Raptors in Transit

Last weekend, a couple of our falconers took some birds to the East Anglian Game & Country Fair, which is a fair old drive to Norwich from Stonham Aspal, taking just under an hour and generally speaking is about as far as we like to transport our birds of prey.

You’d think it might be easy just to put a raptor in a box and away you go, but actually there are lots of factors that need to be taken into consideration. As with all animals in cars, one very important aspect is how hot the weather is when you’re driving and it’s very important to ensure that birds don’t overheat whilst in transit. Raptors generally don’t drink very much, instead deriving the moisture they need from their food, so it’s less easy to offer them a drink than you might, for example, with a dog. Proper travelling boxes, purposely designed for birds of prey, are equipped with ventilation holes that allow plenty of air flow at all times.

Pungu, our Bateleur Eagle, visited the East Anglian Game & Country Fair last weekend

The size of travelling box is also extremely important: depending on the size of the bird, it’s vital that a travelling box offers enough room so that the bird isn’t bashed against the sides, but is not so big that it can jump around too much and damage itself. Suitable perches are also a requirement, allowing birds to perch in a natural position with clear headroom and without allowing their tail feathers to touch the floor of the container.

Our birds are transported in specially-designed boxes to allow plenty of ventilation and accommodate varying tail lengths and wingspans

For example, one of the birds to make the journey last weekend was Pungu, the Sanctuary’s Bateleur Eagle. Pungu is a big bird, being approximately 24 inches long, with a wingspan of 5'6" - 6 ft. She is what’s commonly known as a ‘Serpent Eagle’, due to her natural preference for eating snakes. Because of this she has, for a bird of prey, a very short tail, allowing her to jump backwards away from a striking snake. For Pungu then, keeping her tail feathers intact isn’t a problem. However, she has extremely long primary feathers (those at the tips of her wings) and they must be kept clearly off the ground when she’s in her travelling box, to prevent them being broken.

This picture of Pungu basking in the sun illustrates her impressive wingspan, the primary feathers of which must be carefully protected during transit

Some eagles are too big to even sit on a perch whilst travelling and are safest sitting on the ground. Red Kites on the other hand have extremely long tails and need especially high perches to keep their tail feathers intact.

Even the way a bird box is positioned in a vehicle can give a raptor a more comfortable journey. Planning the route beforehand really helps. If you know you’re travelling on lots of straight roads, it’s best to have a bird box facing either directly forwards or directly backwards. If the journey is likely to be fairly wiggly, then the birds can follow the movement more comfortably if their box is placed sideways to the wheels of the vehicle.

As with all animals, different birds react differently to travel; some get travel sick and others can get quite distressed, so it’s wise to try a short journey first. As always, the needs of our birds come first here at the Sanctuary, so the falconers only travel with the birds they know are happy to take it all in their stride!

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Wild Owl Nestbox Projects Join Forces

Established by S.O.S. in 2000, the East Anglian Nest Box Scheme for wild owls and other birds of prey has progressively surveyed and then built, sited, erected and monitored a network of wild owl nesting boxes to replace the diminishing number of derelict barns, outbuildings and natural nesting cavities favoured by raptors in our Mid-Suffolk vicinity.

One of the Thornham Owl Project volunteers cleans out the detritus of last years nesting activity

This has proved a substantially worthwhile exercise to date, so we are very pleased to now be amalgamating our efforts with another long-standing regional group - The Thornham Owl Project - in order to strengthen, consolidate & extend the important work of providing safe & secure lodgings for wild birds of prey, especially those species which are under threat.

The Thornham Owl Project was started in 1997 with the aim of achieving a very similar set of objectives further north in the county and into South Norfolk along the Waveney & Gipping Valleys and on the Thornham Estate, especially recognising that the advent of Dutch Elm disease coupled with the damage caused by severe gales in the 1960s & ‘70s had destroyed a great many of the natural cavity nesting sites favoured particularly by endangered Barn Owls in the flatlands of East Anglia. 

Box 247, for a Barn Owl, is sited high in a tree

A more modern placing for this box, under the eaves of a large grain silo

The work of this volunteer group has flourished over the years to the point where it has erected over 250 boxes, maintains a programme of seasonally repairing and cleaning boxes and methodically records details of occupation & breeding success, in the event of which progeny are expertly ringed for census purposes.

But as the modern age of austerity has dawned, so a shadow has been cast across the survival of the Thornham Owl Project as the local authority has been forced to review and trim its budget and curtail many of the facilities which it has provided for the scheme and on which the scheme has hitherto been dependent.

So saying, it seemed logical that our two organisations pool resources in order to effect to continuance of both our programmes as a single venture, which is now under way. The arrangement is that S.O.S. will provide the vehicle, tools, materials and workshop facilities that we, together with the two principals of the Thornham Owl Project, Roger Buxton and Kevin Boyce, will continue to factor into a hands-on project which will positively benefit wildlife in general and owls in particular over the years to come.

Recently, our Conservation Officer Dean went with a couple of the Thornham Owl Project guys to commence the annual survey of existing nest boxes in preparation for the start of the new breeding season. Each box inspected was carefully examined for debris left over from last year’s nesting period and for signs of any unwanted visitors who might deter this year’s breeding pairs from nesting there, and also tested to ensure that the boxes were still secure after a year out in all kinds of unpredictable British weather.

Our combined scheme includes nest boxes for Little and Tawny Owls, but reacting to news of recent sightings of Barn Owls in the specific area being surveyed, a Barn Owl nest box was also sited in the vicinity.  Once erected, the new box was numbered for record keeping purposes and a ‘do not disturb’ sign put up, with the explanation that there may be owls nesting there.

Nest box schemes like this are an extremely important part of the Suffolk owl Sanctuary's “Saving Britain’s Owls” conservation initiative as they encourage wild raptors to breed and offer safe environments for them to nest in. We are especially pleased about the opportunity to join forces with The Thornham group on this project and thank our sponsors & donors for the support they have have given us through our "Adopt-An-Owl" scheme, which make it all possible.

Buzzard Update

Volunteer Pete does the honours of releasing the Buzzard...

… who soon settled back into his new environment

You may remember, back at the beginning of March, that we described how a Common Buzzard had been brought into the Sanctuary after having been shot.  It’s great to be able to report that the buzzard was finally released back into the wild after just a month of treatment, rest & recuperation at the Centre.  It was released into a lovely, quiet wooded area with plenty of ideal hunting ground and the land is owned by a farmer who thankfully has a great deal of respect for our native birds of prey.  We are really hopeful that the buzzard will thrive here and, who knows, even settle well enough in the future to raise a family!

Osprey Re-location

Readers may be interest in the short news piece which appeared on CNN recently telling of how an attempt has been made to re-locate a pair of Ospreys who had nested dangerously on a set of power lines. You can view the story here.

Wild Owl Nestbox Projects Join Forces

Established by S.O.S. in 2000, the East Anglian Nest Box Scheme for wild owls and other birds of prey has progressively surveyed and then built, sited, erected and monitored a network of wild owl nesting boxes to replace the diminishing number of derelict barns, outbuildings and natural nesting cavities favoured by raptors in our Mid-Suffolk vicinity.

This has proved a substantially worthwhile exercise to date, so we are very pleased to now be amalgamating our efforts with another long-standing regional group - The Thornham Owl Project - in order to strengthen, consolidate & extend the important work of providing safe & secure lodgings for wild birds of prey, especially those species which are under threat.

The Thornham Owl Project was started in 1997 with the aim of achieving a very similar set of objectives further north in the county and into South Norfolk along the Waveney & Gipping Valleys and on the Thornham Estate, especially recognising that the advent of Dutch Elm disease coupled with the damage caused by severe gales in the 1960s & ‘70s had destroyed a great many of the natural cavity nesting sites favoured particularly by endangered Barn Owls in the flatlands of East Anglia.

Box 247, for a Barn Owl, is sited high in a tree

A more modern placing for this box, under the eaves of a large grain silo

The work of this volunteer group has flourished over the years to the point where it has erected over 250 boxes, maintains a programme of seasonally repairing and cleaning boxes and methodically records details of occupation & breeding success, in the event of which progeny are expertly ringed for census purposes.

But as the modern age of austerity has dawned, so a shadow has been cast across the survival of the Thornham Owl Project as the local authority has been forced to review and trim its budget and curtail many of the facilities which it has provided for the scheme and on which the scheme has hitherto been dependent.

So saying, it seemed logical that our two organisations pool resources in order to effect to continuance of both our programmes as a single venture, which is now under way. The arrangement is that S.O.S. will provide the vehicle, tools, materials and workshop facilities that we, together with the two principals of the Thornham Owl Project, Roger Buxton and Kevin Boyce, will continue to factor into a hands-on project which will positively benefit wildlife in general and owls in particular over the years to come.

Recently, our Conservation Officer Dean went with a couple of the Thornham Owl Project guys to commence the annual survey of existing nest boxes in preparation for the start of the new breeding season. Each box inspected was carefully examined for debris left over from last year’s nesting period and for signs of any unwanted visitors who might deter this year’s breeding pairs from nesting there, and also tested to ensure that the boxes were still secure after a year out in all kinds of unpredictable British weather.

Our combined scheme includes nest boxes for Little and Tawny Owls, but reacting to news of recent sightings of Barn Owls in the specific area being surveyed, a Barn Owl nest box was also sited in the vicinity. Once erected, the new box was numbered for record keeping purposes and a ‘do not disturb’ sign put up, with the explanation that there may be owls nesting there.

Nest box schemes like this are an extremely important part of the Suffolk owl Sanctuary's “Saving Britain’s Owls” conservation initiative as they encourage wild raptors to breed and offer safe environments for them to nest in. We are especially pleased about the opportunity to join forces with The Thornham group on this project and thank our sponsors & donors for the support they have have given us through our "Adopt-An-Owl" scheme, which make it all possible.

Buzzard Update

Volunteer Pete does the honours of releasing the Buzzard...

… who soon settled back into his new environment

You may remember, back at the beginning of March, that we described how a Common Buzzard had been brought into the Sanctuary after having been shot. It’s great to be able to report that the buzzard was finally released back into the wild after just a month of treatment, rest & recuperation at the Centre. It was released into a lovely, quiet wooded area with plenty of ideal hunting ground and the land is owned by a farmer who thankfully has a great deal of respect for our native birds of prey. We are really hopeful that the buzzard will thrive here and, who knows, even settle well enough in the future to raise a family!

Osprey Re-location

Readers may be interest in the short news piece which appeared on CNN recently telling of how an attempt has been made to re-locate a pair of Ospreys who had nested dangerously on a set of power lines. You can view the story here.

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Mother’s Day Magic

It might be a tad fallacious to say that Sunday 18th March dawned bright and fair, in fact it was slightly dull and drizzly, but the weather did nothing to dampen the spirit of a fun packed Mother’s Day here at the Sanctuary.

Special attractions on Sunday included the Willowmead Alpacas, which are based a few miles north of Ipswich in Suffolk.  Three of the Alpacas came to visit and enthral visitors with their gentle expressions and amazingly thick fleece coats.  Visitors had the opportunity to go for ‘Alpaca walks’, leading them around the flying ground and even, once the Alpacas became more used to their environment, into the woodland walk. Alpacas look very similar to and are closely related to Llamas and tend to have a bit of a reputation for spitting, but actually they are only likely to spit at each other on occasion and, when handled properly as youngsters, are very good around people.

Alpacas & Macaws joined us for Mothering Sunday celebrations

We were also visited by Cleo and Bo the Macaws, who came with their owner, Simon, from Ipswich Macaw & Parrot Rescue.  Cleo and Bo are both very friendly and were quite happy to be stroked and have a fuss made of them.  Visitors were able to ask questions and Simon gave them lots of information about how to look after Parrots and Macaws.
 
At one o’clock, the falconers put on an exclusive pre-season flying display as a particular treat for Mother’s Day.  The flying team consisted of Auckland, Phyllis, Pungu the Bateleur Eagle and Nell the Falcon.  As usual they gave their audience a wonderful demonstration of their grace and beauty when in flight.

Young Phyllis took part in the pre-season flying demonstration

There was plenty for the kids to do, including having their faces decorated by our visiting face painting artist John and a special ‘pot-a-plant’ workshop, where kids could plant their own cornflowers and decorate the flowerpot to give to mum as a lovely Mother’s Day gift.  Visiting mums also had the opportunity to have their photo taken with either Phyllis our gorgeous Spectacled Owl, or Auckland our diminutive Southern Boobook Owl.

Of course, our beautiful Mums were the stars of the day and Phyllis was happy having her photograph taken with them. To mix our avian 'metaphors', she took to it like duck to water!

In addition, we were very lucky to have two of Heart Radio’s Angels with us to share the day.  They came armed with goodies and were kept very busy handing out daffodils, sweets and flags to all our guests.  We would like to say a big thank you to them and to all our other visiting attractions for helping to make the day such a wonderful one.

The girls from Heart Radio joined us for the day, dispensing daffodils and goodwill to visiting Mums

Mother’s Day Magic

It might be a tad fallacious to say that Sunday 18th March dawned bright and fair, in fact it was slightly dull and drizzly, but the weather did nothing to dampen the spirit of a fun packed Mother’s Day here at the Sanctuary.

Special attractions on Sunday included the Willowmead Alpacas, which are based a few miles north of Ipswich in Suffolk. Three of the Alpacas came to visit and enthral visitors with their gentle expressions and amazingly thick fleece coats. Visitors had the opportunity to go for ‘Alpaca walks’, leading them around the flying ground and even, once the Alpacas became more used to their environment, into the woodland walk. Alpacas look very similar to and are closely related to Llamas and tend to have a bit of a reputation for spitting, but actually they are only likely to spit at each other on occasion and, when handled properly as youngsters, are very good around people.

Alpacas & Macaws joined us for Mothering Sunday celebrations

We were also visited by Cleo and Bo the Macaws, who came with their owner, Simon, from Ipswich Macaw & Parrot Rescue. Cleo and Bo are both very friendly and were quite happy to be stroked and have a fuss made of them. Visitors were able to ask questions and Simon gave them lots of information about how to look after Parrots and Macaws.

At one o’clock, the falconers put on an exclusive pre-season flying display as a particular treat for Mother’s Day. The flying team consisted of Auckland, Phyllis, Pungu the Bateleur Eagle and Nell the Falcon. As usual they gave their audience a wonderful demonstration of their grace and beauty when in flight.

Young Phyllis took part in the pre-season flying demonstration

There was plenty for the kids to do, including having their faces decorated by our visiting face painting artist John and a special ‘pot-a-plant’ workshop, where kids could plant their own cornflowers and decorate the flowerpot to give to mum as a lovely Mother’s Day gift. Visiting mums also had the opportunity to have their photo taken with either Phyllis our gorgeous Spectacled Owl, or Auckland our diminutive Southern Boobook Owl.

Of course, our beautiful Mums were the stars of the day and Phyllis
was happy having her photograph taken with them.
To mix our avian 'metaphors', she took to it like duck to water!

In addition, we were very lucky to have two of Heart Radio’s Angels with us to share the day. They came armed with goodies and were kept very busy handing out daffodils, sweets and flags to all our guests. We would like to say a big thank you to them and to all our other visiting attractions for helping to make the day such a wonderful one.

The girls from Heart Radio joined us for the day, dispensing daffodils and goodwill to visiting Mums

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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.

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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.