Red Hot News

We are delighted to announce the arrival of four very unexpected young ‘uns here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. Not, as you may expect, bird of prey chicks, but tiny Red Squirrel kittens.

They are now about five weeks old and we’re pretty sure there are four youngsters, although it’s difficult to tell for certain. Head Falconer Matt Lott is being very careful to monitor them from a distance and not to cause any disturbance or distress to mum or her babies.

Three of the Red Squirrel Kittens in their nestbox

Three of the Red Squirrel Kittens in their nestbox

Mum came to the Sanctuary from Pensthorpe Wildlife Park in Norfolk, which hosts the BBC Springwatch series. We are tremendously excited by the arrival of the kittens as, although now a year old and at an age when she could begin to breed, we thought mum’s youth and new surroundings would make it unlikely this year.

You may be wondering, ‘Why Red Squirrels at an Owl Sanctuary?’ Well, the Conservation of birds of prey is of vital importance to us here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, but we are also passionate about animal conservation in general. Working with ‘The Friends of Anglesey Red Squirrels’, we are hoping to build up our small colony and help their project to re-introduce more Red Squirrels across the island of Anglesey.

Mum has now moved the youngsters into their drey

Mum has now moved the youngsters into their drey

The babies are doing well and mum has now moved them from the nesting box to the drey she’s prepared for them. It shouldn’t be long before they’re skittering about their new home, playing tag and by the time they’re a mere 13 weeks old they will be more or less fully grown and ready to be independent from mum.

Proud Father - his offspring should grow to be the spitting image...!

Proud Father - his offspring should grow to be the spitting image...!

and a Happy Hackback

It’s always great to report on good news, so this week’s blog has been an especially satisfying one to write. Not only have we had the advent of the Red Squirrel kittens, but also a happy ending to a story that we’ve been following for the last couple of months.

It began at the beginning of June with the arrival of some Little Owl Chicks at the Sanctuary. They suddenly found themselves without a tree to keep their nest in – not the best of situations – and needed a little help and TLC until they were old enough to start their journey back to where they belong.

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One of the perky young Little Owls prior to their trip back to the wild, and the hack box which will be their temporary home until they’re ready to fend for themselves

One of the perky young Little Owls prior to their trip back to the wild, and the hack box which will be their temporary home until they’re ready to fend for themselves

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how they were put in a hack box, the next stage in the process of rehabilitation. Finally, it’s wonderful to be able to report that the sturdy little youngsters are fit and ready to start making their own way in the world, so Conservation Officer Dean went to open the front of the hack box to observe their first attempts at fledging. Of course, they won’t be abandoned! Dean will continue to monitor their progress and leave them food for as long as they need it, but the chances are it won’t be long at all before they can stand on their own eight talons. Great job guys!

On the road...

Educating people about birds of prey and the importance of their conservation is right at the heart of what we do here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. We are especially keen to invest time in today’s youngsters, as they have such an important role to play in the future.

In our blog a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how we aim to enthuse school children about birds of prey, when they visit us at the Centre. Sometimes however, it isn’t possible for schools to come and visit us, so we take our Wise Owl Road Show out to the schools.

Each school has different requirements; the children may be studying a particular period in history, or the day may have a more science-based focus, or it could be simply a day for getting to know all about owls. Whatever the theme, we aim to tailor a visit to what each individual school needs.

At this time of year we can often take young owls along to see the children, which always causes delight

At this time of year we can often take young owls along to see the children, which always causes delight

As a general rule, a school visit includes a talk from one of our fully trained education and falconry staff about birds of prey and about the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary’s three key aims: Conservation, Education and Rehabilitation. Most sessions with a class or group last about an hour to an hour and a half, which allows plenty of time for a quiz or drawing competition, or a more topic-related activity. The most exciting aspect of our visits of course is the chance for children to see one of our striking birds of prey, as it will be the first time many of them will have seen a raptor so close.

We have several birds who are absolute gems when it comes to school visits and each has their own personal charm. Auckland our Boobook Owl (whom you may have seen mentioned in previous blogs) is a seasoned pro and his diminutive size and cute looks always provoke oohs and aahs of admiration. Sometimes we may take Bali our Asian Brown Wood Owl along with us; or Baloo, our Indian eagle Owl - both of whom have stunning looks and are a perfect foil size-wise for Auckland. At other times, we also take Josh the Harris Hawk, to demonstrate to the children some of the differences between owls and other species of raptor.

Josh, one of our Harris’ Hawks, is often used to show youngsters the difference between owls and other types of raptor

Josh, one of our Harris’ Hawks, is often used to show youngsters the difference between owls and other types of raptor

Just recently, Andrew and I visited Dickleburgh Primary School in Norfolk, where the children were having a special Eco-Day. They were all wearing green and were split into their house groups to take part in a carousel of eco-friendly activities, of which we were one. The focus of our visit was mostly concentrated on conservation and we took Bali and Josh along with us to help explain to the children about different birds of prey and about the work we do at the Sanctuary. The children were full of questions and enthusiasm and genuinely enthralled when we took the birds out of their travelling boxes. This time of year also brings a special bonus, as we have lots of fluffy young owl chicks at the centre and we were able to take along a young Wood Owl and Barn Owl, much to the children’s delight.

The highlight of the day was at the very end, when all the children assembled in the hall and sat in two rows with a gap between them. We hadn’t told them that we were going to fly one of the birds, so it came as a real surprise and a treat for them when Andrew put Bali on his perch and walked to the other end of the hall. Despite never having flown in a school environment before, Bali took it all in his stride and wowed his audience with his gorgeous looks and superb, gliding flight. A brilliant day, which both the children and we thoroughly enjoyed.

On the Road (Part Deux)

This is a very busy time at the Sanctuary, with lots of school visits, our daily spectacular flying displays and the numerous events that we have planned for our visitors this summer holiday.  We also like to take time out to attend events elsewhere whenever we have the chance - this gives us the opportunity to spread the word about the work that we do here at the Sanctuary.

Last weekend presented one such occasion, as we were invited to attend the Westwood Park Summer Fair.  It was a large affair, with around 5,000 people attending over the two days.  Set in magnificent surroundings, there was everything from Walk on Water Balls and goats-milk ice-cream to heavy horses and live bands and of course the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary.

Talking the talk, Ashley-style. It’s true about about Mad Dogs & Englishmen ... but our visit to the Westwood Park Summer Fair proved very worthwhile

Talking the talk, Ashley-style. It’s true about about Mad Dogs & Englishmen ... but our visit to the Westwood Park Summer Fair proved very worthwhile

The weekend was spent handing out leaflets and talking to members of the public about the Sanctuary, the raptor hospital and our resident birds of prey.  We were asked a whole range of questions, from people wanting to know about siting nest boxes to a chap who wanted to know about the proposed release of the White Tailed Sea Eagle in Suffolk.  Along with us for the weekend, we had Auckland our little Boobook star, Nightshade our Barn Owl chick and a Malaysian Brown Wood Owl chick, both around 5 weeks old at the time. The sun shone all day so we made sure our young charges were well protected and though a bit tiring for us ‘umans, the event was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

The next day we had another opportunity to spread our wings for a totally different occasion - a talk to the local Rotary Club. The members had been told that we would be giving a talk about the Sanctuary. We used a visual display to illustrate our presentation which featured pictures of the falconry team, the Sanctuary and some of our raptor residents plus information about the key aims of our Charity.

A night out with the birds - this time our hosts were the local Rotary Club who were treated to the dulcet tones of Baloo and the vociferous Bali

A night out with the birds - this time our hosts were the local Rotary Club who were treated to the dulcet tones of Baloo and the vociferous Bali

It was a surprise, however, that we took along a couple of raptors with us as well - Baloo our Indian Eagle Owl & Bali our Malaysian Brown Wood Owl.  Both are very calm and relaxed in company and are extremely stunning to look at in their different ways, especially at an indoor venue but Bali the Talkative has a tremendously loud call, so both birds were kept safely in their travelling boxes until our presentation was over - otherwise he would have given the game away!

Achieving Conservation Goals...

OK, we may not be scoring too highly on the soccer pitch at present, but there are some goals we are able to achieve on the conservation front!

We have often reported on the work that we do in our raptor hospital here at S.O.S., but our aim to aid the conservation of birds of prey also extends much further afield and part of our job is to be on hand to answer queries from members of the public who have seen a bird they can’t identify or need information or help with some kind of raptor dilemma.

We think our French friend was a Buzzard, who when mature will look something like our own Common Buzzard, Ash

We think our French friend was a Buzzard, who when mature will look something like our own Common Buzzard, Ash

One email we received recently came from a lady who lives in France. She and her husband had found a nest that had clearly not been visited for some time but had an abandoned young Buzzard in it. Having only been able to gain the most basic information for the bird’s care, the lady then emailed us asking what on earth she should do next, as she was worried that the bird would become dependent on her for food and would not learn to hunt for itself.

Andy phoned the lady and enquired about the age of the bird, which was only a youngster - probably around 6 or seven weeks old - and how she was caring for it, so that he could advise her of the steps to take next. As the bird was at that time being kept in a barn, Andy suggested that the lady and her husband build a 3 foot square, wooden hack box with a meshed, open front on hinges. The box would then need to be screwed to the side of the barn, where the buzzard would get the benefit of the early morning sun, but would be sheltered from the hot afternoon sun. He suggested that it be placed about 8 foot up, as this would make it a manageable height for feeding the bird and also be a suitable height for its first flight – not too far to fall!

The next step will be to keep the bird in the hack box and feed it in there for around ten to fourteen days, before opening the front of the box and allowing the Buzzard to practise its flying skills. It will be necessary then, to continue to feed the bird in the hack box, so that it has a focal place for food. Gradually, as the bird’s flying skills improve, it should start hunting for small prey, such as frogs, insects and small mammals and will gradually become less dependent on the food left for it in the barn. Over time, it should be evident that the bird is not coing back every day, until eventually it will become self sufficient and be able to fend for itself properly in its natural environment.

Hopefully our diagnosis and advice will prove successful and we’ll let you know how things progress when we receive further news.

Little Treasures...

Somewhat unfortunately, this time of year is always a busy one where the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary hospital is concerned.  It's a tough old world out there, even for seasoned birds of prey, but life is fraught with danger if you're a nipper just starting out.  In the spring and early summer, as well as the usual quota of injured raptors, the hospital also receives a number of orphaned littl'uns, for a variety of reasons. 

Raring to go - two of the four Little Owls brought into us recently just before we took them off to the hack box - the first step in the release process

Raring to go - two of the four Little Owls brought into us recently just before we took them off to the hack box - the first step in the release process

Dean checks on the little’uns safely installed in their hack box in a local barn - he will visit & feed them daily and then open up the front of the box as they learn to fend for themselves

Dean checks on the little’uns safely installed in their hack box in a local barn - he will visit & feed them daily and then open up the front of the box as they learn to fend for themselves

You may remember in our blog of 2/6/10 that we saw the arrival of a brood of Little Owls, which unfortunately were still in a tree when it was cut down.  The Little Owls looked so tiny and vulnerable when they first came to us, it seemed incredible to think that they would one day be able to fend for themselves in the wild.  But it's amazing how fast they grow and after just a few short weeks they were robust enough and healthy enough to begin their journey back to their natural habitat.  The first step was to put the youngsters into a 'hack box' and Conservation Officer Dean took along volunteer Kate to record the event.  The hack box has been located on a farm local to the Sanctuary, so that Dean can keep an eye on the youngsters and feed them until they are ready to hunt for themselves and then finally be released.

Loving to Learn
This is also a busy season for us education-wise, as it's the time of year that many schools are looking to provided extra-special educational experiences for their pupils.  Educating youngsters about the care and conservation of birds of prey is one of the most important facilities we can offer here at the Sanctuary, as todays youngsters will be the prime movers in caring for our environment in years to come.

Weather permitting, every school visit to the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary includes one of our spectacular flying displays, where the children have the opportunity to see first hand the incredible beauty and majesty of some of stunning raptors in flight.  A guided tour of the centre also gives them the chance to learn all sorts of fascinating facts about birds of prey from all over the world and to see them close up.

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Schools visiting S.O.S. experience a wide variety of education activities connected with the raptor world, from Arts & Crafts to Pellet Dissection!

Schools visiting S.O.S. experience a wide variety of education activities connected with the raptor world, from Arts & Crafts to Pellet Dissection!

Our education department offers a variety of activities, all aimed at being fun as well as informative, one of the most popular of which is 'pellet dissection'.  Kids are always surprised to learn that owls don't have teeth and as a consequence have to swallow their prey whole.  They are fascinated and horrified in equal measure to discover that the bits an owl can't digest, such as bones, feathers and fur are 'coughed up' a few hours after they've eaten, in the form of a pellet.  

Once we get to the part where the pellets can be soaked and then teased apart to see what's inside, kids and teachers alike are hooked.  It's incredibly exciting to find a perfectly formed leg bone, or even better the miniature skull of a bird or small mammal.  There is a great deal that can be learnt from observing what our top predators are consuming; the information gleaned can give us an important overview of what's happening in our environment, so we hope we're doing our bit to enthuse youngsters to look after their world in the future.

Busy, busy...

Here at the S.O.S. we are always on the look out for ways that we can contribute to Britshh wildlife conservation issues, not only in terms of our native birds of prey, but also in other areas.

There has been a great deal of emphasis in the news lately about the worrying decline of the humble bumble bee, which is currently under serious threat. This is mainly due to how agricultural practices have changed over the last 70 years, with the use of pesticides and a decrease in the number of insect pollinated crops. Bees are so important to our food production that, the theory is, if they became extinct the human race would follow shortly after! Just one of a whole host of reasons for doing our bit to try to boost their population numbers and aid the recovery of this fascinating and incredible insect.

To this end, our Andy proposed the idea that we should use a small area at the Sanctuary and turn it into a bee and butterfly garden. It’s a lovely spot, overlooked by a beautiful, ornamental Maple tree and flanked by benches just adjacent to the Barclays Bank Sensory Garden which they so kindly installed for us a year or so back - so that visitors can sit and watch what we hope will be a variety of bees and butterflies, not to mention other insect life, once the garden has fully established itself.

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Andy’s new Bee & Butterfly Garden took just a few days to install, thanks to some hard work on his behalf and the help of the rest of the staff & volunteers...now all we need is some SUN!!

Andy’s new Bee & Butterfly Garden took just a few days to install, thanks to some hard work on his behalf and the help of the rest of the staff & volunteers...now all we need is some SUN!!

With lots of help from volunteers and the S.O.S team, our new bee and butterfly garden was dug, fenced and planted in just a few days.  All we need now is some sun to encourage new residents to come and stay with us at the Sanctuary!

Essex Wildlife Trust Country Fair

It is essential to us at S.O.S. that we are able to promote our key aims – Conservation, Rehabilitation and Education - to as wide an audience as possible and so it is important that we take opportunities such as attending the Essex Wildlife and Country Fair to do just that.

The fair was held at Abberton Reservoir in the village of Layer-de-la-Haye and was attended by well over a thousand visitors. Andy dutifully discarded his hoe & trowel and went along on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th of June, taking with him a female Peregrine Falcon (which has only recently joined us at the Sanctuary) and Auckland our Boobook Owl who, as you may remember from previous blogs, is an old pro at this kind of thing.  It was the Peregrine’s first out-show, but she behaved impeccably and even had her picture taken with Colchester United football mascot, ‘Eddie the Eagle’!

It took us AGES to work out if Andy’s shorts were getting longer...or his legs were getting shorter....

It took us AGES to work out if Andy’s shorts were getting longer...or his legs were getting shorter....

Andy was particularly interested to be able to observe a bird ringing exhibition and had the opportunity for the first time to see a Nightingale being ringed. He was also chuffed to see a wild Hobby flying across the show ground – not something you see every day.

This is the fourth year the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary has been asked to attend the Essex Wildlife Trust Country Fair, the first time being after we were permitted to release a Short-Eared Owl at the Reservoir. The owl had come to the Sanctuary’s hospital totally exhausted after it had landed on an oil-rig platform, after migrating to England from Europe. This is the kind of rehabilitation story that epitomises what we aim to achieve here at S.O.S and so it’s great to be able to continue our association with the Abberton Reservoir.

The Marsh Harrier Saga...

At the beginning of March, we reported on one of our long-term hospital residents, which has been with us since way back last August.

To recap briefly, the Marsh Harrier had two bits of shot in its wing and a swollen, infected foot. It has taken a long time and a great deal of care to tend the Harrier back to health and in March, with a mended wing and a healed foot, we were just waiting for its tail to moult properly before finally expecting to release it back into its natural habitat. Talk about ‘best laid plans…’ The Harrier’s tail is now absolutely fine, but for no explicable reason the toes on its right foot have suddenly all swollen up again.

Sneak peak - I grabbed a crafty photo of the basking Marsh Harrier in its recuperation aviary at feeding time, though we generally rely on ‘big brother’ in the corner to keep an eye on things, so keeping human contact to a minimum

Sneak peak - I grabbed a crafty photo of the basking Marsh Harrier in its recuperation aviary at feeding time, though we generally rely on ‘big brother’ in the corner to keep an eye on things, so keeping human contact to a minimum

So it was decided that another trip to the vet was required. Marsh Harriers are very sensitive birds with nervous, flighty dispositions and they have tendency to react quite wildly when unsure of a situation, so General Manager Andy wrapped our patient securely in a towel before putting it in the travelling box. This way it could be kept calm and quiet and not run the risk of thrashing about and causing damage to itself.

The vet examined the bird’s foot closely and decided that the best course of action was to put it on a course of antibiotics for a couple of weeks. If this doesn’t cure the condition, the next course of action will be to x-ray the Harrier’s foot, to see if an operation to remove the detritus in the affected area would be appropriate.
We are desperately hoping that the antibiotics will do the trick though, as the Harrier has been with us for a long time and the falconers would really like to see it returned to its natural habitat as soon as possible. I was concerned that the Harrier wouldn’t survive in the wild, having been in a rehabilitation aviary for so long, but I was assured that as it has had the absolute minimum of human contact necessary and will not have forgotten its natural hunting instincts, it would be absolutely fine again once released.

So for now, the Marsh Harrier is back in the rehabilitation aviary and we are keeping everything crossed that it will soon be fit and well to fly free once more. However this a case which illustrates perfectly that the care and rehabilitation of such wonderful creatures and others like them unfortunate enough to come a cropper, is often a lengthy process.

All Friends Together

Two Boobook owlets and two Tawny owlets shape up together in the crèche aviary

Two Boobook owlets and two Tawny owlets shape up together in the crèche aviary

We are absolutely chuffed with the real baby boom we’ve had this year again and all our current chicks are in fine fettle and looking fat, fluffy & well fed. At the moment we have four Harris Hawk babies, five Little Owl chicks, two Tawny owlets, two Boobook babies and two Lanner chicks. The Boobooks and Tawnies are now in the crèche aviary, where they have lots of space to grow and to start finding out what their wings are for and exercising them.

The youngest of our babies are still being fed with tweezers every four hours, which means one of the S.O.S staff has to take them home and look after them after the Sanctuary closes for the day. For the first couple of feeds, Andy adds a supplement called Bioplus Pro-biotic, which helps to get the youngsters’ guts working properly and also has beneficial bacteria, minerals and pro-biotic herbs in, to give them the very best start in life.

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!