Rest, Recuperate...

Last week we promised you an update on the resident birds in the care of our raptor hospital here at S.O.S and we have been quite busy just recently. As you may recall from previous years, this is an especially hectic time where owl chicks are concerned and in particular Tawny Owl chicks, who seem to find their way out of their nests with remarkable regularity. It is concerning to see a small, defenceless creature sitting forlornly at the bottom of a tree but, by and large, if it’s a Tawny Owlet, the chances are mum and dad know exactly where it is and will continue to look after it.

Nevertheless, we have had a number of calls to the Sanctuary in the last few days, asking for advice about apparently orphaned birds and generally our advice is to put the youngster back in the nearest tree if at all possible and if possible, keep an eye on it for 24 hours. Sometimes of course, circumstances don’t allow for this and we have had some instances, such as when a youngster appeared on a lady’s window ledge, when we suggest that it would be better to bring the bird in to us or take it to the nearest vet if we are too far away.

Recently, Stowe Vets contacted our Conservation Officer Dean, to say that they had been given a baby Tawny Owl by a member of the public. Their examinations of it showed that there was nothing at all wrong, apart from the fact that it was too young to fend for itself in the wild. The Tawny Owlet is now residing with us at the Sanctuary, where it will be fed and cared for until it’s old enough to hunt and look after itself, when it will then be hacked back to the wild. The falconers will be extremely careful whilst the owlet is with us not to handle it at all un-necessarily, as it is vital that it retains its wild state and doesn’t imprint on human beings at all.

I am pleased to report that we have also had two very happy endings over the last few days. In our first May blog, we reported on a Tawny Owl that had clearly been the victim of a road traffic accident. Apart from some minor injuries and being rather thin, there didn’t appear to be too much wrong and after a couple of weeks of rest and relaxation and a few substantial meals, it was back to a healthy weight and looking as good as new. After a last health check, the Tawny was finally released last Sunday.

Another success story was the Musket we reported on at the beginning of this month, which appeared to have pulled a ligament. Again, all that was required was some recuperation time in one of the Sanctuary’s rehabilitation aviaries and in no time at all the bird was fit for release. As there was no indication of where the Musket was found, Dean elected to release it in a local wood known as being a good area for Sparrowhawks and a circumstance which presents an excellent opportunity to add a fresh bloodline to the area.

Our latest arrivals were four little owl chicks, but more about that in our next blog, when we will also have information about how our nest box scheme is doing.

New beginnings...

All in a Day’s Work
This time of year is a very special time at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, when (hopefully) we see the advent of some small, fluffy miracles. If you have been keeping up with our blog, you will know that a couple of weeks ago two European Owls hatched, just two days apart. You would think that two days would make very little difference in the scheme of things, but actually, not only do these little creatures grow at an alarming rate, but the disparity in their sizes is quite astonishing.

Little & Large: Hand-feeding these young owlets in the early stage is almost a full-time occupation - and so is clearing up afterwards!

Little & Large: Hand-feeding these young owlets in the early stage is almost a full-time occupation - and so is clearing up afterwards!

As with all young owlets they do take a great deal of care and attention and as I’ve mentioned before they do need feeding every four hours. This afternoon I was able to observe one of our volunteers, Kate Knight, deftly handling the tweezers as she fed our hungry youngsters some delicious pieces of gourmet chick. Neither of the owls is yet of a size to swallow a whole chick, but the difference in size of the pieces they are able to digest is quite remarkable. It’s all very scientific! What’s not at all scientific, but totally inevitable is what happens five to ten minutes after the chicks have been fed, which I’m sure doesn’t need elaborating on. It does however mean that keeping the chicks in a clean environment is a fairly constant job too. And whoever does the feeding…

All of our current chicks are doing well and the hot off the press news is that we are pretty sure one of the Saker Falcon eggs is fertile and we’re also sure that our Red Kites are laying. As always, we’ll keep you updated.

Hospital News

This grounded young Musket has probably pulled a ligament, so will spend some time in one of the re-hab aviaries before release back to the wild. Note the cautious grip of the falconer makes sure those sharp talons don’t make contact!

This grounded young Musket has probably pulled a ligament, so will spend some time in one of the re-hab aviaries before release back to the wild. Note the cautious grip of the falconer makes sure those sharp talons don’t make contact!

You may remember from last week’s blog that many of our admittances to the raptor hospital are due to Road Traffic Accidents. This isn’t always the case however and, as with a recent case, sometimes there isn’t a clear reason why a bird is injured. This week we were brought a Musket to look after, which came to us via the Barns Vet Practice and had been found by a client of theirs. (A Musket is a male Sparrowhawk, which in the 15th Century would have been flown by a Holy Water Clerk, but that’s another story!) 

When he was found, he clearly couldn’t fly, although initially there was no obvious sign of injury. Further examination led to the diagnosis that the bird had probably pulled a ligament, so it will just take time for this to heal. So he’s is now in a rehabilitation aviary, where he can exercise itself safely and where the falconers can keep a discreet but close eye on his recovery prior to release back to the wild.

Win some...

Fighting the Good Fight

It’s a sad fact that a large percentage of the injured birds of prey that are brought to us here at the Sanctuary have been the victims of some kind of Road Traffic Accident (RTA). Unfortunately, birds have no concept of what a car is or the threat it poses to them, which is why those annoying pigeons that stay in the road until the very last second, when you’re sure you’re going to mangle them, are not actually playing chicken. They really don’t know you’re coming until you’re amost there!

Also, in a recent blog we considered the veracity of the age old myth ‘wise old owl’. Unfortunately, an owl hunting for a nice juicy vole right across your driving path only has the right amount of brainpower to follow its goal. It can’t reason that maybe it should steer around an oncoming object to avoid a collision. Likewise, if it happens to be devouring a catch right by the side of the road it has no understanding that this may not be the safest place to eat your breakfast.

Similarly, the size of an owl often belies its weight - the bird below weighs only a few ounces, despite it fairly bulky appearance. So should a bird happen to be flying across the road at a time when a large or fast vehicle is passing, though it may not actually be hit, the backdraft is often sufficient to crash the bird into the road, either concussing it or damaging it and sometimes incapacitating it so that it is run over by following traffic.

Over the last few days we have had two Tawny Owls brought in to the Hospital, both of which were likely victims of RTAs. The first had clearly been hit by a car: close examination by Conservation Officer Dean revealed that it was missing some tail feathers, had a slightly dilated eye and a small amount of blood in the ears under the skin. The owl was also rather thin, but fortunately there appeared to be no damage to any of its extremities, so we’re of the opinion that it has a good chance of making a full recovery.

This RTA victim will be housed in a secluded recuperation aviary until it’s fit enough to be released back to the wild

This RTA victim will be housed in a secluded recuperation aviary until it’s fit enough to be released back to the wild

The Tawny is now in one of our rehabilitation aviaries, where it will have a chance to rest and recuperate and to build up its weight and strength again. The rehabilitation aviaries are specifically designed to allow the falconers to administer the necessary TLC whilst having the minimal amount of contact with the bird. It is vitally important that a wild bird doesn’t begin to imprint and become too reliant on human beings, thus making its return to the wild that much harder.

Our second Tawny Owl was brought in by a chap who found it on the side of the road. Having kept it covered so that it was quiet and calm, he then brought it in to the Sanctuary, where Andy had a good look at it and almost immediately came to the conclusion it was another RTA victim The poor thing had a severely broken right wing and Andy was afraid that the prognosis didn’t look good.

Unfortunately, a trip to the vet confirmed our worst fears; there was nothing that could be done to put the Tawny Owl to rights and it was humanely put to sleep. Although it’s always very sad when this happens, whatever the diagnosis for an injured bird may be, its welfare and estimated quality of life are always the falconers’ top priorities for consideration.

Soaring populations?

Mersea Island Wildlife Forum
As regular readers of our blog are aware, not only do we like to keep you informed about what’s happening at home, we also aim to keep abreast of the wider raptor picture both locally and nationally. Last week our General Manager Andy gave a talk about native birds of prey to the Mersea Island Wildlife Forum, which raised some interesting points of view.

As Andy’s talk was based on our native UK raptors, he took along Comet the Peregrine Falcon and Ash the Common Buzzard. Along with the Sparrowhawk, these two species are good examples of raptors that are now more common in the UK than they have been at any time since bird-of-prey records began.

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The native populations of Peregrine Falcons & Common Buzzards in the wild are generally doing well, but should the need ever arise, what steps might be taken to prevent them becoming too prevalent?

The native populations of Peregrine Falcons & Common Buzzards in the wild
are generally doing well, but should the need ever arise, what steps might
be taken to prevent them becoming too prevalent?

Birds of prey are generally doing very well in Britain at the moment, so Andy posed the question ‘what happens if raptors become so well populated that they are then seen to be having a negative impact on the countryside?’ The most obvious answer would be some sort of cull, but there was a great deal of concern that an open season on certain birds of prey would result in them disappearing entirely from our shores: this has certainly happened before. The consensus of the forum was that if it became necessary to control the population of the more prolific species, managing the number of eggs produced would seem to be a more humane way.

After a short break for that imperative English tradition, the cup of tea, the forum was then open for a question and answer session. The most popular topic for discussion was the re-introduction of the White Tailed Sea Eagle to our shores, a subject that you may remember we raised in our blog of 21.01.10. There has certainly been a great deal of disagreement about this issue and one gentleman at the forum said that on a recent visit to Norfolk he had seen a vast number of anti Sea Eagle signs decorating the highways & byways.

There is also some conjecture about how, if it were to happen, these raptors should be released. Andy raised the concern that, if youngsters were released as many as 75% could die in the first year due to lack of parental support teaching the necessary flying and hunting skills. The most prudent idea would seem to be to capture & re-release young passage birds, which would already have the ability to survive in the wild. For now though, this is a subject that is still being hotly debated.

Back at Base

Back at home, the flying display season has now started and the display birds are enjoying showing off their incredible aerial skills, so we’re hoping for some really good flying weather over the Easter bank holiday. Although spring has been rather shy about appearing so far this year, the signs are that it is finally here. At long last the daffodils are out and some more of our resident birds are doing what comes naturally at this time of year. Jem & Lock our Lanner Falcons are incubating four eggs, our Boobook female Tasmin has disappeared into her nesting box, so it’s highly likely that she’s laying and our Harris Hawks Nova & Larch are also incubating – possibly three eggs, although it hasn’t been ascertained for certain yet. So things are looking positive on the baby front and hopefully we’ll have more good news for you in the near future.

On a sad note

The conservation of birds of prey is one of our primary functions here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, but we are also passionate about all animal conservation, given that all animals have a vital role to play in the world’s various eco-systems.

Our red squirrels provide another of our important conservation projects and Head Falconer Matt is very keen to accelerate our breeding program which has in the past provided young reds for release back to the wild through one of the nationally-organised schemes. So it’s very sad news that the oldest of our small colony passed away last week. However, she had a good life and lived probably a good couple of years longer than the average life-span of a red squirrel.

First signs of Spring...

Signs of spring

At long last, not only are we experiencing the odd rays of watery spring sunshine, but also there are definite signs that things are on the up temperature-wise in the woodland walk. Only small signs; this time last year we had primroses in full bloom and bluebells & red campion showing their first signs of life. This year things are a little behind, but none-the-less, there are some hopeful signs of green pushing their way through the frosty ground.

The other telltale sign that spring is finally on its way is that some of our owls have been getting positively broody. In fact not only broody, but two of our couples are already incubating, which is brilliant news. Our Asian Brown Wood Owls Meluka & Bekash and our European Eagle Owls Rhiea & Sam are already proudly nurturing their eggs. As yet we don’t know how many – General Manager Andy prefers to leave them undisturbed - but we will keep you updated on their progress and also hopefully be able to bring you news of many more happy events in the months to come.

Mews news

The new Mews Room is now virtually complete - the addition of a few more easy-to-clean plastic panels will make the daily wipe-down a less arduous task than hitherto

The new Mews Room is now virtually complete - the addition of a few more easy-to-clean plastic panels will make the daily wipe-down a less arduous task than hitherto

Having worked hard to finish the new falconer’s hut, complete with office, incubator room, food room & staff room, the falconers are now well on the way to completing the new mews room, which is where the birds who spend their days in the weatherings will then be able to rest, safe and secure during the night in their new boxes. The boxes are especially designed with the correct type of perch to suit each bird and aerated doors. The mews is also where the birds are weighed daily to ensure that they are kept at the optimum weight for their health and well-being.

Sadly, you can’t win them all

So far this year, we have had a few heartening stories to report on the hospital front, but it is an unfortunate fact of life that not every bird brought in to us can be rehabilitated and returned to the wild. One case in point was an adult, male Sparrow Hawk, which was brought into the Sanctuary last weekend. A lady who was taking her dog for a walk had found it and it was in a rather sorry state. Close examination of the bird showed that it had a broken wing, so Conservation Officer Dean kept it warm and quiet in the hospital. Unfortunately, Sparrow Hawks tend to be very nervous birds and this one was unable to cope with the shock of the incident and passed away during the night. Not the ideal scenario from the Sanctuary’s point of view, but sadly you just can’t win them all!

First flight

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On a lighter note, I had an unexpected bonus at the Sanctuary today, which was a real treat. Until now I’ve handled the birds to the degree that I’ve had some of them on the glove and am now reasonably proficient at tying the falconer’s knot to put a raptor on its perch. But I’ve never actually flown a bird before, so it was with some trepidation that I agreed when falconer Maz suggested I give it a try. The best bird for a first timer, said Maz, is Baloo our Indian Eagle Owl. Now, when you’re 5 ft nothing as I am, he looks mighty big. In fact I did think my arm was going to fall off as I walked, with him on the glove, up to the flying ground. And I did think when he first flew to me from his perch that it would feel like half a ton of elephant landing on my arm, but truth to tell he was actually as light as a feather. What an incredible thrill to see such a stunning bird gliding smoothing and silently towards me, magnificent wings outstretched and have him land delicately on my glove before soaring majestically off into the air once more! Obviously I’m going to need rather a lot of practice before I’m even halfway proficient at flying a bird-of-prey, but what an exhilarating experience – I can’t wait for the next time!

A Long Haul...

Last August seems like an age ago, although in reality it’s only seven months. Something to do with this winter having felt like it’s lasted a whole year I suspect! Anyway, at the beginning of last August I wrote about a Marsh Harrier which had been brought in to the Sanctuary from Fingringhoe in Essex. Apart from having had a very unpleasant encounter with a shotgun, which resulted in two bits of shot in the poor bird’s wing, it also had a very nasty, open, infected wound on its right foot that was swollen to about three times its original size. 

Raring to go - once the tail feathers have moulted properly, this Marsh Harrier will be released back to its natural habitat

Raring to go - once the tail feathers have moulted properly, this Marsh Harrier will be released back to its natural habitat

The team here had hoped that, all being well, the bird would be released within a few weeks, but unfortunately things weren’t to prove quite so simple. So the harrier has been kept quietly in seclusion with us here since last August and, despite numerous ups and downs and several trips to the vet, is now finally in the best of health. All that remains now is for the bird’s tail to moult down properly and then, fingers crossed, the falconers will finally be able to release it back into its natural habitat.

You may also remember that in last week’s blog I told you about a buzzard which had come in to the hospital. Conservation officer Dean reports that it’s doing well and is now off the antibiotics, so that’s looking really encouraging too!  

Off with the winter pounds!

A couple of weeks ago, the first two of our flying demonstration birds, Mir the Steppe Eagle & Pungu the Bateleur Eagle were reclaimed by head falconer Matt to begin their exercising for the flying displays which start at the beginning of April. Suddenly the time seems to be whipping by fast and before you know it Easter will be upon us, so by next week all the demonstration birds will be out and flexing their flight muscles once again.  

On Thursday, I went to put Bali. the Sanctuary’s Malaysian Brown Wood Owl, out on his perch. He was looking in really fine fettle and definitely somewhat on the plump side. I also put out my mate Aukland, our little Boobook Owl and star of our school visits. I like to think he remembered me after his restful winter break, but his nibble at my glove was probably more to do with his impatience at my slowness with the falconer’s knot than affection! 

Aukland, our feisty Boobook Owl has returned from his winter retreat in fine fettle

Aukland, our feisty Boobook Owl has returned from his winter retreat in fine fettle

Several of the other birds are already enjoying the sunshine – if not yet any actual warmth. Baloo, our Indian Eagle Owl is chattering away on his perch as is his wont, whilst the Harris’ Hawks Saracen & Josh have been pretending that they’re completely wild and honestly have never been on the glove before! Ash, our Common Buzzard kept his back to the sun for most of Thursday, with his wings stretched out in sheer sun-worshipping bliss.  

So it will be a busy time at the Sanctuary from now on, as there are still a number of birds to reclaim and they will all have to be carefully monitored and gradually brought back to the right weight and fitness to enjoy showing off their stunning and incredible aerial skills for the benefit of the many visitors who come here to learn all about the care & conservation of wild birds of prey.

A ray of sunshine...

As you will probably be aware, we like to keep our readers informed about how birds-of-prey are faring not just locally but also across the UK. The really great news is that, all over the country, birds-of-prey are doing better than they have been for years.

The 1950’s & 1960’s were a bad old time for the nation’s raptors, which seem to have been the focus of a merciless mass slaughter – almost, you might say, a heinous witch-hunt. There was no discrimination and the shooting and poisoning of many magnificent, awe inspiring birds caused their serious decline. In some cases, they disappeared from our shores altogether.  

Of course the persecution of birds-of-prey is nothing new, but neither are the attempts to prevent. You may remember from one of last year’s blogs (17.7.09) that Henry Vlll outlawed the killing of Common Buzzards way back in Tudor times. Killing raptors is still illegal today, but it is also, sadly, still a fact of life. 

However as reported her a few weeks ago, in early February a petition of 200,000 signatures was handed to Huw Irranca-Davies, the Wildlife Minister. The petition was backed by the RSPB and solicited an end to the killing of birds-of-prey. The Wildlife Minister was supportive of the proposal and it’s extremely heartening to see such a fantastic public response to the plight of our nation’s raptors.

As for East Anglia, things are really looking up. Marsh Harriers were reduced to just 1 breeding pair in Britain in 1971, but their population is now estimated to be approximately 160 breeding pairs, many of them located in this region! Buzzards too are on their way back, a far more common sight over our skies than at almost any time within the last 200 years. And to top it all there is even a chance that the great White-tailed Sea Eagle will grace our shores once again (see this years blog 21.01.10).  

Back at Base

Things are looking good here at the Sanctuary, too. Just last week, we reported on a Kestrel that had been brought in to the hospital a few weeks ago after having flown into a patio window. As you may recall, the main problem was that it had a very short tail, which made flying a rather hit & miss operation – obviously rather more ‘hit’ than miss in this raptor’s case! Anyway, I’m happy to report that, a few weeks later, with a fully regrown tail and at a good healthy weight, the Kestrel has now been released back into the 
wild.

As a result of an old calcified injury which is making it difficult for this buzzard to fly, it may stay with us rather than be returned to the wild.

As a result of an old calcified injury which is making it difficult for this buzzard to fly, it may stay with us rather than be returned to the wild.

The hospital is more than used to a steady influx of Barn Owls & Tawny Owls, but its latest patient came as something of a surprise. Unusually for us, it’s a Common Buzzard which was found at Kettleburgh in Suffolk, in the middle of a field, unable to fly. A visit to the vet’s unearthed old fractures of the ulna & radius bones in the left wing, both of which had calcified. (Calcification is where the affected part has become abnormally solid as a result of the deposit of calcium salts). The buzzard is now in our large rehab aviary, receiving antibiotics & plenty of TLC. Given the bird’s condition, it’s highly unlikely that it would be able to hunt or fend for itself in the wild again, so we will make sure it has a safe home with us here at the Sanctuary, where it will be well looked after for the rest of its life.

And finally, on a more aesthetic note

Last year we held a competition for A-level students of Northgate High School to produce some owl posters and we were absolutely thrilled with the results. The posters were put up on display in our pavilion and visitors were keen to vote on the poster they liked the best. All the posters were wonderful and all had their fair share of votes, but our eventual and well-deserved winner was Rachel Anne Taylor. You can see the winning picture and all the other entries on our new YOUR PICS webpage - click here.

This year we are running the competition again, this time with an adoption theme in mind. If last year is anything to go by, then we’re in for a treat, so when you come to visit, remember we’ll need your all-important vote!

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch...

Following the fortunes of our feathered friends - and news of the RSPB’s Bird of Prey Pledge campaign

At the time of writing, the rain is pelting down outside and the welcome rays of sun we have experienced for the last couple of days seem to have forsaken us once again. I’m tempted to think I preferred the snow!

As I’m sure everyone is aware, last weekend saw the advent of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, an event that has taken place every January for the last 30 years. Thankfully the weekend weather was pretty much fine and dry, at least in our neck of the woods, so I hope everyone managed to get a good bit of bird spotting done.

The Big Garden Birdwatch is vitally important, because it helps to create an overview of the bird numbers in each region. More importantly, in some ways, it also pinpoints the birds that aren’t spotted, helping to identify any worrying trends in species decline. Whether your interest lies in the conservation of song birds, bees, dormice or raptors, these trends are of crucial importance to us all. Every animal has its part to play in the food chain and in our eco-system and any decline in species suggests that something is not right in a particular habitat. For more information the Big Garden Birdwatch visit

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While you’re at it, and perhaps a little closer to home as far as we are concerned, is news of the RSPB’s Bird of Prey Pledge campaign,designed to send a strong message to this and future governments that the illegal killing of birds of prey is unacceptable, Over the last few months the organisation has been collecting signatures in support of the campaign and this week handed over 210, 567 signatures to DEFRA as tangible proof of the strength of public opinion on the campaign. You can ‘read all about it’ on Mark Avery’s blog - click here to reach it.

BTO Ringing Results for S.O.S. 2009

At the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, we are always keen to contribute to conservation initiatives and you may remember from previous blogs that every year we have regular visits from members of the British Trust for Ornithology, who ring and count the birds that frequent our woodland walk.

Coal Tit Whitethroat

Coal Tit Whitethroat

Black Cap

Black Cap

We have just received the results of their Survey here for 2009, which has provided some interesting results. Last year the total number of song birds counted was 171, this year the total was 254 – a marked increase. As with last year, the largest majority of our feathery visitors was made up of members of the Tit and Finch families, with a fair number of Dunnocks, Robins, House Sparrows and Blackbirds. Other species also included Woodpigeons, Collared Doves, Tawny Owls, Green Woodpeckers, Wrens, Rooks, Starlings and Yellow Hammers.

The most exciting discovery was that we had three ‘first time ever’ visitors to our woodland walk in the shape of two Coal Tits, two Whitethroats and a Blackcap! It’s really encouraging to see such diversity in just this small area and we’re hoping this year to provide an even more enticing habitat for our feathered friends.

Onwards...

Looking forward to 2010
Despite the unrelenting cold snap, everyone at S.O.S. has been hard at it outside preparing for the New Year ahead. The falconers’ huts are well on their way to being finished, Andy and co. having spent the last couple of months insulating & cladding the bare walls of the external structures, laying the floors and sectioning off the interiors as mews, food preparation room, weighing room, incubator room and general office. All-in-all the new buildings are taking shape nicely into what will provide a safe and secure environment as the fulcrum of our activities.

To paraphrase Bob, “It’s not done yet... but it’s gettin’ there”

To paraphrase Bob, “It’s not done yet... but it’s gettin’ there”

Once completed, the yearly round of renovating and repairing the aviaries begins and generally making sure that the Sanctuary is all ship-shape for the season ahead.

It’s also time to start the changeover of the birds that are kept in the weatherings. During the late autumn and winter months, many of the raptors flown on our winter course days take up residence in the open-fronted weatherings by day and retire to the mews room by night, whilst our summer team take a long break away in the aviaries to rest & moult. As spring approaches, the winter team are returned to their spacious aviaries as the falconers begin to reclaim the summer team, who transfer back into the weatherings.

After a winter moult, our Steppe Eagle Mir will soon be back in the air

After a winter moult, our Steppe Eagle Mir will soon be back in the air

A couple of days ago, I watched Matt put out the first two birds of the season and, as ever, was intrigued and delighted by their unmistakable characters. The first out was Mir, the Steppe Eagle, who thoroughly enjoyed stretching her feathers. The second was Pungu the Bateleur Eagle, who flirted outrageously with Matt and was insistent that he scratch her under the chin and on the top of her head. Mir squawked and flapped her wings jealously, but she tends to be a little unpredictable, so advisably Matt declined to give her a scratch too!

The Sanctuary has some really exciting events planned for 2010, so check out the S.O.S. Events 2010 page for the list so far, or watch this space for further additions - just subscribe to our RSS Feed by simply clicking the button at the bottom of the left-hand column of this page and then all the news from the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary will automatically be delivered to your computer or phone whenever it’s published. And not to be left behind, yes, we’re all of a Twitter so if you’d like our hottest news delivered instantly, why not join our band of followers - you’ll be very welcome.

Bitterly cold… or Bitternly Heaven?
Apparently, this winter has not been a misery of chattering teeth and ploughing through snowdrifts for all, in fact it would appear that the severity of the winter weather on the Continent has meant a boom in the number of Bitterns that have been spotted in the British Isles.

Bird reserves across the country have reported seeing this shy bird in far greater numbers and in some cases for the first time ever.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is reported as saying that it has received a large number of photos of Bitterns in some very strange places and also that it believes the UK has seen the arrival of perhaps three times as many Bitterns as in previous years!

The male Bittern has a distinctive booming call, which makes it relatively easy to record and conservation charities are particularly eager to ensure that the British Bittern population doesn’t drop as low as in 1997, when only 11 males were recorded!

Brrrrr... Happy New Year!

From all the Team Here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, we wish you a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Well, as everywhere it’s been a cold and snowy start to 2010 (to put it mildly) but the team braved even the most inclement weather as they struggled in to ensure that all the residents of SOS were well fed and cared for through such an uncharacteristically long and ice-bound cold spell.

This amazing NASA shot showed the whole of the UK unusually all covered in snow

This amazing NASA shot showed the whole of the UK unusually all covered in snow

As usual, the work of the hospital continues no matter what the weather and we have seen several young owls brought in that basically haven’t coped with the conditions too well and have needed some TLC and lots of feeding up to set them to rights again.

The falconers have also been hard at work on the new falconers huts, which are really coming on a treat and which will help to provide even better facilities for the care of the raptors here at SOS.

The Superb White-tailed Sea Eagle…
… is it yet set to soar above the Suffolk coastline?

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In December 2007, our blog reported on the possible re-introduction of the Sea Eagle, sometimes known as the White-tailed Eagle, to Suffolk. However since then there has been a fair amount of controversy about the project, with various parties unable to agree as to the viability of the scheme.

The Sea Eagle is the biggest bird of prey in the Uk, with a wing-span of up to 8ft. The study regarding re-introducing this impressive species to Suffolk began in 2006, because it was considered that Suffolk provided the very best lowland, wetland habitat. David Wood, Chairman of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) said “It could lead to these magnificent birds once more becoming a regular sight over lowland Britain.”

At the time, there were fears that the advent of the Sea Eagle in Suffolk would prove disasterous for the regional Bittern population and it was suggested that the project should be moved to Norfolk. The reception to the idea was not much better there, with fierce opposition from farmers and landowners who were concerned about their free-range piglets and poultry and also their lambs.

It was then decided that more research needed to be done into the possible co-existence of Sea-Eagles and Bitterns and recently, a spokesperson for Natural England has been reported as saying that in light of this research, it would appear that “… any risk presented to Bitterns will be minimal…”. So now the plan is to bring the project back to Suffolk.

The RSPB has suggested that Sea Eagles are in fact quite lazy birds and whilst they will hunt for fish, small mammals and birds they are far more likely to scavenge. However, there is still concern that farmers organisations aren’t being given enough information about the impact that these raptors would have on the area.

In December 2009, the BBC “Look East” programme reported that there was now considerable support for backing the scheme, including from County & District Councils, the RSPB, the Forestry Commission, the Suffolk Wildlife Trust & the East of England Tourist Board.

However the Natural England organisation has recognised the need for more research and more discussions with farmers unions, so any formal consultation wouldn’t be likely before the second half of 2010, with the earliest possible release being August 2011.

So will these glorious birds of prey yet grace our Suffolk coastline? For now we’ll have to wait and see, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted!

Owls About That Then!

As an avid grand prix fan, no-one was more surprised than I to see this little owl sitting at the side - nay, on the edge - of the track at the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos today. 

Not only did he put in appearance during the qualifying session, but turned up on race-day to see Jenson Button take the 2009 Drivers Championship on the same day that the Brawn team took the Constructors Title. Well done all!