Chicks, Chicks, Chicks...

There has been an air of eager anticipation here at the Sanctuary of late, with everyone waiting expectantly for not just one happy event, but a whole plethora!  Currently, the falconers are hand-rearing two Eagle Owl chicks, one Asian Brown Wood Owl chick and two Lanner Falcon chicks.  The Eagle Owl chicks are looking very plump and sturdy already and the Asian Brown, still tiny as yet, is being kept safe and warm in one of our brooders at a constant temperature between 25-26 degrees.

Down in the garden, something stirred.... one of the young Eagle Owl chicks enjoys some time in the sun

The arrival of this latter well & truly caught the attention of the media, and they were featured locally on the BBC and the Ipswich Star newspaper, as well as a story which ran in the Daily Telegraph - click here to see what they had to say.Meanwhile our Great Horned Owls, Huron and Pheonix, hatched two chicks last Monday and Wednesday respectively. Sadly one of these only survived for a couple of days as it was decidedly weak and could not be saved, but the other is in fine fettle. More successfully, the Booboks produced one youngster on Sunday the 26 April and as I write, one of the Southern Faced Scops Owls is also hatching.   

A-Level Art
Amidst all this excitement we have already put our new pavilion to excellent use.  The A-level art students from Northgate High School in Ipswich have taken part in a competition to create individual ‘owl’ posters.  These are now all on display in the pavilion, along with voting slips for our visitors to nominate their favourite one.  The winning design will be used to advertise the Sanctuary and the winning artist will receive a free owl adoption for one year.  The cut off date for voting is the end of May bank holiday and we will let you know as soon as we have the results, as well as post all the designs here to our website. 

Note from a Novice
As a newcomer to the world of raptors and falconry, I am just beginning to touch on some of the vast extent of knowledge and skill entailed in looking after birds of prey.  To date I have: discovered how to prepare raptor delicacies (rather a messy process involving the removal of various internal bits from rats & mice, which I won’t elaborate on); held an owl on a falconry glove (just a small one) and wondered why my arm nearly fell off the next day and learnt how to tie a falconer’s knot, courtesy of Dean who actually made this incomprehensible tangle of rope remarkably straightforward.  

For a person who is passionate about all wildlife, I have to admit to knowing very little about raptors.  What has amazed me over the last few months as I have been writing this blog is the realization that each bird of prey has its own distinctive personality.   Suddenly they’re not just birds but unique characters – wonderful! 

Fascinating Raptor Facts
On Friday last, I had the real privilege of watching one of the amazing aerial displays that take place here twice a day from April through to September.  Apart from being a stunning way to see various raptors take to the skies in all their full glory, I was impressed by how much information it was possible to glean from one demonstration.  

This action shot of Mir, the Steppe Eagle, by our friend Brian Macfarlane shows off the
immense size & strength of the wings that transport the species over the Himalayas from Russia to Africa and back every year....

The first bird in the demonstration was Mir the Steppe Eagle, who is fourteen years old.  On the steppes of her native Russia, with a bit of luck she would live until she was about 25, but here at the Sanctuary there is a good chance she will continue on well into her forties!  Life in the wild is tough for a Steppe Eagle as they have to undertake the longest migration of any Eagle species - all the way from Russia to Africa.  

Not only is this a tremendous distance, but also involves some drastic changes in situation for the Steppe Eagle.  For example, in Russia Mir would be pretty much the top predator, with marmots being her cuisine of choice.  Once in Africa however, she would suddenly be right down in the pecking order near to the bottom of the food chain.  As if that weren’t bad enough, in Africa there are no marmots either.  However there are plenty of other things she would eat such as lizards and her favourite African delicacy would be – you’d never guess –termites!  Given that Mir weighs a stately 6 ½ pounds and has a wing span of around 6 feet, you might think that a diet of termites would leave her feeling rather peckish.  Well, as long as a Steppe Eagle can devour around 2 to 2 ½ thousand termites then apparently that’s no problem! 

So that was Mir.  I also learnt a whole host of fascinating facts about Cobweb the Barn Owl, Nell the Saker Falcon, Bali the Asian Brown Wood Owl and Gypsy the American Black Vulture – but space eludes me.  Be sure to log on for next week’s instalment!  Better still, come to the Sanctuary and see these amazing birds for yourself. 

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The Raptor Education Pack

Part of our remit as a charity is to inform young people about owls & other birds of prey, to promote an understanding of wild raptors & their needs and to help raise awareness of the importance of their conservation for the future. 

So we are pleased to announce the launch of its new SOS Raptor Pack for Teachers - an extensive resource for use in schools to help promote these goals.

This 3-stage programme covering Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 & 2 was created for S.O.S. by team members Ashley Costin & David Nadauld and is available for free review and download now.

Although designed to provide an educational resource which reflects the National Curriculum requirements, many aspects of the Raptor Pack - which includes stories, games, activities & quizzes - will appeal to all youngsters with an interest in nature, and birds o prey in particular.

Teacher notes, objectives & outcome notes, cross-curricula guidance and additional resource advice is supplied with each pack.

Please take a look, and members of the public should also feel free to download some or all of the pack if they would like to. Meanwhile, we are keen to get some feedback from teachers, so please e-mail us to let us know what you think, and how you feel we may improve the contents!

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A Day Out

The Easter hols were wonderful for us here at the Sanctuary and it was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the experience of observing all the birds of prey at Stonham. But now it’s back to business promoting the work of the centre and our cause of raptor conservation.

On Thursday, two of our team were up bright and early, packing up all the paraphernalia needed for a special Wildlife Exhibition for teachers and children at the Suffolk Show Ground. We arrived in good time to set up our stall, complete with Bali, our Asian Brown Wood Owl and Auckland, our Boobok Owl.

Questions, questions - Andy was kept busy all day long

To begin with there was just a small trickle of visitors and we were able to catch our breath and grab a fortifying cup of tea. Just as well! Fifteen minutes later we were engulfed by a huge tidal wave of children and teachers, assistants assistants and parent helpers - and the wave continued unrelenting all day!

It was a truly fantastic day. Children and adults alike were fascinated by the owls, who once again played their parts to perfection. One visitor had a very smart camera with a large, grey, fluffy microphone at the side: Bali was thoroughly captivated and we’re sure that he was convinced it must have been a particularly fat, juicy rat!

This was also a golden opportunity to introduce our new Raptor Pack for Teachers to the visitors, which can be downloaded free from this website now.

As teachers are extremely busy people, they really appreciate fresh, new resources and the response to our new initiative was very positive! We had lots of enquiries about school visits and about what we could organise educationally at the Sanctuary, which is all good news for spreading the word to future generations who will hopefully carry on the conservation work in years to come.

Remaining Unruffled - Bali took the day all in his stride

With so much going on, the day went like a flash and we returned to the sanctuary exhausted but happy, with two very tired owls in tow.

And Finally...

...a quick update on our missing vulture, Inca. There have been a few sightings and many enquiries about whether she has been recovered, but as yet the falconers have not had the opportunity to recapture her as yet. However, we are keeping a close track on her movements and hope to have some good news to report to you in the near future.

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Caracara Studies

Whilst all the team work very hard here at S.O.S, we are always most grateful to our wonderful group of vounteers, who balk at no job however mucky or smelly. One of our volunteers, Kate, has been studying hard at Otley College - a local education centre which specialises in matters agricultural - and been doing some interesting research into the behaviour of two unusual raptors here at Stonham. Here’s what she had to say:

In October I began volunteering at Suffolk Owl Sanctuary to further my experience of working in the animal care industry in support of the Foundation Degree in Animal Management I am studying for at Otley. My studies in animal behaviour required me to perform an enrichment study on animals in captivity and I chose to study the behaviour of the Yellow Headed Caracaras at S.O.S., Carla and Rico.

The Bug Log was placed inside the Caracara’s Aviary

In their native regions the Yellow Headed Caracara is nicknamed the ‘Tick Bird’ due to its habit of riding on the backs of cattle and feeding on insects and parasites. The aim of my study was to offer Carla and Rico the opportunity to forage for insects within their enclosure. The enrichment device that provided foraging opportunities was simply a log with niches cut into it. Insects were placed in the niches for Carla and Rico to find and feed on.

The results show that the introduction of the device reduced the amount of vocalising performed by both birds; increased the foraging behaviour performed by Rico and increased the range of behaviours performed by Carla.

One of the Bugs used in the experiment

The results suggest that the percentage of time perching was unaltered, however observations revealed that the range of perches used was markedly increased after we introduced the enrichment device. Overall the study showed that the enrichment device provided the Caracaras with a new object of interest, and made them more active, which can be beneficial to their welfare. Also, it seems that Carla is developing quite a taste for mealworms!

Kate Whittaker

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Out and About

Two ‘outshows’ at the weekend drew a host of interested visitors

Whilst our work with all birds of prey is of paramount importance here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, we are also passionate about spreading the word about raptor conservation.

Last weekend, we had two exciting opportunities to do just that. On Saturday, we went to give a talk to members of the Framlingham Wildlife Watch Group (a junior branch of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust) armed with two owls and a falcon.

The damp, drizzly weather did nothing to dispel the eagerness of the small but highly enthusiastic group. Youngsters and adults alike were enthralled by the beauty of the raptors seen at close range and listened attentively to all the information that head falconer Andy imparted about each bird. Towards the end of the talk the children took part in a quick quiz about what they had just heard. Impressively, they were able to answer every question correctly!

Sunday dawned cold but bright and once again saw us heading towards an outshow, this time with Bali the Asian Brown Wood Owl and Aukland the Boobok Owl in tow. This was a very special event taking place in the beautiful grounds of Orwell Park School, Nacton, entitled the 'Raring2go Children's Day'. It was extremely well attended and our stall had a steady flow of visitors all of whom were charmed by Bali's exotic good looks (though somewhat surprised by his un-twit-twoo like screech) and Auckland's tiny stature and cute round baby face.

“Oh no you don’t!” - Huron shows that he is not amused by our enquiring looks

It provided an excellent opportunity to explain to people about conservation in general and the work that goes on at the Sanctuary and proved a thoroughly enjoyable and successful day for all. Bali and Aukland behaved impeccably and were perfect ambassadors for us.

Meanwhile back at the centre Matt & Dean continued with the never-ending battle of keeping the grass under control and tackling the wildly sprouting Leylandii maze, while our Great Horned Owl Huron is now proudly keeping a protective eye on his missus Phoenix while she sits serenely on the clutch of eggs she has just produced.

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A busy week...

Time flies here at the sanctuary with, it always seems, so much to do and so little time to do it.  Last Friday, amongst other things falconers Andy and Maz were out in the spring sunshine flying two of the aerial demonstration team and it was fantastic to see the birds using their newly grown feathers and enjoying the feel of the wind beneath their wings. (I’m sure there’s a song in there somewhere!) 

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Then at the weekend we held a special event to celebrate Mothers Day, and invited Mums to come and have their photograph taken with one of our Owls. Over 40 mums accepted the invitation and went away with an unusual photograph with which to commemorate the day.

Mums of all ages visited us for a special Mother’s Day photo opportunity

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As always, bird welfare is never far from the hearts of all at the sanctuary and just recently, we were contacted by the Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust who told us about a wild, male buzzard who had been found in a very poor state.  It was clear that he had a badly damaged wing that needed immediate attention and further investigation showed that the secondary feathers on the damaged wing had been very badly smashed. 

A buzzard like this will soon arrive to take up residence at S.O.S.

For a while it was touch and go for the poor chap but modern medicine can work miracles however and incredibly, the buzzard not only recovered but also regained 85% of his power of flight. But although this is pretty fantastic, and although rehabilitated animals should ideally always be returned to their natural environment whenever possible, there are always going to be cases where this is just not in the animal’s best interests. The ‘wild’ can be a pretty tough place and even with 85% flight and in this case the buzzard would struggle to survive.

So this is where we at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary come in: a couple of CWT liaison officers came to visit us at the sanctuary, are happy that we can provide the ideal home for the disabled buzzard and we are now looking forward to our new arrival. We’ll let you know how he settles in.

There is, however, a slight twist to this story. For a ‘wild’ bird, this buzzard is apparently remarkably tame, which begs the question… was he a ‘wild’ buzzard to begin with?

You may remember that, last year, some misguided members of the public broke into the sanctuary and attempted to set a number of the birds free. We stressed then that any captive-reared creatures are simply not equipped to survive in the wild. If our new buzzard was reared in captivity and then misguidedly ‘set free’, then his current plight just serves to prove the point!

But we can assure anyone who is at all concerned that he will have the very best of care and a safe, comfortable environment here with us for the rest of his natural life. Why not come and see for yourself!

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Yes, love is in the air (again)

Seven days ago we were hopeful that 'spring had sprung' and, apart from a couple of lingering frosts this week, there are still more signs that mother nature is waking up from her long sleep.

Great proof of this is in our woodland walk, where the primroses are already blooming and there is an abundance of green foliage where the bluebells and red campion are beginning to flourish.

The primroses are up, whilst bluebells & red campion show first signs of life

On the hospital front, the Tawny Owl with the infected foot is doing well, though we thought it appropriate to keep him in the flight recovery aviary for a few more days, just to be on the safe side; hopefully he will be flying free again within the week.

The second Tawny Owl brought in recently - the one who appeared to have been in some kind of road traffic accident we reported on last week - benefited from a quiet spell in the hospital and was successfully hacked back to the wild during the week.

Demonstrating the superb camouflage of the Tawny Owl, our road casualty from last week was released this week and we managed to capture a snap of him hiding amongst the ivy...

Romance appears to be well & truly in the air as far as the birds are concerned, with our Great Horned Owls among the first to demonstrate that they are 'getting in the mood' (to use Andy’s technical term) for breeding again as they go through their pretty agressive mating display. This pair have successfully bred for the last two years and are a very good mum and dad - so here's hoping!

Huron & Phoenix are in the mood for lurve and both are strutting their stuff with a mating display typical of the Great Horned Owl

Meanwhile, as we benefit from improving weather, preparations continue for the new season of flying displays which start early in April and most of the birds that participate are pretty much up and running, or perhaps I should say, flying.

Now is the time when our avian friends are exercised regularly to acclimatise them to their natural flying weight. For the Owls, this entails some fairly stately flying back & forth to the glove of the falconers, but for some of the falcons the exercise regime is more vigorous in nature as the falcons swoop & dive to a 'swing lure'- a leather pad attached to the end of an eight foot line onto which a tasty morsel is tied, which is skilfully swung by the falconer to simulate the way that the falcon would chase its aerial prey in the wilds.

Three more raptors have also now come back into training this week and are out on their perches enjoying the warm spring sun. Taiga, the Great Grey Owl; Aukland. the Boobok Owl and Ash, the Common Buzzard are each an important part of the team here as they are the ons involved in the half day hawk and owl awareness sessions that the sanctuary runs in the summer.

And last but not least, the human team are continuing to make impressive improvements here at SOS. The gift shop has had a makeover and looks very bright and fresh andAndy has put the finishing touches to the new children's playhouse and the pavilion has finally been completed, so all in all, we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to the Centre again as the drab days of winter recede.

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Spring has sprung...

Despite the lingering frosts and a slight reluctance for the weather to finally shake off winter, blue skies over the Sanctuary over the last few days have given us all hope that spring is indeed on the way. And there are signs that our raptors are beginning to feel the same way too - on Friday of this week Andy was surprised and delighted to discover that a Lanner had produced two beautiful eggs, shortly followed by a third.

The expectation is, that the Lanner will lay a fourth egg some time over the weekend. Unfortunately, this particular young lady has a bit of a reputation for smashing her eggs, so the plan is that they will be taken away after about twelve days and put into the incubator to hatch.

Amongst other things, now is the time when the incubator is thoroughly cleaned out and disinfected, ready for just such an eventuality. Although left spic and span at the end of each season, the incubator is re-sanitized again at the beginning of every new season, just to be totally on the safe side.

This Goshawk is the first tenant of the new creche aviaries

Improvements are being made all the time at the sanctuary and over the last couple of weeks Dean and Andy have been working hard to put up the three new crèche aviaries. At last they have been completed, creosoted and secured with netting (the netting covers not just the top, but also the whole of the inside of each aviary so that the birds can't hurt themselves when they fly around). The aviaries definitely provide five star accommodation for their new occupants; one has a young Goshawk in and the other a new Saker Falcon.

On the road to recovery - the ‘bumblefoot’ Tawny (see our recent story) is getting better & due for release soon - the ‘seeing eye’ above him is part of our CCTV system, which enables us to keep an eye on vulnerable birds without disturbing them

You may remember that of late we have been concerned about a young Tawny Owl that came into the Sanctuary back in December but are now pleased to report that, despite the setback of an infected foot, the Tawny has now finished a course of antibiotics and things are looking much better. At present, he is resting in one of our flight recovery aviaries (which you can see in the 'Work of the SOS' section) and it looks as though, weather permitting, it may be possible to hack him back to the wild some time next week. Fingers crossed!

We think this recent inmate was the victim of a glancing blow from a passing car or van - but he is not seriously harmed and should also be released soon...

But, there’s never a dull moment here and just as one Tawny is about to be released, another has landed on our doorstep. It appears as though this one has been in some kind of road traffic accident, thankfully after a thorough investigation the falconers are fairly certain that there is no major damage. Although a certain amount of blood in the Tawny's mouth was of some concern, checks to wings, feet, vision, hearing etc seem to suggest that he was probably the victim of a glancing blow from a windscreen or, perhaps, the top of a van. More specifically, the Tawny's awareness seems to be absolutely fine, which thankfully suggests that there isn't any brain damage. Forty-eight hours under observation in the sanctuary's raptor hospital will be sufficient to see whether the Tawny is well enough to be released and, as always, we will keep you updated on developments.

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A Sad Loss

It is with very much regret that we announce the unexpected & tragic demise of one of the Trustees of the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, Mrs Paula Beckett, who died recently as a result of complications which followed a recent onset of double pneumonia.

Paula has been associated with S.O.S. since its establishment and a Trustee for the past four years. She served the charity in a supervisory capacity with humour, good grace and a natural degree of common sense which proved invaluable. Her sparky character and behind-the-scenes diligence in monitoring the execution of our responsibilities will be much missed by everyone involved with the running of Suffolk Owl Sanctuary.

Paula is succeeded by her husband Fred and three young children, to whom we are sure you will join us in extending heartfelt condolences.

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Hedgerow Visitors

As you may imagine, the conservation of owls & other birds of prey is extremely important to us here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. However, we are also equally interested in the welfare of the native songbirds species & throughout the year, Brian Thompson and his band of volunteers from the British Trust for Ornithology regularly visit us here to ring the various species that frequent the Woodland Walk at Stonham Aspal.

Dunnock (Courtesy www.blueskybirds.co.uk)

We have just had the BTO's annual report on the birds ringed here last year, the result of their series of visits during 2008. During the breeding season, Brian rings the pulli (youngsters in the nest) found on the site. Thereafter, birds are periodically caught in ‘mist nets’, which resemble large volleyball nets strung between two poles: used by trained professionals, they are a very efficient way of catching wild birds in flight with very little risk to their safety and well-being. Once caught, the birds are then very carefully removed, weighed, sexed, aged and then ringed before being safely released.

Yellowhammer (Courtesy www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk)

By and large we had more birds from the Tit and Finch families recorded than any other species, but the variety was surprisingly diverse. The list for 2008 included a Woodpigeon, wild Little and Tawny Owls, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wrens, quite a few Dunnocks, Robins, a number of Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Starlings, a House Sparrow, Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Yellowhammers.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Courtesy www.birding.in)

In total, there were 171 birds recorded here last year. Not a vast number, but with all the other recordings made across Britain, these statistics help to compile a valuable historical record which helps the BTO see trends in the various species and to assess whether they are increasing or declining in number. Other vital information such as details of breeding, distribution and movement can also be gleaned from the overall statistics.

Back in the here and now, life continues to be busy at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. The new aviaries are coming on a treat and the re-acclimatisation of the flight display team after a winter of moulting, rest & recuperation goes on… more of all that anon. And just to keep you updated, our poor Tawny Owl from last week is still receiving treatment for its infected foot - hopefully, all will be resolved successfully without undue delay.

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If at first you don't succeed...

As usual, amidst the excitement of new aviaries being built, floods, snow-storms and getting the display birds back to fitness, the important work of raptor conservation continues at SOS.

At the moment, thankfully, the hospital is relatively quiet, with the exception of a tawny owl that arrived on the SOS doorstep back on the 8th December 2008.

As with many of the birds of prey who come to us here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, this tawny owl was in a pretty poor condition. Apart from being in a state of distress, he was also very dehydrated which, in a bird of prey, can be as devastating as starvation. Our first priority was to get some fluids back into the poor little fellow via a process known as ‘crop tubing’. This enables important fluids to be introduced from the throat directly to the stomach. It can look a little bit uncomfortable, but it’s the most effective way of ensuring that these essential fluids, including glucose and vitamins, are released into the bird’s system. It is an absolutely vital element to aid the process of recovery.

Once the tawny owl was in a fit state to be properly examined, the falconers were able to assess any damage more clearly. It was obvious that the owl had an injured toe and, on closer inspection, it was agreed that the best option was to amputate it.

Once again, as on so many occasions, the team at Stowe Vets were called in and with their help and expertise, the amputation went smoothly and we hoped that the tawny owl was now well on the road to recovery.

Ah, well, best laid plans…

On the morning of Friday 20th February 2009 (which just goes to show how long it can take to rehabilitate an injured bird of prey) one of the falconers discovered that the tawny had an infection in the foot which had had the toe amputated. So on Friday afternoon, we waved Dean back off to Stowe Vets again and…

Well, as soon as we know the outcome, you will too!

For the moment, life at SOS trundles on.

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Topped and Tailed

The first week in February is an exciting time as the falconers at the Centre start to look ahead to the new display season, when many of our birds are flown free to demonstrate to our visitors their many & varied aerial skills. This year, the season begins on Good Friday in mid-April; not as far away as it seems - but hopefully considerably warmer! There's a lot to be done in preparation and first priority is to begin to reclaim some of the display team.

Having had a good rest over the winter months, the first raptors to be reclaimed at SOS were 'Comet', the male Peregrine Falcon and 'Nell', the Saker Falcon. Both Comet and Nell have had an extra long sabbatical from flying, as they both began to moult early at the end of last season (moulting is where raptors drop old feathers to make way for new ones to grow). Now that they have finished their moult, their retraining can begin in earnest.

Initially, once Comet and Nell had been reclaimed, the first thing the falconers did was to place a hood over each bird's head. This helps to keep them nice and calm whilst the rest of the necessary equipment is attached. Next, each bird had an anklet, jess and bell fastened to its leg. The jess is part of a tethering system for attaching the bird to a perch or glove. The bell helps the falconer to keep track of a bird when it's flying free. After this Comet and Nell each had a swivel and leash attached, which helps to prevent them from getting tangled up on their perches.

New jesses & bells are fitted, giving the falconer an aural take on where his charges are!

Whilst the birds are relaxed & quiet, two other important bits of ‘bird m.o.t’ are undertaken - coping, by which any overgrown elements of the beak are gently & carefully filed back so the creature has no difficulty eating; and ‘clipping’, a process where the over-long talons are clipped back. Then comes the important fitting of the 'tailmount', which allows a transmitter to be affixed before the bird is flown free - if one of the falcons suddenly gets a bit of 'wander lust', the falconer can easily keep track of it so that it doesn't get lost.

“Coping” - gently filing away any overgrowth of the beak

Now complete with their various bits of equipment, it was time for Comet and Nell to have their first 'weigh in' - something we all dread post Christmas! Comet weighed in at 1lb, 9.5 oz; just a little on the tubby side - time to cut out the mince pies and start up the exercise regime! Nell weighed 2lb, 4.5 oz - slightly lean for her species, so the weeks ahead will be used to build up her flight fitness.

At last Comet and Nell were ready to put on their perches, where they settled comfortably as though they had never been away.

And so the new falconry year begins!

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News of Poor Wolter...

Welcome back to the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary blog. We would like to wish you all a slightly belated, but none-the-less heartfelt, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Life has been extremely busy at the sanctuary since the posting of our last blog and we have a number of exciting projects lined up for 2009 - about which, more in a minute.

But first, you may remember just over a year ago, we posted a story about ‘Poor Wolter’, who also featured on our ‘adopt-an-owl’ leaflets. To recap briefly, Wolter came to us in a rather confused state, with a terrific shiner, looking as though he had tackled Mike Tyson.

Since then we have had many interested enquiries about Wolter’s state of health, but we can’t give you an up-to-date report because, thankfully, he’s flying free back in the wild - and we haven’t seen him since his release. But suffice to say we hope the healing benefits of time, lots of TLC and, as always, the skill and dedication of the team here at SOS, stood him in good stead since we sucessfully hacked him back to his natural environment.

Now, a lot’s been going on here at the Sanctuary over the winter, and over the next few weeks we’ll bring you up to speed on a variety of topics. We’ve been working hard to produce a new teacher’s pack for use in primary schools - our aim being not only to inform young people about birds of prey, but also to help raise awareness of the importance of conservation issues and protection of wild animals in a local and global context. If you’d like to know more, please email info@owl-help.org.uk

Meanwhile Andy and his team are also working away in all weathers repairin’ and a’fixin’ the aviaries, and - following our successful DEFRA Inspection - making sure we comply with the many new rules & regulations that have recently come into play for establishments like ours in the interests of the health & safety not only of our avian wards, but also human visitors, too!

We’ve also been planning our new events schedule for 2009 with all kinds of entertainments and holiday fun for all the family, as well as some treats especially for all those hard working mums and dads, too. Check out the S.O.S. Events 2009 page for the list so far... but watch this space for further additions, or better still, subscribe to our RSS Feed by simply clicking the button at the bottom of the column to the left here - then all the news from the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary will automatically be delivered to your computer or phone whenever it’s published.

Finally, a couple of days ago, we witnessed a nostalgic arrival at our doors in the shape of this rather handsome vintage bus. Its occupants alighted without the slightest idea of what to expect, as they were part of an enthralling mystery tour from Norwich. But our team were ready and waiting to enlighten them with a guided tour of the centre, and we understand a good time was had by all!

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All's Well...

A week is a long time in falconry, and just seven days ago we were all very much down in the dumps following the break-in at S.O.S., during the course of which 10 owls were irresponsibly released by vandals as they smashed their way through 30 of the aviaries at the centre, leaving a trail of some £2000 worth of damage to locks, woodwork & netting behind them.  

Police continued to use the evidence they gathered to find the perpetrators, and want to speak to a group of three men aged in their late teens to mid 20s who were seen walking along the A1120 towards the A140 near to the sanctuary at about 8.30am on Friday 6th September. They had shoulder-length hair and were carrying bags. Calls in relation to this incident should be made to Pc Paul Cocksedge at Eye Police, 01284 774100 or Crimestoppers, 0800 555111.

Meanwhile, a week later we’re very pleased to report that things are now getting back to normal. Following an anxious time when we pondered the fate of Isis, the Pharaohs Eagle Owl - the only raptor who had not made it back to the fold after an intensive week of hunting and gathering by our falconry team - a wet and bedraggled creature returned to the Sanctuary late on Friday afternoon.

Returned to the fold - Isis was safely gathered in on Friday afternoon

That was Matt, our head falconer, soaked to the skin and muddy to the elbows. However, he did have with him Isis, who had finally retrieved from a garden just a couple of miles from the centre. Pleased to say, Isis appeared none the worse for wear if perhaps a little hungry - a kindly neighbour had alerted us to his whereabouts mid-week and Matt, Andy & Dean then paid daily visits to leave food in the vicinity, but though Isis was reluctant to be caught up in the early days, Matt is convinced the thought of a proper meal was what probably diluted his resolve to remain in splendid isolation up a tree for much longer.

OVERWHELMING SUPPORT 

It has to be said we were surprised by the levels of publicity the event generated, but even more so, by the amount of sympathy and generosity which has poured forth from well wishers since last weekend. Suffice it to say your support has been very encouraging in the face of adversity, and we thank each and every one of you for your heartening messages!

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Last weekend saw the East Anglian Country & Falconry Fair take place at Stonham Barns, right next to the Sanctuary, We would love to say it was a rip-roaring success - and for many it was - but the cloud of gloom being experienced by our staff was perfectly matched by the rain clouds that dominated the skies for much of the event, soaking a great many people in the process.  

Nevertheless, falconers being a hearty lot and well used to tramping cold, wet and muddy landscapes throughout the winter as they give their birds the freedom of the skies, were undeterred by the downpours and all had a good time meeting suppliers, colleagues and associates as they swapped stories & experiences. We are sorry that the persistent rain may have spoiled the day for some of our younger visitors but be assured, we’ll have ‘a word upstairs’ to see if we can ensure good weather for next year’s event!

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Attacked by Vandals

As you may have heard or seen on national radio and TV, we're sad to report the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary was attacked by vandals on Thursday evening last.

Breaking in through one of the perimeter hedges, the perpetrators used bolt cutters and brute force to cut off the security locks of 30 aviaries in an attempt to release the enclosed birds from their habitats. Luckily only a dozen birds flew off, with the remainder choosing to stay put in their familiar surroundings.

Manager Andy Hulme discovered the crime when he arrived for work at 8.30am on Friday, noticing one of the Snowy Owls sitting loose on a grassed area at the centre. A quick investigation revealed the magnitude of the damage, and the discovery of one of the released Eagles attacking a Harris Hawk on our flying ground. which was a distressing sight.

Andy & a policeman inspect the damage

Having separated and re-housed these two, our immediate thought was for the survival of the birds that had been set loose, because with one exception they were hand reared, non native species who would - without the immediate knowledge & experience of fending for themselves - find it difficult to survive in the wild for more than a few days without nourishment. Paradoxically our greatest fear was for one of our tiniest birds, Titch the Burrowing Owl, who as a very small desert-dwelling species would be unable to find a suitable diet even perchance and would also be subject to mobbing or attack by larger birds.

The locks of 30 aviaries were smashed and birds released

The media were soon to pick up on this aspect of the story and led with it as the main aspect of their reporting - "Free to Die" was one newspaper headline, followed by an article castigating the callousness of those who committed the act, and pre-supposing that should the vandals be activists, they were very ignorant ones.  

For our part, we think animal rights activists are unlikely to be behind the break-in, as in our experience they are usually well intentioned, have a considered knowledge of their targets and usually claim responsibility for their actions.  

Rather, we think that this was a case of willful vandalism by those who did not appreciate that they were putting the lives of the birds at risk, and we are just left to wonder how, when we spend so much of our time caring for injured birds and releasing them back to the wild, as well as erecting a network of nestboxes in the wild to help sustain non-captive populations of endangered species, anyone should single us out for attack.

Nevertheless we are pleased to report that throughout the last couple of days Andy and his team, aided and abetted by a number of volunteers who turned up at the Sanctuary to help, managed to retrieve 11 of the 12 escapees, the majority of who were found roosting in trees in the vicinity. Naturally, there was a whoop of delight when, around 5.30pm on Friday a very bedraggled and desolate Titch was found in a neighbouring copse by Matt, our sharp-eyed head falconer!

Titch was eventually found bedraggled but none the worst for wear…

Through Saturday & Sunday, our hunt went on for the missing bird, whilst the police continue to work with some possibly incriminating evidence they removed from the crime scene, to catch the criminals.

Meanwhile we would like to thank all of you who e-mailed or telephoned your support & commiseration's from all parts of the UK following the broadcast of the news in the afternoon; and also to our loyal workforce and band of volunteers who spent cold, wet & worried days out in the field trying to salvage the situation. You have done a marvellous job.

To the perpetrators, we say this: if you have issues about the work of the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary and its activities and would like to discuss them, please contact us - we will be happy to illustrate and demonstrate (we are sure, to beyond reasonable doubt) that the work we do is valid, and that the destructive action taken by whoever wilfully let loose these birds did nothing the improve their quality of life or chances of survival - in fact, you did exactly the reverse.

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A Sticky Situation

An odd case of “Barn Owl Meets Fly Papers” - this mature bird fell down a chimney but in trying to find an exit, he encountered fly-papers - mayhem ensued! It took hours of skill & patience to disentangle his feathers without damage and he was released fit & well!

A Tiny Handful - this pair of Little Owls were released after attention

Meanwhile this pair of unrelated Little Owls were brought into S.O.S. separately - one with a leg so severely entangled in twine we thought at first amputation might be the only course of action. But it recovered in time and with the other - a foundling - both were ‘hacked back’ to their natural surroundings soon after.

Downy but not out - once he has matured, this young foundling will be released back to the wild

This Barn Owlet was found abandoned (if their chicks fall from their nest, adult Barn Owls will pay no further heed to their offspring and so they remain unfed) but we were able to resuscitate him - he is now fledging nicely and will soon be flying free.

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One Planet Living Award

We were very pleased to be the recipients of a special honour earlier this year when we received a grant under the B&Q One Planet Living Award Scheme. The scheme aims to help organisations across the UK which are working on projects that aim to enhance the local community and will help us build a sheltered observation station for visitors to the Sanctuary and gain some respite from the Suffolk Downpours! Seen here at the presentation centre are (right) Sir Michael Lord, M.P. for Central Suffolk together with (from left) Andy & Pungu our Bateleur Eagle; our good friends Dean & Denise from B&Q Ipswich and S.O.S. stalwart Marie Robinson who puts such a lot effort into our fundraising activities. Well done all!

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Waveney Owl Project Update

As reported in our blog earlier this year, SOS made a donation towards the purchase of nest boxes for erection throughout the Waveney Valley and Gipping Valley schemes organised by the Thornham Owl Project volunteer group.

Here one of their guiding lights, Roger Buxton, brings us up to date on progress:

“Box checking continued throughout June, with an additional two pairs of Tawny Owls fledging four chicks being found in Barn Owl boxes, making a total of fifteen Tawny chicks fledged from nine nest box sites.

There’s good news on the usage of Little Owl, in that two pairs have raised four chicks using the boxes we provided. There does appear to be a reluctance for Little Owls to use artificial nest sites, but this could be attributed to the availability of more natural nest sites in the area for this species of owl.

One of the Little Owls about to be put back into the nest after ringing

The checking of Barn Owl boxes continued into July. Eleven chicks and five adult birds have been ringed so far and there are a further nine sites which have eggs or very young chicks in them, which we will continue to monitor these. As in 2007, there are two pairs of owls nesting in boxes in the Gipping Valley, with the other boxes showing signs of being used as roosts.

Careful handling is required when ringing young Barn Owl chicks like this one

The bulk of our success seems to continue in the Waveney Valley, where two of the chicks we ringed last year are now breeding adult birds. However the breeding activity of Barn Owls here does appear to be very irregular this year, with a number of nest sites being abandoned. We suspect one of the possible reasons for this may be the rather cold and wet weather conditions that prevailed through most of June, which had a detrimental effect on the breeding activity of their main diet, the Vole.

Kestrel chicks ringed so far this year total twenty from eight nest box sites, with a further four boxes which have eggs or very young chicks in - we will continue to monitor these. Boxes designed primarily for Barn Owls continue to be used successfully by Kestrels.

Stock Doves also continue to use Barn Owl boxes and so far this year eighteen chicks have been ringed.”

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He comes from a land down under!

Three stages of Bookbook - from 1 week to 5 weeks

As regular readers of the blog will be aware, we have had a good breeding season at SOS this year and would like to introduce our latest member of the ‘team’ - one which adds another degree of international dimension to the Owls that reside here.

Auckland’ (or ‘Auckie’ as he is affectionately known) was hatched here at the centre in May and has proved to be quite a character. He is the second chick that our pair of Boobook Owls, Darwin and Tasmin have produced: his training went very well and he has already become a valued member of the display team.

Boobook Owls are native to Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea - a small brown owl which is about as common as our own Tawny Owl in terms of numbers in the wild.

Bookbook Owls inhabit woodland areas and though especially favouring Eucalyptus plantations, can be found almost anywhere where there are trees including even in inner city parks. They primarily catch insects - either in flight, straight off the ground or by picking them from vegetation. The Boobook may also take small mammals such as mice, and even bats & birds up to the size of Sparrows. They will also take lizards basking in the early morning sun on rocks and tree trunks.

Getting its name from the distinct “boo - book” call it makes, Boobooks breed between August to October, building nests in tree cavities. They lay 2 - 3 eggs which are incubated for up to 35 days: the young will be ready to fledge by the time they are 5 weeks old and usually remain with the parents for a further 2 - 3 months.  

Although widespread and unthreatened in the wild, the introduction of the Little Owl to New Zealand about 60 years ago has given the Boobook competition for nesting sites and food, tough this has not proven to reduce the native numbers.

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South America comes to Suffolk...

We'd like to tell you about two new birds who have joined us at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary - a pair of Yellow Headed Caracaras. The distinctive character, gait, feeding habits & colouring of these intelligent avians will add an interesting dimension for those that visit the Sanctuary to learn all about birds of prey, their lifestyles & conservation.

Caracaras belong to the family of falcons known as Falcondae. They are native to the South American continent, with the Yellow Headed variety living on the savannah, in swamps & around forest edges from Nicaragua to northern Argentina, whilst other of the genus live high in the Andean mountains. They are also now found on the islands of Trinidad & Tobago.

Though of the falcon family, Caracaras do not resemble ‘familiar’ falcons at all. They have much longer legs and necks, with rounded wings and, unlike other falcons, are not fast-flying aerial hunters but rather sluggish on the wing. This is no doubt connected to the biggest difference between them and their more dextrous relatives, in that they feed predominantly by scavenging for carrion. 

In common with other carrion feeders - vultures, for instance - Caracaras have evolved with bare heads and pointed beaks, and feet designed to walk along the ground rather than grasp & hold prey. The Yellow Headed Caracara eats anything from decaying crocodiles and other amphibians through to snails and the smallest of insects. As a species, it often scours the territory in large groups which natively fly together from one feeding ground to the other. However, all is not sweetness and light amongst these scavenging groups, for once the birds have discovered a good feeding site such as the carcass of a cow, they will become dominant and aggressive towards each other, and have even been known to force the food from another bird's gullet.

Caracaras are also known as the Tick Bird, as they enjoy resting on the backs of grazing cattle and removing ticks and parasites from the backs of the bovines, even on some occasions feeding on open wounds by pulling at the flesh.

Unlike true falcons, the Caracara builds its own nest out of twigs and vegetation rather than inhabiting a ‘scrape’ on the side of a mountain or rocky outcrop. The nests are usually at the topmost part of a high tree, with a particular favorite being the top of Palm trees. Two eggs are usually laid each year and are incubated for approx. 4 weeks. The young are ready to fledge once they are about 40 days old. This tends to be at the beginning of the rainy season when food is plenty and readily available.

The Caracara is the national emblem of Mexico and is a bird which has adapted readily to urban areas which, after the American Black Vulture,is the most easily seen bird of prey in Latin American cities.

Our plan is to have our new additions take part in our flying demonstrations, to compare their natural intelligence and carrion tendencies with the lifestyles of other birds at the centre - an interesting and often amusing site. Why not pop in and meet them next time you are passing?

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