to beginning in the Autumn, and we were asked along to the school to help launch it, together with the help of our Indian Eagle Owl, Baloo.

The new logo is presented to the School at a special ceremony

Elaine Purves, head of the school, said, “We are delighted with the new-look logo. It is fresh, bright and meaningful. At first glance it could be a flower or a sunburst, both images which reflect the energy, growth and optimism which permeate the school: to further understand the connection of our logo with Minerva’s Owl is also to appreciate the link with our GDST heritage and its commitment to the dynamic education of girls.”

Baloo and some of the students pose for the local press

Speaking for S.O.S., we're delighted that in today’s modern society, owls still have a very significant part to play in the education of young people, and that these fascinating creatures are still as important and inspiring today as they have been throughout history. We hope that the school will continue to go from strength to strength under its new logo, and we were delighted to help with its launch.

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Tiaga, Tiaga Burning Bright

Here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary we like to bring you regular updates of all our new arrivals, and if you have been a regular reader of our SOS Diary pages then you will already know that we have been planning to acquire a Great Grey Owl for quite some time! Well, I am happy to report that the day finally arrived recently and our new acquisition is settling in well to his (or her) new surroundings.

Wide eyed & restless - our Tiaiga will be airborne soon

We decided to call our new addition TIAGA (pronounced Tia’ga), as the name refers to the habitat or biome where this owl species can be found in the wild. As the world's largest terrestrial biome, it's a habitat characterised by the coniferous forests which cover inland areas of Alaska, Canada, northern Scandinavia, Russia, the extreme northern continental United States, Kazakhstan and Japan.

Typical Tiaga Forest, home of the Great Grey Owl

The Great Grey Owl (or Lapland Owl, latin name Strix nebulosa) is a very large owl which is distributed widely across the tree lanes of the Northern Hemisphere. Adults Great Greys classically have a big, rounded head with a grey face and yellow eyes with darker circles around them. The under-parts are light with dark streaks; the upper parts are grey with pale bars. This particular species of owl does not have the distinctive ear tufts we associate with many of the larger owls, but makes up for it by having the largest "facial disc" of any owl species.

In terms of length, the Great Grey Owl rivals the Eurasian Eagle Owl and the Blakiston’s Fish Owl in the title for "world's largest owl", but much of its size is deceptive, since this species' fluffy feathers, long tail and large head obscure a body lighter than most other large owls. The length may range from 61 to 84 cm (24 to 33 inches) with a wingspan which can exceed 152 cm (60 inches).

An adult Great Grey - TIAGA should look like fairly soon. (Picture courtesy Linda Wright)

Great Greys breed in North America from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast and Alaska, and from Scandinavia across the reaches of northern Asia. Their breeding habitat is generally near the open areas of meadows or bogs in the dense coniferous forests of the Tiaga. They do not build nests, so typically use nests previously used by other large birds or raptors or nest in broken-top trees and cavities in large trees. The abundance of food in the area usually affects the number of eggs a female Great Grey lays, which is quite common in owl species. If food is scarce, they may travel a short distance to find more prey, though they do not migrate.

Great Grey Owls usually wait, listen and watch for prey and then swoop down on it; they also fly low through open areas in search of food. Their large facial disks and the asymmetrical placement of their ears assists them in locating prey, combining to make an excellent hearing system which enables them to locate & capture prey moving beneath the snow. Unlike the more versatile eagle and horned owls, Great Grey Owls reply almost fully upon small rodents, with voles being their most important food source. Juveniles may themselves fall prey to bears and are a favourite of Northern Goshawks, while adults may fall prey to the eagle owls and lynxes.

Our young Tiaga - fledged but still Fluffy

The harvesting of timber from the Great Grey Owl's habitat is perhaps the greatest threat to the species. Intensified timber management typically reduces the large-diameter trees, leaning trees & and dense canopy closures which they like to use for nesting & roosting, and although human-made structures have been utilised by these owls, the species is far more common in areas protected from logging. Livestock grazing in meadows also adversely affects Great Grey Owls, by reducing habitat for preferred prey species.

So it is vitally important that healthy stocks of this species are maintained in captivity, in order to ensure that this variety of owl doesn’t one day go the way of the dodo. TIAGA is doing very well at his new home; he hasn’t begun his full training yet, but we will of course, give you updates of his progress as time goes on. We are sure that he will develop into a firm favourite here at SOS and if you wish to see TIAGA for yourself, please pay us a visit soon.

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Red Alert - Tufty's Back!

For many months now we have been promising the arrival of some new Red Squirrels here at SOS. Well, it has been a very, very long wait... but at long last I am happy to report that they have finally arrived.

A pair of young males arrived a week ago and have now settled happily into their new surroundings. They are here as the foundation of our attempt to re-build our now sadly-depleted colony, which has been gradually shrinking over recent years due to the natural deaths of our original stocks, of whom only one ageing female remains.

The enclosure of the new arrivals - located within our “Woodland Walk” here at SOS - is purpose-built for these acrobatic individuals and I must say it has been a real treat to watch them scampering around at lightening speed as they investigate and explore their new home.

The Red Squirrel enclosure at S.O.S. - purpose-built for leafy acrobatics!

The picture at the top of the page shows one of the youngsters, which you can identify as immature because he is missing the distinctive ‘ear-tufts’ you normally associate with Red Squirrels (tufts which, incidentally, are completely absent from their less-popular grey cousins). The ear-tufts will appear in time, and when they do we will of course post you a picture of them - assuming, of course, that I am able to take a clear picture them.  

Photographing these lively scamps has proved a task much easier said than done, as I have discovered over the last week!  Thankfully Andrew Farrow (a fellow colleague here at SOS) helped me out and managed to secure the shots - either he has a natural flair for wildlife photography or simply just has more patience than I do - I’m opting for the latter! 

Andrew Farrow accomplished the difficult task of photographing one of our lively new housemates!

Why do we have Red Squirrels here at SOS?  Well, historically & conservationally they are a very interesting species and they also act as a natural counterpoint to the raptor population here at Stonham.

Red Squirrels (by nature) are very timid, tree-dwelling mammals that live at low densities within the UK and so are seldom seen. The most recent estimates of red squirrel population were compiled by Harris in 1995, when they estimated approximately 30,000 in England, 10,000 in Wales and 121,000 in Scotland, representing 70-75% of the GB population.  

However, more recent population estimates are significantly lower, especially for Wales. The population in England is very fragmented, with isolated populations on the islands within Poole Harbour, on the Isle of Wight, and in near to us in East Anglia in Thetford Forest (and here sitings are so rare it is thought the population may have disappeared now). So we feel very privileged to have these wonderful creatures here at SOS, potentially the only Red Squirrels in the region.

Historically, Red Squirrel in the UK have had a chequered career. it is thought they made their way to the British Isles from Europe at the end of the last ice age, approximately 10,000 years ago. Records indicate a large population established by the 16th Century, though they were subject to population fluxes, principally because of loss of woodland. At one point Red Squirrels were reported as extinct in some parts of Scotland following deforestation, but the widespread planting of conifers and introductions of red squirrels from England and possibly Scandinavia early in the 19th century resulted in increasing populations by the 1900's.

However, in 1903 the Highland Squirrel Club was established to control Red Squirrels in Scotland because they were causing severe damage to trees by bark-stripping: over 82,000 animals were culled in the 20 years following. Generally, populations throughout the British Isles declined also.

But man is not the only enemy of the Red Squirrel. The Grey Squirrel was introduced in the UK at about 30 different sites between 1876 and the late 1930's, and as is generally known, contributed greatly to the continued decline of Red Squirrel populations to the extent they have replaced them throughout much of their former range. (It is thought that once Grey Squirrels arrive in a woodland populated by Red Squirrels, the two species can co-exist for about 20 years before Reds disappear from the site.)

Sadly, today throughout the whole of the UK, the Red Squirrel is still under threat from long term habitat loss, potential Grey squirrel incursion and disease transmission: it is predicted that their numbers will continue to decline, at least in mainland UK, without specific habitat management. 

So as we, mankind, have had a direct impact on the squirrels decline, it seems only right, that we should try to restore the natural balance wherever possible.  From our previous colony we were able to donate progeny to the valuable release programmes that have been taking place in Wales, and our plan is to develop the new stocks so that we can make further contributions to controlled release programmes back to the wild.

Meanwhile, why not pay our new Red Squirrels a visit? We look forward to seeing you!

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