Second Time Lucky!

Sometimes life really isn’t fair.  

Last Friday a very sorry looking Barn Owl was brought brought in to the raptor hospital. It was only about two years old, but talk about an ill-fated start in life!  On this occasion, a van driver saw the owl flying straight towards his van and, as is so often the case, had no chance of avoiding it.  Thinking it must have been killed outright, he continued with his journey to work but imagine his surprise when, on reaching his destination, he found that not only was the owl still very much alive but that it had shared his entire journey wedged in his roof rack.

A not-uncommon occurrence at dusk in the countryside, a Barn Owl approaching you head-on unfortunately cannot always be avoided…

Amazingly, apart from being obviously rather traumatised by his experience the owl appeared to be totally uninjured, a fact that was confirmed by a thorough examination when he arrived here.  However, the poor creature was on the thin side and had maybe been struggling to feed itself, so it was given plenty of fluids to ensure it was properly hydrated, plus lots of TLC and space in a rehab aviary to recuperate in peace and quiet.

Nevertheless this chap has lived to tell the tale (and not for the first time, it turned out!)

So, good – a nice success story in the making, but not the end of it. 

Our guest had a ring on it, which meant that for some reason it had been caught before and the ring gave the falconers the information they needed to find out when and where.  It turned out that this same Barn Owl had been rescued and released before, by Colchester Owl Rescue in circumstances equally as horrifying.  On the original occasion the owl had been caught in a fire and taken in at Colchester in a terrible state, including burned feet and the loss of two talons.  Nevertheless, the young chap was nursed back to health and released, only to turn up on our doorstep again a few months later with his rather ruffled feathers!
 
Thankfully, this time it didn’t take the Barn Owl long to recover and it has now gone back to Colchester so that they can release it once again in the same area from where it was originally found, where it will by now have established a territory. It’s to be hoped that this is the last of the dramatic escapades to be endured by this one accident-prone Barn Owl.
 
From the our point of view, this is not the first time we have seen injuries involving roof racks and owls caught in them, which unfortunately often end up with broken wings as a result: in that respect, our Barn Owl was actually very lucky.  But if you have a roof rack, don't use it often and spend many of your motoring miles traversing byways rather than highways, perhaps you could give a thought to taking it off your car when not in use and thereby help prevent other untoward ‘owly’ accidents of this nature. As the saying goes - every little bit helps.

A narrow escape!

The two white dots of this x-ray of the injuredbuzzard indicate where it had been shot.

As mentioned in our recent hospital update blog, there are a number of reasons why an injured bird might be brought in to our raptor hospital.  Generally speaking, cases are fairly cut and dried - the falconers are all very experienced and have seen a wide variety of injuries over the years, so they can normally tell whether they will be able to rehabilitate a bird, or whether the kindest thing is to minimise distress and suffering and ask our vet to put the bird to sleep.

However, things aren’t always as they might first appear, as was the case with a Common Buzzard that was brought in to the Sanctuary late in January by a doctor who was out having a country walk with his son.  They found the unfortunate buzzard under a bush and the immediate nature of its condition - bloodied wings, belly and foot - suggested that it had been mauled by either a fox or a dog. 

When the doctor arrived at the Sanctuary, Maz took the bird in to the hospital: first impressions weren’t good and Maz wasn’t at all hopeful for its survival.  However, as it wasn’t possible to get the buzzard seen by a vet until the following day, Maz elected to take it home with her overnight, where she kept it warm and regularly administered fluids to avoid dehydration.  She was actually more than somewhat surprised to find that it was still alive the following morning and immediately made the first possible appointment with the vet.

X-rays were taken and it was then that the shocking truth was discovered - the bird hadn’t been mauled at all, it had been shot and the nature of the injuries also indicated that it had been shot while on the wing.  The poor bird had not only sustained a badly broken wing, but the x-rays showed clearly that it had been shot in both a leg and the stomach.  Apart from the obvious implications of being shot, the buzzard could easily have died from shock or from poisonous lead getting into its system - fortunately, it appeared that tissue had grown around the lead shot and had sealed it from the rest of the bird’s system, thus saving it from lead poisoning. 

Maz felt that the bird had already battled so hard to live that she really had to give it the best possible chance to make a complete recovery.  Since that time, the buzzard has been taken to the vets on a weekly basis and has been given a high dose of metacalm, which is both a painkiller and anti-inflammatory and strong antibiotics for two weeks. 

The vet also recommended that the buzzard be confined for three weeks so that it didn’t damage the healing wing bones.  Broken wings can be very tricky and it very much depends on where the wing is broken as to whether it will ever support flight again.  Fortunately, in this case it appears that the main wing bone has supported the broken bone, allowing it to callus over and heal. 

The buzzard is now in one of the Sanctuary’s specially designed rehab aviaries, where it is very calm and settled.  So, what could have been a disaster has hopefully turned into a success story and, all being well, it should only be around two months before the bird can have a final assessment and - fingers crossed - be released back into the wild.  We’ll keep you posted!

Important Notice!
Shooting birds of prey is illegal and carries a heavy maximum fine of £5,000!

A narrow escape!

As mentioned in our recent hospital update blog, there are a number of reasons why an injured bird might be brought in to our raptor hospital. Generally speaking, cases are fairly cut and dried - the falconers are all very experienced and have seen a wide variety of injuries over the years, so they can normally tell whether they will be able to rehabilitate a bird, or whether the kindest thing is to minimise distress and suffering and ask our vet to put the bird to sleep.

However, things aren’t always as they might first appear, as was the case with a Common Buzzard that was brought in to the Sanctuary late in January by a doctor who was out having a country walk with his son. They found the unfortunate buzzard under a bush and the immediate nature of its condition - bloodied wings, belly and foot - suggested that it had been mauled by either a fox or a dog.

When the doctor arrived at the Sanctuary, Maz took the bird in to the hospital: first impressions weren’t good and Maz wasn’t at all hopeful for its survival. However, as it wasn’t possible to get the buzzard seen by a vet until the following day, Maz elected to take it home with her overnight, where she kept it warm and regularly administered fluids to avoid dehydration. She was actually more than somewhat surprised to find that it was still alive the following morning and immediately made the first possible appointment with the vet.

X-rays were taken and it was then that the shocking truth was discovered - the bird hadn’t been mauled at all, it had been shot and the nature of the injuries also indicated that it had been shot while on the wing. The poor bird had not only sustained a badly broken wing, but the x-rays showed clearly that it had been shot in both a leg and the stomach. Apart from the obvious implications of being shot, the buzzard could easily have died from shock or from poisonous lead getting into its system - fortunately, it appeared that tissue had grown around the lead shot and had sealed it from the rest of the bird’s system, thus saving it from lead poisoning.

The two white dots of this x-ray of the injured buzzard indicate where it had been shot.

Maz felt that the bird had already battled so hard to live that she really had to give it the best possible chance to make a complete recovery. Since that time, the buzzard has been taken to the vets on a weekly basis and has been given a high dose of metacalm, which is both a painkiller and anti-inflammatory and strong antibiotics for two weeks.

The vet also recommended that the buzzard be confined for three weeks so that it didn’t damage the healing wing bones. Broken wings can be very tricky and it very much depends on where the wing is broken as to whether it will ever support flight again. Fortunately, in this case it appears that the main wing bone has supported the broken bone, allowing it to callus over and heal.

The buzzard is now in one of the Sanctuary’s specially designed rehab aviaries, where it is very calm and settled. So, what could have been a disaster has hopefully turned into a success story and, all being well, it should only be around two months before the bird can have a final assessment and - fingers crossed - be released back into the wild. We’ll keep you posted!

Important Notice!
Shooting birds of prey is illegal and carries a heavy maximum fine of £5,000!

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Volunteers sought for South African Raptor Centre

We have been contacted by some fellow raptor rescue & rehabilitation enthusiasts in South Africa who are looking for paying volunteers to help with their work during the coming year.

Situated at 2097m above sea level, high up on the eastern escarpment of the Steenkampsberg mountain range is Dullstroom, the home of the Dullstroom Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Centre. Dullstroom is the highest village in South Africa, only 2 hours from Johannesburg and approximately 150 kilometers from the world famous Kruger National Park.

Housing and exhibiting over a 100 African birds of prey, the centre is proudly owned and managed by two English falconers and rehabilitators, Mark Holder and Mark Bett, whom have lived in South Africa for eleven and seven years respectively. With their hands full managing the centre and thrilling the public with two entertaining and informative presentations every day they are in desperate need of enthusiastic paying volunteers to assist with the day to day running of the centre.


How you can help

As a volunteer, candidates can attend any one of three separate courses which run for 2 weeks, 4 weeks or 3 months, all of which guarantee never to have a dull moment. During your stay at the raptor centre, you will be required to assist in flying birds, helping out in the raptor hospital, preparing food, cleaning the aviaries and helping with the flying demonstrations. At the end of your course, you will be presented with a certificate for your efforts (Including a reference if so required) and treated to a once in a lifetime, two day trip into the heart of the Kruger National Park to experience Africa’s big five with Mark as your experienced guide.


Experience the African bush at its best

Not only do you have the opportunity to experience one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife reserves, you have the chance to live like a local in one of South Africa’s most popular weekend destinations. With its moderate climate, crisp mountain air and wild open spaces, the quaint village of Dullstroom lends itself perfectly to trout fishing, horse riding and hiking trails. Surrounded by large areas of almost perfect bushveld habitat, home to over 150 endemic bird species, 200 species of wild flower, a vast array of African mammals and river side tree ferns estimated to be over a hundred years old, it is a nature lovers paradise.

For more information and prices, contact you can contact them by phone on
00 27 72 378 8562 or alternatively email falconer@dullstroom.net
or visit www.birdsofprey.co.za

Volunteers sought for South African Raptor Centre

We have been contacted by some fellow raptor rescue & rehabilitation enthusiasts in South Africa who are looking for paying volunteers to help with their work during the coming year.

Situated at 2097m above sea level, high up on the eastern escarpment of the Steenkampsberg mountain range is Dullstroom, the home of the Dullstroom Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Centre. Dullstroom is the highest village in South Africa, only 2 hours from Johannesburg and approximately 150 kilometers from the world famous Kruger National Park.

Housing and exhibiting over a 100 African birds of prey, the centre is proudly owned and managed by two English falconers and rehabilitators, Mark Holder and Mark Bett, whom have lived in South Africa for eleven and seven years respectively. With their hands full managing the centre and thrilling the public with two entertaining and informative presentations every day they are in desperate need of enthusiastic paying volunteers to assist with the day to day running of the centre.

How you can help

As a volunteer, candidates can attend any one of three separate courses which run for 2 weeks, 4 weeks or 3 months, all of which guarantee never to have a dull moment. During your stay at the raptor centre, you will be required to assist in flying birds, helping out in the raptor hospital, preparing food, cleaning the aviaries and helping with the flying demonstrations. At the end of your course, you will be presented with a certificate for your efforts (Including a reference if so required) and treated to a once in a lifetime, two day trip into the heart of the Kruger National Park to experience Africa’s big five with Mark as your experienced guide.

Experience the African bush at its best

Not only do you have the opportunity to experience one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife reserves, you have the chance to live like a local in one of South Africa’s most popular weekend destinations. With its moderate climate, crisp mountain air and wild open spaces, the quaint village of Dullstroom lends itself perfectly to trout fishing, horse riding and hiking trails. Surrounded by large areas of almost perfect bushveld habitat, home to over 150 endemic bird species, 200 species of wild flower, a vast array of African mammals and river side tree ferns estimated to be over a hundred years old, it is a nature lovers paradise.

For more information and prices, contact you can contact them by phone on
00 27 72 378 8562 or alternatively email falconer@dullstroom.net
or visit www.birdsofprey.co.za

You can download a larger version of the poster above here

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Nestboxes, Snow… and the B.T.O.

Volunteers help the British Trust For Ornithology (B.T.O.) to amass the data used to compile a nationwide survey of bird populations

Conservation being the name of the game, we have our fingers in all sorts of preservation pies here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary.  One of our very important, annual roles is to assist Brian Thompson and his team from the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) to keep tabs on the number of songbirds on the S.O.S site.  The BTO bird-ringing scheme is a nationwide operation with over 2,700 trained volunteers ringing birds in both Britain and Ireland every year.  The ringing of birds is extremely important as it can give the Trust vital information on things such as the increase and decrease of populations and the movements of different species.  Although the number of birds ringed on a specific site such as that of the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary represents only a tiny fraction of those recorded, even the smallest details help the BTO to build up an overall picture of how our British songbirds are faring in the wild.
 
In 2010 the annual total of birds recorded at the Sanctuary was 155.  The total for 2011 was 95, not for any reason more untoward than that Brian and his team weren’t able to visit quite so often last year.  Overall, the results were not dissimilar to those of 2010, although there was some variation in the species recorded between the two years.  The most common birds documented over the last couple of years were our native Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Blue Tits and, topping the bill, House Sparrows.   Several birds on the list in 2010 were not recorded at all last year, including the Collard Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Magpie and Goldfinch.  However, each of these birds only featured a couple of times in the 2010 list and their absence could well be accounted for by fewer birds in total being recorded this year.  The only noticeable absences were the Little Owl, of which five youngsters were ringed in 2010, but none this year and the Great Tit, which showed a significant reduction from 21 in total in the previous results to just 4 verified in 2011.

Very careful handling of the birds as they are ringed  is a prerequisite of the task in hand - for more information on the B.T.O. and its work, click here

There were however a handful of newcomers to add to last year’s total, including one of each of the following: Kestrel, Woodpigeon, Pied/White Wagtail, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Linnet and two Bullfinches.
 
All these statistics will help the BTO to generate information about our wild birds and to pinpoint any conservation issues that arise from the results, so we are very glad to be able to help.
 
Remember: It’s National Nest Box Week from the 14th to 21st February – you can download our free publication Saving Britain’s Owls here and find out how to provide safe & secure homes for wild birds of the Owl variety! 
 
Concern about feeding wild owls in snowy weather
Recently we received an email from a member of the public who was concerned that the owls in her vicinity might be struggling to find food in the recent bitterly cold weather and snowy conditions and asked if it was a good idea to put out food for them.  Our best advice is not to worry.  Owls use their superb hearing far more than their sight to locate prey, which they can hear even under a light covering of snow.  Also, wild owls are used to eating live prey and are most unlikely to be tempted by raw meat, although local cats and foxes would probably be very appreciative!  

Nestboxes, Snow… and the B.T.O.

Conservation being the name of the game, we have our fingers in all sorts of preservation pies here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. One of our very important, annual roles is to assist Brian Thompson and his team from the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) to keep tabs on the number of songbirds on the S.O.S site. The BTO bird-ringing scheme is a nationwide operation with over 2,700 trained volunteers ringing birds in both Britain and Ireland every year. The ringing of birds is extremely important as it can give the Trust vital information on things such as the increase and decrease of populations and the movements of different species. Although the number of birds ringed on a specific site such as that of the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary represents only a tiny fraction of those recorded, even the smallest details help the BTO to build up an overall picture of how our British songbirds are faring in the wild.

In 2010 the annual total of birds recorded at the Sanctuary was 155. The total for 2011 was 95, not for any reason more untoward than that Brian and his team weren’t able to visit quite so often last year. Overall, the results were not dissimilar to those of 2010, although there was some variation in the species recorded between the two years. The most common birds documented over the last couple of years were our native Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Blue Tits and, topping the bill, House Sparrows. Several birds on the list in 2010 were not recorded at all last year, including the Collard Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Magpie and Goldfinch. However, each of these birds only featured a couple of times in the 2010 list and their absence could well be accounted for by fewer birds in total being recorded this year. The only noticeable absences were the Little Owl, of which five youngsters were ringed in 2010, but none this year and the Great Tit, which showed a significant reduction from 21 in total in the previous results to just 4 verified in 2011.

Very careful handling of the birds as they are ringed
is a prerequisite of the task in hand - for more information on the B.T.O. and its work, click here

There were however a handful of newcomers to add to last year’s total, including one of each of the following: Kestrel, Woodpigeon, Pied/White Wagtail, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Linnet and two Bullfinches.

All these statistics will help the BTO to generate information about our wild birds and to pinpoint any conservation issues that arise from the results, so we are very glad to be able to help.

Remember: It’s National Nest Box Week from the 14th to 21st February – you can download our free publication Saving Britain’s Owls here and find out how to provide safe & secure homes for wild birds of the Owl variety!

Concern about feeding wild owls in snowy weather
Recently we received an email from a member of the public who was concerned that the owls in her vicinity might be struggling to find food in the recent bitterly cold weather and snowy conditions and asked if it was a good idea to put out food for them. Our best advice is not to worry. Owls use their superb hearing far more than their sight to locate prey, which they can hear even under a light covering of snow. Also, wild owls are used to eating live prey and are most unlikely to be tempted by raw meat, although local cats and foxes would probably be very appreciative!

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Rescue & Rehab Report - 2011 Review

Despite the fact that our raptor hospital was undergoing a complete reconstruction and refurbishment in 2011, the job of looking after and rehabilitating wild birds of prey continued none-the-less.

Of the birds that were brought in to us last year we were able to rehabilitate around 47%, which is a very good percentage.  Of those that couldn’t be rehabilitated most were humanely put to sleep by our supporting vets at the Stowe Veterinary Group to prevent any unnecessary suffering. 

Overall, fewer birds were actually brought in to us here at the Sanctuary than in 2010 and, for a number of reasons, that would seem to be a good sign.  First of all, the increase in grass margins probably means that, essentially, fewer birds are hunting on the roadside and so are avoiding being hit by passing vehicles.  Having said that, the biggest cause of injury to our birds of prey in this country is still RTA’s, which this year accounted for the damage to approximately 71% of the birds brought in to the Sanctuary. 

Though the number of injured birds we treated in 2011 was down on the previous year, this rather battered & bruised little owl was one of our visitors until he was successfully released again after treatment and R&R

Also, it would also seem that the message to leave foundling chicks where they are, rather than picking them up and moving them or bringing them in to us, has reached a wider audience.  We had very few brought in to us last year, which is a pleasingly small result , though of course there are bound to be some genuine reasons why chicks might need care and attention.
 
Species wise, the hospital saw a greater intake of Tawny Owls than any other and, of those, the majority were the victims of RTA’s.  Of the balance, some had got themselves into awkward predicaments - one of the Tawnies was actually found in a kitchen and another was wedged in a tree, but thankfully they aren’t situations that occur very often.  The hospital also had a fairly even intake of other species, including Little Owls, Barn Owls, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks and, more rarely, one Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk that was found in a chicken coup!

Heard but not seen - when we released this Tawny back to the wild, by flying straight to a perch in the trees he demonstrated how successful the natural camouflage of his plumage is in making him almost invisible in his natural habitat!

There are, unfortunately, all sorts of hazards out there for our wild birds of prey and Sparrowhawks in particular tend to be quite fond of bashing into windows.  Usually this just results in a rather stunned bird, but it’s worthwhile making sure that big windows have stickers or curtains to alert birds that they can’t fly through them!  What with predators, wires to get tangled in and the possibility of starvation if you are a young or in any way incapacitated raptor, it’s not any easy life out there, but we like to think at the Sanctuary that we help to make life that bit easier for our native birds of prey and it’s good to be able to report on another successful year of rehabilitation and release for 2011. Thank you for your support in enabling us to do so.

Rescue and Rehab Report - 2011 Review

Despite the fact that our raptor hospital was undergoing a complete reconstruction and refurbishment in 2011, the job of looking after and rehabilitating wild birds of prey continued none-the-less.

Of the birds that were brought in to us last year we were able to rehabilitate around 47%, which is a very good percentage. Of those that couldn’t be rehabilitated most were humanely put to sleep by our supporting vets at the Stowe Veterinary Group to prevent any unnecessary suffering.

Though the number of injured birds we treated in 2011 was down on the previous year, this rather battered & bruised little owl was one of our visitors until he was successfully released again after treatment and R&R

Overall, fewer birds were actually brought in to us here at the Sanctuary than in 2010 and, for a number of reasons, that would seem to be a good sign. First of all, the increase in grass margins probably means that, essentially, fewer birds are hunting on the roadside and so are avoiding being hit by passing vehicles. Having said that, the biggest cause of injury to our birds of prey in this country is still RTA’s, which this year accounted for the damage to approximately 71% of the birds brought in to the Sanctuary.

Also, it would also seem that the message to leave foundling chicks where they are, rather than picking them up and moving them or bringing them in to us, has reached a wider audience. We had very few brought in to us last year, which is a pleasingly small result , though of course there are bound to be some genuine reasons why chicks might need care and attention.

Heard but not seen - when we released this Tawny back to the wild, by flying straight to a perch in the trees he demonstrated how successful the natural camouflage of his plumage is in making him almost invisible in his
natural habitat!

Species wise, the hospital saw a greater intake of Tawny Owls than any other and, of those, the majority were the victims of RTA’s. Of the balance, some had got themselves into awkward predicaments - one of the Tawnies was actually found in a kitchen and another was wedged in a tree, but thankfully they aren’t situations that occur very often. The hospital also had a fairly even intake of other species, including Little Owls, Barn Owls, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks and, more rarely, one Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk that was found in a chicken coup!

There are, unfortunately, all sorts of hazards out there for our wild birds of prey and Sparrowhawks in particular tend to be quite fond of bashing into windows. Usually this just results in a rather stunned bird, but it’s worthwhile making sure that big windows have stickers or curtains to alert birds that they can’t fly through them! What with predators, wires to get tangled in and the possibility of starvation if you are a young or in any way incapacitated raptor, it’s not any easy life out there, but we like to think at the Sanctuary that we help to make life that bit easier for our native birds of prey and it’s good to be able to report on another successful year of rehabilitation and release for 2011. Thank you for your support in enabling us to do so.

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A Wild Start to 2012

First and foremost, we’d like to say a VERY HAPPY NEW year to all our regular readers (and hopefully some new ones too) from everyone here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary.

We launched into 2012 in spirited fashion, with a special Baden-Powell "Wild Weekend" to help encourage all our young scouts and brownies to get out and about after the Christmas Break and to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the death of Lord Baden-Powell in January 1941.

Baden-Powell was born in 1857 and served in the British Army from 1876 until 1910 in India and Africa.  During his Africa years, Baden-Powell wrote several military books about reconnaissance and scout training, which were often read by boys and which then prompted him to write the publication ‘Scouting for Boys’, published in 1908.  Whilst he was writing the book, Baden-Powell decided to test his ideas by organising a camping trip on Brownsea Island and it’s this that is now seen as the beginning of scouting.

Strangers in a strange land… two unusual guests visited S.O.S. for our Wild Weekend - a beautiful bird from the Ipswich Exotic Bird Rescue Team, and a very large python, here bravely worn by our good friend Gary who in turn wore a rather worried look at times!

The S.O.S Wild Weekend was a two-day event packed with lots of hands-on activities and workshops provided by a coup of local organisations including the Mid-Suffolk Countryside Rangers and The Woodland Trust.  In addition, Jamie Baker brought along his giant land snails and stick insects, we had visiting parrots and macaws brought by the Ipswich Exotic Bird Rescue team and the Close Encounters Roadshow also came along with some superb reptiles for visitors to handle.  In addition we had some exciting illustrated talks by a scientist from the British Antarctic Survey Team and from an explorer who had made the incredible journey across the Canadian Arctic to the Magnetic North Pole.

Andy, Matt and our visitors braved the chilly weather for flying demonstrations featuring our Hawks and some 'up close & personal' time with the Owls as they discussed characteristics and conservation issues

On both days, birds from our own flying display team took to the skies in all their glorious magnificence and so a wonderful time was had by everyone in an event which we felt paid fitting tribute to Lord Baden-Powell and to all the tremendous work he did for the Scouting movement and, subsequently the Girl Guide movement as well.
 
Did You Know…
* The position of the Earth’s Magnetic North Pole was first determined in 1831, but hundreds of miles away from its current location.
* The Magnetic North Pole (not to be confused with the Geographic North Pole) is constantly moving, even from one day to the next. Apparently, at this point in time, it is drifting away from North America so fast that scientists think it could end up in Siberia within 50 years, meaning that Alaska’s northern lights would most likely be more visible in areas of Siberia and Europe.

A Wild Start to 2012

First and foremost, we’d like to say a VERY HAPPY NEW year to all our regular readers (and hopefully some new ones too) from everyone here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary.

We launched into 2012 in spirited fashion, with a special Baden-Powell "Wild Weekend" to help encourage all our young scouts and brownies to get out and about after the Christmas Break and to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the death of Lord Baden-Powell in January 1941.

Baden-Powell was born in 1857 and served in the British Army from 1876 until 1910 in India and Africa. During his Africa years, Baden-Powell wrote several military books about reconnaissance and scout training, which were often read by boys and which then prompted him to write the publication ‘Scouting for Boys’, published in 1908. Whilst he was writing the book, Baden-Powell decided to test his ideas by organising a camping trip on Brownsea Island and it’s this that is now seen as the beginning of scouting.

Strangers in a strange land… two unusual guests visited S.O.S. for our Wild Weekend - a beautiful bird from the Ipswich Exotic Bird Rescue Team, and a very large python, here bravely worn by our good friend Gary who in
turn wore a rather worried look at times!

The S.O.S Wild Weekend was a two-day event packed with lots of hands-on activities and workshops provided by a coup of local organisations including the Mid-Suffolk Countryside Rangers and The Woodland Trust. In addition, Jamie Baker brought along his giant land snails and stick insects, we had visiting parrots and macaws brought by the Ipswich Exotic Bird Rescue team and the Close Encounters Roadshow also came along with some superb reptiles for visitors to handle. In addition we had some exciting illustrated talks by a scientist from the British Antarctic Survey Team and from an explorer who had made the incredible journey across the Canadian Arctic to the Magnetic North Pole.

Andy, Matt and our visitors braved the chilly weather for flying demonstrations featuring our Hawks and some 'up close & personal' time with the Owls as they discussed characteristics and conservation issues

On both days, birds from our own flying display team took to the skies in all their glorious magnificence and so a wonderful time was had by everyone in an event which we felt paid fitting tribute to Lord Baden-Powell and to all the tremendous work he did for the Scouting movement and, subsequently the Girl Guide movement as well.

Did You Know…
* The position of the Earth’s Magnetic North Pole was first determined in 1831, but hundreds of miles away from its current location.
* The Magnetic North Pole (not to be confused with the Geographic North Pole) is constantly moving, even from one day to the next. Apparently, at this point in time, it is drifting away from North America so fast that scientists think it could end up in Siberia within 50 years, meaning that Alaska’s northern lights would most likely be more visible in areas of Siberia and Europe.

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New Bird Hospital Opens

You may remember that back in October we wrote about the progress of our new raptor hospital, which was looking good and nearing completion.  At long last, it’s a pleasure to report that the hospital has finally been finished and furnished with all the necessary equipment to ensure that our future raptor patients have the best of care.

The main body of the hospital is equipped to deal with many emergencies

The examination area is light and spacious

In the foyer, our photo wall illustrates some of our past successes

ust to recap briefly, Chief Fundraiser Maz was the prime mover in raising support for our hospital project and it was fantastic when Ipswich Pets at Home donated the money for the main body of the hospital.  They were also kind enough to give us some squirrel toys for the new enclosure that Matt and the team have been building and some toys to go in the new ferret hut.
 
We also have to say a big thank you to a number of other people who have donated either equipment or time and muscle to the cause.  It wasn’t just the exterior hospital building that needed replacing, it was also desperately in need of replacement furniture, so we are indebted to Freecycle for the donation of a fridge and kitchen units, Ideal Interiors on the Stonham Barns site for a sink, Just Learning in Ipswich for tables and B&Q for a worktop.  All in all, the hospital now looks really smart both inside and out!

The girls from Pets At Home who did such a lotto raise funds for the main body of the building

Also we are very grateful as always for the help of our band of volunteers who have all been stalwart in offering their services for the construction, decoration and fitting out of the new hospital.  In particular we would like to say a big ‘cheers’ to Pete Ruddy and Paul Hunt who have put in a huge amount of hard work.
 
Finally, we also have to say thank you to our local vet Paul Cannon from Stowe Vets.  Paul has looked after all the injured raptors that have come to us needing veterinary care for nearly four years.  He was extremely kind in donating an opthalmoscope for checking an injured bird’s eyes.  It is especially important for those that have had head injuries to check to see what is going on behind the eye.  An opthalmoscope gives a clear picture of the ‘Fundus’ of the eye, which is the interior surface of the eye opposite the lens.  This means that the falconer assessing an injured bird of prey can determine the health of the retina and the ‘vitreous humour’ (the clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina) and whether there has been any trauma caused by injury.

Our local vet Paul, from Stowe Vets, cut the ribbon and generously donated an opthalmoscope to the hospital equipment: meanwhile the local press lined up the guilty parties to have their photos taken!

Having had so much and such varied support, it seemed apposite to have a Grand Opening of the hospital once it was completed, hence on Friday 2nd December we asked the ladies from Pets at Home if they would attend and Paul Cannon if he would do the deed and cut the ribbon.  Fortunately it was a lovely sunny day and General Manager Andy Hulme gave a welcome speech to some of the residents of the Stonham Barns site and some of the local press, who had gathered to celebrate the occasion.  There were hot drinks, sandwiches and mince pies to be had after the Grand Opening, which was a great success.

New Bird Hospital Opens

You may remember that back in October we wrote about the progress of our new raptor hospital, which was looking good and nearing completion.  At long last, it’s a pleasure to report that the hospital has finally been finished and furnished with all the necessary equipment to ensure that our future raptor patients have the best of care.

The main body of the hospital is equipped to deal with many emergencies

The examination area is light and spacious

In the foyer, our photo wall illustrates some of our past successes

Just to recap briefly, Chief Fundraiser Maz was the prime mover in raising support for our hospital project and it was fantastic when Ipswich Pets at Home donated the money for the main body of the hospital.  They were also kind enough to give us some squirrel toys for the new enclosure that Matt and the team have been building and some toys to go in the new ferret hut. 

We also have to say a big thank you to a number of other people who have donated either equipment or time and muscle to the cause.  It wasn’t just the exterior hospital building that needed replacing, it was also desperately in need of replacement furniture, so we are indebted to Freecycle for the donation of a fridge and kitchen units, Ideal Interiors on the Stonham Barns site for a sink, Just Learning in Ipswich for tables and B&Q for a worktop.  All in all, the hospital now looks really smart both inside and out!

The girls from Pets At Home who did such a lot to raise funds for the main body of the building

Also we are very grateful as always for the help of our band of volunteers who have all been stalwart in offering their services for the construction, decoration and fitting out of the new hospital.  In particular we would like to say a big ‘cheers’ to Pete Ruddy and Paul Hunt who have put in a huge amount of hard work. 

Finally, we also have to say thank you to our local vet Paul Cannon from Stowe Vets.  Paul has looked after all the injured raptors that have come to us needing veterinary care for nearly four years.  He was extremely kind in donating an opthalmoscope for checking an injured bird’s eyes.  It is especially important for those that have had head injuries to check to see what is going on behind the eye.  An opthalmoscope gives a clear picture of the ‘Fundus’ of the eye, which is the interior surface of the eye opposite the lens.  This means that the falconer assessing an injured bird of prey can determine the health of the retina and the ‘vitreous humour’ (the clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina) and whether there has been any trauma caused by injury.

Our local vet Paul, from Stowe Vets, cut the ribbon and generously donated an opthalmoscope to the hospital equipment: meanwhile the local press lined up the guilty parties to have their photos taken!

Having had so much and such varied support, it seemed apposite to have a Grand Opening of the hospital once it was completed, hence on Friday 2nd December we asked the ladies from Pets at Home if they would attend and Paul Cannon if he would do the deed and cut the ribbon.  Fortunately it was a lovely sunny day and General Manager Andy Hulme gave a welcome speech to some of the residents of the Stonham Barns site and some of the local press, who had gathered to celebrate the occasion.  There were hot drinks, sandwiches and mince pies to be had after the Grand Opening, which was a great success.

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Remembrance Weekend

On Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th November, with past and present troops in mind, the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary hosted a special remembrance weekend.  With serving troops and veterans as our guests, we staged some special events and Jenny’s Ark paid us a special visit with her entourage of weird and wonderful beasties in tow for the youngsters.

Our special guest over Remembrance Weekend was Shelby, a young Bald Headed Eagle. Yet to acquire the distinctive white plumage of his elders, Shelby nevertheless is a proficient flyer and entertained our guests with a majestic aerial display

Another very special and apposite guest - given the association with the American Armed Forces - was Shelby the Bald Eagle. Courtesy of Trevor Fowles, one of our erstwhile colleagues, young Shelby was brought along from the Warren Hill Raptor Unit.  Although our demonstration birds are now generally resting over the winter months, the falconers staged an exclusive flying display for the event.  The participants were Taiga the Great Grey Owl, who started the flying season late because he was moulting early on, Henry the Harris Hawk, who at this time of year is one of the hunting day birds and Phyllis the Spectacled Owl, who joined us during the summer and only had her flying debut towards the end of the season.  Then came the stunning finale as Trevor flew Shelby in all her vast and glorious splendour. 
 
With a wingspan of up to 2.3m (or 7.5 feet if you prefer proper measurements - no indicator of the writers age at all) the Bald Eagle is a truly awe-inspiring sight in flight and with a possible mass of 7 kilograms (or 15lbs – that’s over a stone) is no lightweight to handle.  As Shelby hurtled towards Trevor’s awaiting glove, it seemed he must be bracing himself against the full force of such speed and weight and yet at the last moment, graceful as a swan, Shelby slowed and alighted, soft as a feather onto Trevor’s arm.  Dramatic stuff!  A big thank you to Trevor and Shelby for their wonderful contribution.
 
Our thanks also go to Scotty’s Little Soldiers, with their charity stall to support the Children of the Fallen, and K&P catering, who provided a much welcome barbecue, for helping to support our event.
 
To cap it all, it’s not often we have a Green Goddess and an American Jeep parked outside the Sanctuary and we’d like to thank Harry Reynolds and his fellow Military Vehicle Historian for bringing the vehicles to add atmosphere to the event and for the wealth of enthusiasm and knowledge they imparted to visitors.

Green Goddess and Blonde Bombshell - above, four military stalwarts (2 human, 2 mechanical!) from times past, and below our Chief Fundraiser Maz about to take a look under the hood of a visiting Jeep

A Busy Hospital Week

Over the last few weeks, several raptors have been brought in to our hospital.  On the 1st of October, a Tawny Owl found in Flempton came in with a bruised wing.  It had clearly been the victim of an RTA as is sadly so often the case, but made a good recovery and was released where it was found on the 29th October. 

On the 17th October we also received a fledgling Barn Owl that was still unable to fly.  Fortunately, it only took a week in a rehab aviary for the little fellow to gain the strength and skills to make his own way in the world and he was duly released on the 30th October. 

Unfortunately, another victim of an RTA, a Tawny Owl was less fortunate and after a week of treatment it was clear the kindest thing would be not to prolong it.  We also had a very thin Kestrel brought in that had become too emaciated for treatment to be effective.  Such cases are never easy to deal with, but as always, the falconry team have the best interests of their charges at heart.

Remembrance Weekend

On Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th November, with past and present troops in mind, the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary hosted a special remembrance weekend. With serving troops and veterans as our guests, we staged some special events and Jenny’s Ark paid us a special visit with her entourage of weird and wonderful beasties in tow for the youngsters.

Our special guest over Remembrance Weekend was Shelby, a young Bald Headed Eagle. Yet to acquire the distinctive white plumage of his elders, Shelby nevertheless is a proficient flyer and entertained our guests with a majestic aerial display

Another very special and apposite guest - given the association with the American Armed Forces - was Shelby the Bald Eagle. Courtesy of Trevor Fowles, one of our erstwhile colleagues, young Shelby was brought along from the Warren Hill Raptor Unit. Although our demonstration birds are now generally resting over the winter months, the falconers staged an exclusive flying display for the event. The participants were Taiga the Great Grey Owl, who started the flying season late because he was moulting early on, Henry the Harris Hawk, who at this time of year is one of the hunting day birds and Phyllis the Spectacled Owl, who joined us during the summer and only had her flying debut towards the end of the season. Then came the stunning finale as Trevor flew Shelby in all her vast and glorious splendour.

With a wingspan of up to 2.3m (or 7.5 feet if you prefer proper measurements - no indicator of the writers age at all) the Bald Eagle is a truly awe-inspiring sight in flight and with a possible mass of 7 kilograms (or 15lbs – that’s over a stone) is no lightweight to handle. As Shelby hurtled towards Trevor’s awaiting glove, it seemed he must be bracing himself against the full force of such speed and weight and yet at the last moment, graceful as a swan, Shelby slowed and alighted, soft as a feather onto Trevor’s arm. Dramatic stuff! A big thank you to Trevor and Shelby for their wonderful contribution.

Our thanks also go to Scotty’s Little Soldiers, with their charity stall to support the Children of the Fallen, and K&P catering, who provided a much welcome barbecue, for helping to support our event.

To cap it all, it’s not often we have a Green Goddess and an American Jeep parked outside the Sanctuary and we’d like to thank Harry Reynolds and his fellow Military Vehicle Historian for bringing the vehicles to add atmosphere to the event and for the wealth of enthusiasm and knowledge they imparted to visitors.

reen Goddess and Blonde Bombshell - above, four military stalwarts
(2 human, 2 mechanical!) from times past, and below our Chief Fundraiser
Maz about to take a look under the hood of a visiting Jeep

A Busy Hospital Week
Over the last few weeks, several raptors have been brought in to our hospital. On the 1st of October, a Tawny Owl found in Flempton came in with a bruised wing. It had clearly been the victim of an RTA as is sadly so often the case, but made a good recovery and was released where it was found on the 29th October.

On the 17th October we also received a fledgling Barn Owl that was still unable to fly. Fortunately, it only took a week in a rehab aviary for the little fellow to gain the strength and skills to make his own way in the world and he was duly released on the 30th October.

Unfortunately, another victim of an RTA, a Tawny Owl was less fortunate and after a week of treatment it was clear the kindest thing would be not to prolong it. We also had a very thin Kestrel brought in that had become too emaciated for treatment to be effective. Such cases are never easy to deal with, but as always, the falconry team have the best interests of their charges at heart.

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Hospital Update

This year, one of our biggest refurbishment programmes has been the replacement of our Raptor Hospital. The hospital plays a key role here at the Sanctuary, allowing the falconers to care for and rehabilitate wild, injured birds of prey.

The original hospital was installed in 1995 and has withstood some really extreme Suffolk weather, including the last two bitter winters. As you can see from the pictures, it had finally given up the ghost and was suffering from a leaking roof and rotten flooring. Fortunately, Chief Fundraiser Maz was on the case and applied to Pets at Home for a grant to buy the necessary materials for a new building. We were all really chuffed when Maz won her application and Andy and the team duly set about demolishing the old building and clearing the site to make way for the modern log cabin destined to be our new hospital.

Rotting walls and roof structures have meant that our bird hospital was due for a major refurbishment

Now, a few months on, the shell has been completed and weather-proofed and the inside has been well insulated and painted, all fresh and ready for the final installations. The inner part of the new hospital is where injured birds are initially assessed by a falconer and will house an examination table for this purpose. Once a raptor has been thoroughly looked over, it is then housed in one of several specially designed convalescence containers, providing a quiet, stress-free environment for the bird until it can either be taken to our supporting vets or has recuperated enough to be transferred to one of the rehabilitation aviaries.

The base and building itself are completely new but the fitting out inside needed careful planning and has taken time to complete

In addition, the new hospital will also contain basic first aid equipment, such as crop tubing apparatus, disinfectant, flat fly spray and rehydration food/fluids, all things that might be needed at a moments notice if a sick or injured raptor is brought in to us. Another very important piece of equipment is the intense care unit. Although the entire hospital has air conditioning and is kept at a carefully maintained temperature, the intensive care unit has a much more specific temperature range, so that it can be regulated for a particular bird’s needs, then monitored and altered as required. The other essential facet of this equipment is that it is especially designed so that the falconers can administer drugs directly into the unit for birds with respiratory problems.

The exterior is now finished and within the next few weeks, we hope the new hospital will be fully operational

The outer area of the hospital will house CCTV for the rehab aviaries, so that the falconers can monitor the raptors in this area carefully. It will also have information and pictures for visitors about injured birds of prey and their rehabilitation. We’re very much looking forward to the hospital being completed and will keep you updated as to its progress.

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Special Guests

In recent times we have been extremely fortunate to add some stunning species to our bird of prey family.  This week we were indeed tremendously proud to become home for a while to two striking Tawny Eagles.  They have come to us from Chris O’Donnell at Hawk Experience in North Yorkshire and will stay with us on indefinite loan.  General Manager Andy worked with Chris over twenty years ago and still keeps close links with his Yorkshire roots. 

The pair of Tawny Eagles have settled in quickly amongstthe evergreens in their spacious aviary

The two fully mature Tawny Eagles - as yet nameless (answers on a postcard please) - will stay with us until hopefully they breed, at which point we will then be able to rear some of the chicks here at the Sanctuary.  Eventually, Andy hopes to be able to include our own Tawny Eagles in our spectacular, educational flying displays, giving visitors a chance to see the splendour of this truly magnificent raptor.

The female of the species has a downy-coloured appearance

The Tawny Eagle is a sizeable bird, with a wingspan of between 165-185 cm in length, that’s an impressive 5 ½ to 6 foot.  It can also weigh up to around 2.4 kilograms, which for those of us who still function in old money is just over 5 pounds in weight.  That’s a good couple of bags of sugar or more to have sitting on your wrist! 
 
Tawny Eagles belong to the family ‘Accipitridae’, one of the largest avian families, which encompasses many of the diurnal birds of prey including familiar hawks and eagles.  With a territory ranging across most of Africa and across tropical southwestern Asia to India, this is a well-established raptor that favours open, dry habitats such as desert and open grassland. 

The handsome male sports the hooded eyes common to most eagles

Tawny Eagles tend to have quite a varied diet and will eat large, fresh carrion of all kinds, including reptiles and birds the size of guinea fowl.  They’re also not averse to a bit of scavenging and have been spotted alongside other large raptors and vultures partaking of a bit of carcass.  In fact they’re actually quite happy to steal food from smaller raptors, which apparently puts them in the category of birds known as ‘kleptoparasites’!
 
This species might live to around 45 years of age and will generally mate for life, breeding once a year to produce one to three offspring. Chicks become fledglings at around 84 days, although they can remain dependent on their parents for another six weeks and may even remain with them until the following breeding season. The young are fed mainly by the male and then by both parents once they fledge.
 
Did You Know…
Tawny Eagles are ‘endothermic’, which means they absorb energy from surrounding heat.

Hospital Update

This year, one of our biggest refurbishment programmes has been the replacement of our Raptor Hospital.  The hospital plays a key role here at the Sanctuary, allowing the falconers to care for and rehabilitate wild, injured birds of prey.

The original hospital was installed in 1995 and has withstood some really extreme Suffolk weather, including the last two bitter winters.  As you can see from the pictures, it had finally given up the ghost and was suffering from a leaking roof and rotten flooring.  Fortunately, Chief Fundraiser Maz was on the case and applied to Pets at Home for a grant to buy the necessary materials for a new building.  We were all really chuffed when Maz won her application and Andy and the team duly set about demolishing the old building and clearing the site to make way for the modern log cabin destined to be our new hospital.

Rotting walls and roof structures have meant that our bird hospital was due for a major refurbishment

Now, a few months on, the shell has been completed and weather-proofed and the inside has been well insulated and painted, all fresh and ready for the final installations.  The inner part of the new hospital is where injured birds are initially assessed by a falconer and will house an examination table for this purpose.  Once a raptor has been thoroughly looked over, it is then housed in one of several specially designed convalescence containers, providing a quiet, stress-free environment for the bird until it can either be taken to our supporting vets or has recuperated enough to be transferred to one of the rehabilitation aviaries.

The base and building itself are completely new but the fitting out insideneeded careful planning and has taken time to complete

In addition, the new hospital will also contain basic first aid equipment, such as crop tubing apparatus, disinfectant, flat fly spray and rehydration food/fluids, all things that might be needed at a moments notice if a sick or injured raptor is brought in to us.  Another very important piece of equipment is the intense care unit.  Although the entire hospital has air conditioning and is kept at a carefully maintained temperature, the intensive care unit has a much more specific temperature range, so that it can be regulated for a particular bird’s needs, then monitored and altered as required.  The other essential facet of this equipment is that it is especially designed so that the falconers can administer drugs directly into the unit for birds with respiratory problems.

The exterior is now finished and within the next few weeks, we hope the new hospital will be fully operational

The outer area of the hospital will house CCTV for the rehab aviaries, so that the falconers can monitor the raptors in this area carefully.  It will also have information and pictures for visitors about injured birds of prey and their rehabilitation.  We’re very much looking forward to the hospital being completed and will keep you updated as to its progress.

Special Guests

In recent times we have been extremely fortunate to add some stunning species to our bird of prey family. This week we were indeed tremendously proud to become home for a while to two striking Tawny Eagles. They have come to us from Chris O’Donnell at Hawk Experience in North Yorkshire and will stay with us on indefinite loan. General Manager Andy worked with Chris over twenty years ago and still keeps close links with his Yorkshire roots.

The pair of Tawny Eagles have settled in quickly amongst the evergreens in their spacious aviary

The two fully mature Tawny Eagles - as yet nameless (answers on a postcard please) - will stay with us until hopefully they breed, at which point we will then be able to rear some of the chicks here at the Sanctuary. Eventually, Andy hopes to be able to include our own Tawny Eagles in our spectacular, educational flying displays, giving visitors a chance to see the splendour of this truly magnificent raptor.

The female of the species has a downy-coloured appearance

The Tawny Eagle is a sizeable bird, with a wingspan of between 165-185 cm in length, that’s an impressive 5 ½ to 6 foot. It can also weigh up to around 2.4 kilograms, which for those of us who still function in old money is just over 5 pounds in weight. That’s a good couple of bags of sugar or more to have sitting on your wrist!

Tawny Eagles belong to the family ‘Accipitridae’, one of the largest avian families, which encompasses many of the diurnal birds of prey including familiar hawks and eagles. With a territory ranging across most of Africa and across tropical southwestern Asia to India, this is a well-established raptor that favours open, dry habitats such as desert and open grassland.

The handsome male sports the hooded eyes common to most eagles

Tawny Eagles tend to have quite a varied diet and will eat large, fresh carrion of all kinds, including reptiles and birds the size of guinea fowl. They’re also not averse to a bit of scavenging and have been spotted alongside other large raptors and vultures partaking of a bit of carcass. In fact they’re actually quite happy to steal food from smaller raptors, which apparently puts them in the category of birds known as ‘kleptoparasites’!

This species might live to around 45 years of age and will generally mate for life, breeding once a year to produce one to three offspring. Chicks become fledglings at around 84 days, although they can remain dependent on their parents for another six weeks and may even remain with them until the following breeding season. The young are fed mainly by the male and then by both parents once they fledge.

Did You Know…
Tawny Eagles are ‘endothermic’, which means they absorb energy from surrounding heat.

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More Ups & Downs

In our last but one blog, I reported on two Tawny Owls and a Sparrowhawk that came in to our hospital.  One of the Tawnies was a juvenile that had been involved in an RTA, but since there were no obvious injuries, it seemed most likely that it had been buffeted by the slipstream of a vehicle rather than actually colliding with one.  The other Tawny was found in a kitchen, having fallen down the chimney.  They have since been given plenty of TLC by our falconry team and spent a couple of weeks in our specially designed rehab aviaries.  At the time of writing, both Tawnies have just been taken to be released back into the wild, which is really excellent news!
 
The other patient to come to us at around the same time was a male Sparrowhawk.  The Sparrowhawk was found in a garden in Stonham Aspal, literally just down the road from the Sanctuary.  Close examination revealed some superficial damage to one wing and that the skin underneath the feathers was clearly inflamed and bruised.  The most likely scenario was that the Sparrowhawk had collided with some kind of obstacle hence the bruising.  Time to recover from the trauma is often what’s most needed in such cases and in this instance the bird was also treated with Metacalm to help reduce the inflammation.  After the Sparrowhawk had spent a couple of weeks in a quiet, secluded rehab aviary, Andy went with one of our volunteers, Doug, to release it in Stonham Aspal, close to where it was found.

Volunteer Doug releases the Sparrowhawk where it was found, not far from the Sanctuary

Natural Selection

Although obviously it’s a great feeling to be able to write about the hospital’s rehabilitation successes, it’s important to be realistic and accept that sometimes nature has other ideas.  We recently had two juvenile Kestrels brought in to the Sanctuary both of which were very thin and malnourished.  Despite the falconers’ best efforts, the youngsters were too far-gone to recover.  In the natural world, it’s a harsh fact that at least 50% of raptors will die due to starvation in the first couple of months of leaving the nest.  Unfortunately it really is a question of natural selection and nature’s way of ensuring the survival of the fittest. 

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