Over the last 20 years, our trucks have chugged unobtrusively about their business. They have been been invaluable for ferrying us to local schools to spread the conservation message, transporting display equipment to country fairs to raise our profile and as a workhorse enabling access to the remote locations of our Wild Owl Nest Box project sites.
But, it was decided that our long-standing trusty truck should be ignored no longer and that its potential as a piece of travelling artwork should be utilised!
So a local company were engaged to transform the truck from the mundane to the spectacular!
The new livery features images of the sanctuary’s own birds and red squirrels and the eye-catching design turns heads wherever it travels, instantly recognisable to the public and schoolchildren on its progress throughout the region.
Boris the Buzzard grounded
Today we had a Common Buzzard brought into us by a local veterinary for post-operative care rehabilitation.
The raptor was found with a smashed-up wing by a chap out walking his dog, who thoughtfully took it in to his local vet for treatment. They carefully removed the primary feathers, expertly operated to pin the wing and withdrew any pieces of fragmented bone and then retained it at their practice for a few days to see if the bird - by this time named "Boris" - would survive the trauma.
Boris had his primary feathers removed for the wing operation and currently is cosseted in a bright pink bandage
Thankfully the buzzard appears to be bearing up well, so we have now taken charge as the long process of recovery will begin. Given the severity of the damage, Boris is likely to remain in our bird hospital for about a month, allowing the pins to settle and the callus at the end of the broken bones to regrow. Then, we will need for the bird to moult, so that in the process it can replace the feathers removed for the operation. During this period we will house him in one of our secluded recuperation aviaries, keeping a watchful eye on him until such time he is fit enough to attempt flying again. Depending on that success, we'll progressively hack him back to the wild.
Though the S.O.S. Blog has been quiet for a few months - "pressure of work" precluding regular entries by your scribe - life has been busy here at the centre, particularly in the hospital where we currently have a full house of injured wild birds in various states of recovery. These include a little owl who was mobbed by crows and suffered the loss of an eye as a result; a sparrow hawk who flew straight into a window and concussed himself, a pair of kestrels both with broken wings, a tawny owl who needed a toe amputated in order to save the foot, and just last week an undernourished young barn owl who appeared to have been caught out by the first of cold snap of the winter which compromised his ability to hunt. We're pleased to say that all these 'inmates' are doing well. As for Boris the Buzzard, we'll keep you posted, and as for the "Blog", normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!
Boris the Buzzard grounded
Today we had a Common Buzzard brought into us by a local veterinary for post-operative care rehabilitation.
The raptor was found with a smashed-up wing by a chap out walking his dog, who thoughtfully took it in to his local vet for treatment. They carefully removed the primary feathers, expertly operated to pin the wing and withdrew any pieces of fragmented bone and then retained it at their practice for a few days to see if the bird - by this time named "Boris" - would survive the trauma.
Boris had his primary feathers removed for the wing operation and currently is cosseted in a bright pink bandage
Thankfully the buzzard appears to be bearing up well, so we have now taken charge as the long process of recovery will begin. Given the severity of the damage, Boris is likely to remain in our bird hospital for about a month, allowing the pins to settle and the callus at the end of the broken bones to regrow. Then, we will need for the bird to moult, so that in the process it can replace the feathers removed for the operation. During this period we will house him in one of our secluded recuperation aviaries, keeping a watchful eye on him until such time he is fit enough to attempt flying again. Depending on that success, we'll progressively hack him back to the wild.
Though the S.O.S. Blog has been quiet for a few months - "pressure of work" precluding regular entries by your scribe - life has been busy here at the centre, particularly in the hospital where we currently have a full house of injured wild birds in various states of recovery. These include a little owl who was mobbed by crows and suffered the loss of an eye as a result; a sparrow hawk who flew straight into a window and concussed himself, a pair of kestrels both with broken wings, a tawny owl who needed a toe amputated in order to save the foot, and just last week an undernourished young barn owl who appeared to have been caught out by the first of cold snap of the winter which compromised his ability to hunt. We're pleased to say that all these 'inmates' are doing well. As for Boris the Buzzard, we'll keep you posted, and as for the "Blog", normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!
100 and counting - Barn Owls back on track
In the last two years, the breeding activity of Suffolk’s wild owl populations has taken a real hammering - the result of an extreme & prolonged period of wet weather which devastated the 2012 season and a long cold snap extending through until late March 2013 that further compounded the problem. As widely reported, the result was an alarming decrease in wild owl breeding success, in some cases last year recording a drop of more than 90% over previous seasonal highs.
But in monitoring the East Anglian Wild Owl Nest Box scheme - the initiative Suffolk Owl Sanctuary jointly operates with The Thornham Owl Project - we can confidently report a remarkable recovery has taken place this year. Over 100 Barn Owl progeny were ringed from just 26 of the network of 167 wild Barn Owl nest boxes in the scheme when it was inspected by the beginning of the month - an average of over 3.5 progeny for each nest site.
These Barn Owl chicks are in the region of 50 days old and are already showing the very distinct markings and colouration of these beautiful, stunning birds
Indeed, it promises to be the best year yet for an enterprise focussed on providing secure roosting sites for wild Barn Owls and other threatened bird of prey species whose natural habitat is being eroded as man encroaches on the East Anglian countryside.
Spokesman for the Thornham Owl Project, Roger Buxton, is delighted: “2014 is turning out to be a bumper year! At the beginning of the month we had clocked up the 100th chicks ringed - a record for the scheme. Last year was very poor, with only 19 pulli (young owl chicks) registered for the whole season. We still have 60 more boxes to check and from the evidence we have seen, it’s possible that many Barn Owls will raise a second clutch before the summer is out, so a further check of the network at a later date will be necessary to ascertain the magnitude of the improvement.
With expert handling, the weight and size of each pulli (young owl chick)
is carefully recorded and ringed, information which is shared with other
organisations to contribute to a nationwide picture of owl population trends
Other owl species who take advantage of the total of nearly 300 nest boxes in East Anglian Nest Box Scheme have also benefitted. “The regional Tawny Owl population has staged an equally impressive recovery in 2014 - from no chicks at all last year in our network to 26 so far this year, which is another record for our project.”
The breeding activity of Tawny Owls was devastated in 2013, with some surveys showing zero-based results. This year, there are signs of substantial reversals of fortune...
Roger, who with his Thornham colleague Kevin Boyce and Dean from S.O.S. between them visit all the boxes to record raptor populations as well as cleaning, repairing or replacing the boxes themselves, is equally enthusiastic about the revival in the fortunes of the Kestrel, another species which is under threat.
“So far we have ringed 34 kestrel pulli so far, from 10 boxes, with further man-made nest sites to be checked. It appears that kestrels started their breeding cycle early this year, I imagine mainly due to the mild weather conditions. In some cases we suspect the youngsters had already fledged when we arrived to check and some mums were already sitting on a second clutch.”
The East Anglian Wild Owl Nest Box Scheme - which is funded entirely by private donations, for which we thank our generous supporters - is just one of a number of serious endeavours throughout the country whose aim is the conservation of threatened owl species. Each nest box inspection is carried out under a License issued by DEFRA (it is illegal to approach a wild owl nesting box without one) and the results of the progeny surveys conducted are included with the those of the Suffolk Community Barn Owl Project as part of annual report of The Barn Owl Trust.
New Disability Play Area meets with approval
A fundamental part of our remit as a Registered Charity is to encourage a greater awareness of the need for the conservation of British owls and other bird of prey species amongst young people.
Yet whilst we are committed to visiting schools in and around East Anglia with our message, we also are visited by the many disability & special needs groups who come to see us - we are fully wheelchair accessible and the number of such groups is increasing month-by-month, especially as we are based in a rural area with no other establishments like ours within a 50-mile radius.
Tucked away in a corner of S.O.S. is our new disability play area, which has been entirely funded by corporate, charity & trust contributions towards the cost.
Our colleague Maz will be familiar to many of you as the powerhouse behind our fund-raising efforts and it was her idea to think about building a disabled access playground at S.O.S. to cater for children & young adults with physical or mental disabilities, recognising the need for them to be able to play alongside their siblings and friends when taking a break from the birds. Up until now we have had no such suitable facilities.
All aboard! The purpose-built slide, roundabout and clamber castle plus the special floor surfacing were all installed with the safety needs of children with disabilities in mind.
As a small charity we would not have been able to afford funding a project as large as this ourselves and therefore about 18 months ago Maz began approaching corporations, companies, trusts and foundations to see if they would assist us with donations towards this important project.
This week, the dream was realised. As a result of hundreds of letters and numerous 'phone calls, the funds required to purchase the purpose built equipment slowly began to accrue and eventually reached its goal after a splendid award received from players of People's Postcode Lottery. As a result, last week saw the installation of a wonderful new play area completely funded by the generosity of these corporate sponsors.
Smile please! The special swing is designed to carry 2-3 youngsters or can accommodate a carer on board
Complete with team swings, extra-wide slides, a roundabout capable of carrying a wheelchair, a see-saw and safety-enhanced clamber castle, and with the whole area surfaced with soft eco-bond safety flooring, we felt the best way to open the facility would be to ask some special guests to put it to the test.
Helen Cumbers of Activities Unlimited staidly guides the hands of the two young visitors who performed the opening ceremony, whilst our esteemed fund-raiser Maz looks on, though she had her forthcoming knee-op on her mind as well!
So the local branch of Activities Unlimited, who are dedicated to creating fun opportunities for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities, brought a group of youngsters along and great to say, the play area passed with flying colours! At then end of an exhausting session, we said goodbye to a tired but happy bunch of youngsters who had thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
On their behalf we'd like to thank the many organisations who contributed towards the cost of the venture - from the looks on the faces of our visitors this week, you generosity will be very much appreciated by all who enjoy the new facility for many years to come.
New Disability Play Area meets with approval
A fundamental part of our remit as a Registered Charity is to encourage a greater awareness of the need for the conservation of British owls and other bird of prey species amongst young people.
Yet whilst we are committed to visiting schools in and around East Anglia with our message, we also are visited by the many disability & special needs groups who come to see us - we are fully wheelchair accessible and the number of such groups is increasing month-by-month, especially as we are based in a rural area with no other establishments like ours within a 50-mile radius.
Tucked away in a corner of S.O.S. is our new disability play area, which has been entirely funded by corporate, charity & trust contributions towards the cost.
Our colleague Maz will be familiar to many of you as the powerhouse behind our fund-raising efforts and it was her idea to think about building a disabled access playground at S.O.S. to cater for children & young adults with physical or mental disabilities, recognising the need for them to be able to play alongside their siblings and friends when taking a break from the birds. Up until now we have had no such suitable facilities.
All aboard! The purpose-built slide, roundabout and clamber castle plus the special floor surfacing were all installed with the safety needs of children with disabilities in mind.
As a small charity we would not have been able to afford funding a project as large as this ourselves and therefore about 18 months ago Maz began approaching corporations, companies, trusts and foundations to see if they would assist us with donations towards this important project.
This week, the dream was realised. As a result of hundreds of letters and numerous 'phone calls, the funds required to purchase the purpose built equipment slowly began to accrue and eventually reached its goal after a splendid award received from players of People's Postcode Lottery. As a result, last week saw the installation of a wonderful new play area completely funded by the generosity of these corporate sponsors.
Smile please! The special swing is designed to carry 2-3 youngsters or can accommodate a carer on board
Complete with team swings, extra-wide slides, a roundabout capable of carrying a wheelchair, a see-saw and safety-enhanced clamber castle, and with the whole area surfaced with soft eco-bond safety flooring, we felt the best way to open the facility would be to ask some special guests to put it to the test.
Helen Cumbers of Activities Unlimited staidly guides the hands of the two young visitors who performed the opening ceremony, whilst our esteemed fund-raiser Maz looks on, though she had her forthcoming knee-op on her mind as well!
So the local branch of Activities Unlimited, who are dedicated to creating fun opportunities for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities, brought a group of youngsters along and great to say, the play area passed with flying colours! At then end of an exhausting session, we said goodbye to a tired but happy bunch of youngsters who had thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
On their behalf we'd like to thank the many organisations who contributed towards the cost of the venture - from the looks on the faces of our visitors this week, you generosity will be very much appreciated by all who enjoy the new facility for many years to come.
100 and counting - Barn Owls back on track
In the last two years, the breeding activity of Suffolk’s wild owl populations has taken a real hammering - the result of an extreme & prolonged period of wet weather which devastated the 2012 season and a long cold snap extending through until late March 2013 that further compounded the problem. As widely reported, the result was an alarming decrease in wild owl breeding success, in some cases last year recording a drop of more than 90% over previous seasonal highs.
But in monitoring the East Anglian Wild Owl Nest Box scheme - the initiative Suffolk Owl Sanctuary jointly operates with The Thornham Owl Project - we can confidently report a remarkable recovery has taken place this year. Over 100 Barn Owl progeny were ringed from just 26 of the network of 167 wild Barn Owl nest boxes in the scheme when it was inspected by the beginning of the month - an average of over 3.5 progeny for each nest site.
These Barn Owl chicks are in the region of 50 days old and are already showing the very distinct markings and colouration of these beautiful, stunning birds
Indeed, it promises to be the best year yet for an enterprise focussed on providing secure roosting sites for wild Barn Owls and other threatened bird of prey species whose natural habitat is being eroded as man encroaches on the East Anglian countryside.
Spokesman for the Thornham Owl Project, Roger Buxton, is delighted: “2014 is turning out to be a bumper year! At the beginning of the month we had clocked up the 100th chicks ringed - a record for the scheme. Last year was very poor, with only 19 pulli (young owl chicks) registered for the whole season. We still have 60 more boxes to check and from the evidence we have seen, it’s possible that many Barn Owls will raise a second clutch before the summer is out, so a further check of the network at a later date will be necessary to ascertain the magnitude of the improvement.
With expert handling, the weight and size of each pulli (young owl chick) is carefully recorded and ringed, information which is shared with other organisations to contribute to a nationwide picture of owl population trends
Other owl species who take advantage of the total of nearly 300 nest boxes in East Anglian Nest Box Scheme have also benefitted. “The regional Tawny Owl population has staged an equally impressive recovery in 2014 - from no chicks at all last year in our network to 26 so far this year, which is another record for our project.”
The breeding activity of Tawny Owls was devastated in 2013, with some surveys showing zero-based results. This year, there are signs of substantial reversals of fortune...
Roger, who with his Thornham colleague Kevin Boyce and Dean from S.O.S. between them visit all the boxes to record raptor populations as well as cleaning, repairing or replacing the boxes themselves, is equally enthusiastic about the revival in the fortunes of the Kestrel, another species which is under threat.
“So far we have ringed 34 kestrel pulli so far, from 10 boxes, with further man-made nest sites to be checked. It appears that kestrels started their breeding cycle early this year, I imagine mainly due to the mild weather conditions. In some cases we suspect the youngsters had already fledged when we arrived to check and some mums were already sitting on a second clutch.”
The East Anglian Wild Owl Nest Box Scheme - which is funded entirely by private donations, for which we thank our generous supporters - is just one of a number of serious endeavours throughout the country whose aim is the conservation of threatened owl species. Each nest box inspection is carried out under a License issued by DEFRA (it is illegal to approach a wild owl nesting box without one) and the results of the progeny surveys conducted are included with the those of the Suffolk Community Barn Owl Project as part of annual report of The Barn Owl Trust.
Far From Home
The bewildered Tawny owlet was foundnestling behind a flowerpot
At this time of year, when our native wild owls are a-courtin’, we try to spread the message that seemingly abandoned chicks are usually better left where they are, because mum and dad are most likely not far away, keeping a weather eye on them.
However, there’s always the exception to the rule and sometimes a youngster clearly hasn’t just taken a bit of a tumble from its nest. A case in point was when one of our falconers received a concerned email from a gentleman, saying that there was a rather bedraggled baby owl in his garden that had been there for some hours. In this instance, the poor bird had obviously strayed rather too far from its nest and had finally taken refuge beside a flowerpot. Head Falconer Matt duly went to assess the situation on his way home from work and was certain that the chick, a young Tawny, had either lost or been abandoned by its parents. Not only was the Tawny Owlet somewhat dishevelled and soaking wet, but was also very thin, which suggested that it wasn’t being fed.
Having taken the chick home and put it somewhere warm and quiet, Matt then brought it in to the raptor hospital here at the Sanctuary, where it was given plenty of TLC and much needed food to help build it back up to full health and strength. The Tawny owlet has now been put into one of our special rehab aviaries with three other abandoned young Tawnies of similar age for company. One of the most important things about rearing wild young owls, with a view to releasing them, is minimal human contact, so that they don’t imprint or become attached to a handler. Everything possible is done to allow them as natural an upbringing as possible so that the transition back into the wild is easy.
In around a week or so the four Tawny chicks will be taken to a nearby farm area where we have very kindly been allowed to erect a permanent hack box. Here we provide & replace food on a daily basis so that the youngsters will be fed every day while they adapt to their new surroundings. Once the chicks are ready to go exploring, the front of the hack box will be opened and the process of integrating into the wild will begin. The chicks will continue to be fed for as long as they reappear at the hack box looking for food, but gradually, as they become accustomed to hunting, they will need to be supported less and less. Just like Tawny owlets raised in a nest together, they will naturally disperse and find their own territory. Once the chicks are put out in the hack box, we’ll keep you posted and let you know how they get on.
“I would like some advice about my captive bred Barn Owl. She is 18 years old, a rescued owl and registered to me. I handle her daily, allowing her to fly on a creance if she wishes. However, I have been told that she is happy to live in her weathering, which has a mesh front door and in which she is free and untethered whilst inside. I have been promised an aviary, but this has not come to fruition.
My concern is that the weathering is not suitable for her long term. As I am not an experienced owl keeper, I am unsure if I should try to find another home for her which has an aviary, or if it is indeed OK to keep her as she is, with daily exercise with me. She has laid 5 eggs so far this year.
I would be grateful for your advice on her housing.
A.R.”
From The Web: Barn Owl accommodation?
Our Barn Owl Cobweb free lofts in an aviary 8ft x 12ft with three perches
Thank you for your email. My advice would be to continue flying your Barn Owl on the creance daily and to continue to free loft her in the weathering, provided it is large enough.
The smallest size weathering I would recommend would be a minimum of 6ft X 6ft, though the larger the better. The weathering should have two perches as far from one another as possible, so that the owl can fly from perch to perch.
Here at S.O.S. we free loft some of our Owls from their aviaries which are 8ft X 12ft, each with 3 perches.
A.H.
Suffolk Owl Sanctuary
From The Web: Barn Owl accommodation?
I would like some advice about my captive bred Barn Owl. She is 18 years old, a rescued owl and registered to me. I handle her daily, allowing her to fly on a creance if she wishes. However, I have been told that she is happy to live in her weathering, which has a mesh front door and in which she is free and untethered whilst inside. I have been promised an aviary, but this has not come to fruition.
My concern is that the weathering is not suitable for her long term. As I am not an experienced owl keeper, I am unsure if I should try to find another home for her which has an aviary, or if it is indeed OK to keep her as she is, with daily exercise with me. She has laid 5 eggs so far this year.
I would be grateful for your advice on her housing.
A.R.
--
Thank you for your email. My advice would be to continue flying your Barn Owl on the creance daily and to continue to free loft her in the weathering, provided it is large enough.
The smallest size weathering I would recommend would be a minimum of 6ft X 6ft, though the larger the better. The weathering should have two perches as far from one another as possible, so that the owl can fly from perch to perch.
Here at S.O.S. we free loft some of our Owls from their aviaries which are 8ft X 12ft, each with 3 perches.
A.H.
Suffolk Owl Sanctuary
Our Barn Owl Cobweb free lofts in an aviary 8ft x 12ft with three perches
Falcon's Fury - None but the brave...!
And now for something completely different!
If you’ve ever watched the dramatic sight of a falcon as it stoops vertically downwards towards its prey at incredible speed, there’ll soon be a chance to experience such a thrill at first hand - though you may have to go all the way the States to do so!
Now under construction - Falcon's Fury will be North America's tallest 'drop tower' theme park ride
A new theme park ride called “Falcon’s Fury” is set to open at the renowned Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida later this year. Standing at 335 feet tall, the ride will lift visitors to it’s highest point, begin its vertical drop at speeds of up to 60mph and then - for an added element of surprise - further emulate the aerial skills of the falcon by pivoting riders to a terrifying face-down dive position for the completion of their journey.
For the thrill of it all - visitors will be swivelled into the face-down position for the full falcon experience!
By the time you see this view, it's too late to decide you don't want to see what being a falcon is like after all!
Set to become the tallest tower ride of its kind in North America, Falcon's Fury is currently undergoing safety drop tests and should be ready for those ready & willing to mimic the flight of the falcon by late summer 2014, allowing enough time to save up the $95 daily admission fee to the Busch Garden complex!
Falcon's Fury - None but the brave...!
And now for something completely different!
If you’ve ever watched the dramatic sight of a falcon as it stoops vertically downwards towards its prey at incredible speed, there’ll soon be a chance to experience such a thrill at first hand - though you may have to go all the way the States to do so!
Now under construction - Falcon's Fury will be
North America's tallest 'drop tower' theme park ride
new theme park ride called “Falcon’s Fury” is set to open at the renowned Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida later this year. Standing at 335 feet tall, the ride will lift visitors to it’s highest point, begin its vertical drop at speeds of up to 60mph and then - for an added element of surprise - further emulate the aerial skills of the falcon by pivoting riders to a terrifying face-down dive position for the completion of their journey.
For the thrill of it all - visitors will be swivelled into the face-down position for the full falcon experience! By the time you see the view, it's too late to decide you don't want to see what being a falcon is like after all!
Set to become the tallest tower ride of its kind in North America, Falcon's Fury is currently undergoing safety drop tests and should be ready for those ready & willing to mimic the flight of the falcon by late summer 2014, allowing enough time to save up the $95 daily admission fee to the Busch Garden complex!
New Discovery Centre opens!
We're very pleased to announce the opening of our brand new Discovery Centre at the centre in Stonham Aspal. It was devised and created by the charity’s Admin Team, Catherine and Anna (with some help from master of the spray paint, falconer Dean) and its purpose is to highlight many of the extraordinary facts about owls & other birds of prey, as well as emphasising the importance of British wildlife conservation in general. To do this they've developed a host of different interactive displays & exhibits which are great fun too try as you read alongside all about our feathered friends.
Among the intriguing, hands-on exhibits are:
HOW DO I LOOK? - Have fun as your photo is taken in the guise of an owl!
GET A GRIP - Test the strength of your grip against that of a Golden Eagle - you’ll soon grasp the difference!
MEASURE UP - You’ll have to stretch to beat the wingspan of Charlie Condor, the world’s biggest bird of prey!
FOOD CHAIN FACTS - Make yourself a bracelet as you discover how the Food Chain links together!
PELLET DETECTIVES - Discover what’s in an owl pellet and how it can help you discover more about their diet.
HIGH FLYERS - Flying over Everest with only the beat of your wings to keep you airborne is hard to imagine - but this vulture does it every year!
A WORD IN YOUR SHELL-LIKE - Compare the diversity of size and colour of different raptor eggs.
RAPTOR FACTORS - Fantastic facts about birds of prey brought to life - contrast their extraordinary fields of vision, ability to withstand extreme temperatures and much more…
BOOK CAMP - Grab a book from our library and sit around the campfire to read all about owls, both fact & fiction.
COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION - You’ll be amazed at how many British wildlife species are under threat of extinction, and how the Countryside Code can help.
DAMAGE LIMITATION - You’ll be surprised how Rubbish we are at conserving our wildlife!
Though of interest to nature-lovers of all ages, the Discovery Centre is especially targeted young audiences, adding an extra dry-weather attraction for visiting schools when they come to see the huge range of different birds of prey housed at the Sanctuary and the spectacular flying displays which take place there between Easter & October.
New Discovery Centre opens!
We're very pleased to announce the opening of our brand new Discovery Centre at the centre in Stonham Aspal. It was devised and created by the charity’s Admin Team, Catherine and Anna (with some help from master of the spray paint, falconer Dean) and its purpose is to highlight many of the extraordinary facts about owls & other birds of prey, as well as emphasising the importance of British wildlife conservation in general. To do this they've developed a host of different interactive displays & exhibits which are great fun too try as you read alongside all about our feathered friends.
Among the intriguing, hands-on exhibits are:
- HOW DO I LOOK? - Have fun as your photo is taken in the guise of an owl!
- GET A GRIP - Test the strength of your grip against that of a Golden Eagle - you’ll soon grasp the difference!
- MEASURE UP - You’ll have to stretch to beat the wingspan of Charlie Condor, the world’s biggest bird of prey!
- FOOD CHAIN FACTS - Make yourself a bracelet as you discover how the Food Chain links together!
- PELLET DETECTIVES - Discover what’s in an owl pellet and how it can help you discover more about their diet.
- HIGH FLYERS - Flying over Everest with only the beat of your wings to keep you airborne is hard to imagine - but this vulture does it every year!
- A WORD IN YOUR SHELL-LIKE - Compare the diversity of size and colour of different raptor eggs.
- RAPTOR FACTORS - Fantastic facts about birds of prey brought to life - contrast their extraordinary fields of vision, ability to withstand extreme temperatures and much more…
- BOOK CAMP - Grab a book from our library and sit around the campfire to read all about owls, both fact & fiction.
- COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION - You’ll be amazed at how many British wildlife species are under threat of extinction, and how the Countryside Code can help.
- DAMAGE LIMITATION - You’ll be surprised how Rubbish we are at conserving our wildlife!
Though of interest to nature-lovers of all ages, the Discovery Centre is especially targeted young audiences, adding an extra dry-weather attraction for visiting schools when they come to see the huge range of different birds of prey housed at the Sanctuary and the spectacular flying displays which take place there between Easter & October.
““I’m looking after a sparrowhawk which crashed into our conservatory on Friday morning. There are no obvious injuries and it has survived till Sat Evening. I’ve got it in a cat box which I have covered and placed not far from a radiator. It moves it’s wings but it will not stand even though I have held it in a standing position. I have obtained some duck insides but so far it hasn’t eaten. Any helpful suggestions would be gratefully received.
S.B”
From The Web: Concussed Sparrowhawk Question
Thank you for your email. You have done the right thing by putting the bird in the box next to the radiator. The bird may not eat for a day or two which is quite natural as it is in an alien environment and may have enough energy reserves not to eat.
The fact the bird has not been able to stand may be simply shock but it could be pelvis damage. I would recommend you carry on for today keeping the bird warm and quiet, and then tomorrow if there is no visible improvement I would get the bird to a vet and ask them for an opinion.
This male sparrow hawk - known as a Musket - was brought into our raptor hospital with minor concussion but was eventually released in good health. I am holding it gently but firmly so has to keep those extremely sharp talons well out of harms way!
A.H.
Suffolk Owl Sanctuary
From The Web: Concussed Sparrowhawk Question
I'm looking after a sparrowhawk which crashed into our conservatory on Friday morning. There are no obvious injuries and it has survived till Sat Evening. I've got it in a cat box which I have covered and placed not far from a radiator. It moves it's wings but it will not stand even though I have held it in a standing position. I have obtained some duck insides but so far it hasn't eaten. Any helpful suggestions would be gratefully received.
S.B
--
Thank you for your email. You have done the right thing by putting the bird in the box next to the radiator. The bird may not eat for a day or two which is quite natural as it is in an alien environment and may have enough energy reserves not to eat.
The fact the bird has not been able to stand may be simply shock but it could be pelvis damage. I would recommend you carry on for today keeping the bird warm and quiet, and then tomorrow if there is no visible improvement I would get the bird to a vet and ask them for an opinion.
This male sparrow hawk - known as a Musket - was brought into our raptor
hospital with minor concussion but was eventually released in good health.
I am holding it gently but firmly so has to keep those extremely sharp
talons well out of harms way!
A.H.
Suffolk Owl Sanctuary
From The Web: European Eagle Owl info.
Hi,
I am farm supervisor at Woodside Animal Farm in Bedfordshire and was wondering if you could help me learn some more about our European Eagle Owl - in particular some information on diet amount, frequency, habit and worming. He is a display bird with a large free flying enclosure
We think it would be great to build up some connections to places like yourselves to help educate and improve animal care on a whole
J.W.
--
The owl will need a mixed diet of chicks, rat, quail and rabbit if available. We feed our flying birds chicks 5 days a week and a combination of rat and quail on the other two days.
When the birds are in moult, we feed chicks 4 days a week and rat, quail & rabbit 3 days a week.
We worm our European Eagle Owl once a year with Panacur with a dosage of 1ml per 1 kilo weight - however I suggest you to check with your vet before administrating.
A.H.
Suffolk Owl Sanctuary
Otherwise known as the Grand Old Lady Of Stonham, our European Eagle Owl Rheia joined us over 19 years ago, before we'd even opened. The memory of her strutting her stuff quite unconcerned by the JCB's that were helping to build the centre at the rime remains with us today. As you can see, the diet seems to have worked!
The Buzzard's Story
We have lots of owls and small birds of prey brought into our raptor hospital on a weekly basis but rarely do we receive larger birds like the magnificent Common Buzzard that was brought into us recently.
However, the circumstances were not at all pleasing or pleasant, for the bird was in a shocking condition. The creature was lucky enough to be found by two concerned workmen who realised something was very wrong with the Buzzard and brought it in - it was quickly obvious to us that it was starving and had a very severe case of “frounce”. This is a disease carried by pigeons - the Buzzard had almost certainly devoured an infected carcass in order to contract it.
Compression in the throat caused by the frounce causes thethroat to swell and the eyes to close
The Buzzard receives food by 'cop tubing - tiny morselsfed through a pipe to the bird's crop
Frounce is a slow and painful killer: starting as a buildup of soft puss in the throat, it solidifies over a short period of time and blocks the passage of food. In addition the poor thing brought into us had maggots all over its eyes and beak, and down its throat. Luckily, although the frounce had been there for some time it had not gone completely hard and there was some chance of saving the Buzzard. Our amazing vet Paul quickly tackled the situation by performing a somewhat disgusting and smelly operation to clear the frounce plus the damaged tissue and maggots from the throat of the bird.
If you have a look at the pictures, you will see that in the condition he arrived in, his eyes are virtually closed as his throat had swelled to such an extent it was putting too much pressure in and around its facial area - very nasty and uncomfortable and not at all a pretty sight. But we are confident things will improve and we plan to post regular pictures and updates over the coming weeks so that you can see how he's getting on.
The Buzzard receives food by 'cop tubing - tiny morselsfed through a pipe to the bird's crop
One eye is already on the mend
The Buzzard's Story
We have lots of owls and small birds of prey brought into our raptor hospital on a weekly basis but rarely do we receive larger birds like the magnificent Common Buzzard that was brought into us recently.
However, the circumstances were not at all pleasing or pleasant, for the bird was in a shocking condition. The creature was lucky enough to be found by two concerned workmen who realised something was very wrong with the Buzzard and brought it in - it was quickly obvious to us that it was starving and had a very severe case of “frounce”. This is disease carried by pigeons - the Buzzard had almost certainly devoured an infected carcass in order to contract it.
Compression in the throat caused by the frounce causes the throat to swell and the eyes to close
Frounce is a slow and painful killer: starting as a buildup of soft puss in the throat, it solidifies over a short period of time and blocks the passage of food. In addition the poor thing brought into us had maggots all over its eyes and beak, and down its throat. Luckily, although the frounce had been there for some time it had not gone completely hard and there was some chance of saving the Buzzard. Our amazing vet Paul quickly tackled the situation by performing a somewhat disgusting and smelly operation to clear the frounce plus the damaged tissue and maggots from the throat of the bird.
Eyedrops relieve some of the congestion
Though by no means out of the woods, we're pleased to say the Buzzard is now back in our the hospital benefitting from prescribed medication and "crop tubing" (feeding the bird though a pipe through to his crop) little & often with small morsels as he begins the slow road to recovery and is well enough to start eating solids.
The Buzzard receives food by 'cop tubing - tiny morsels fed through a pipe to the bird's crop
If you have a look at the pictures, you will see that in the condition he arrived in, his eyes are virtually closed as his throat had swelled to such an extent it was putting too much pressure in and around its facial area - very nasty and uncomfortable and not at all a pretty sight. But we are confident things will improve and we plan to post regular pictures and updates over the coming weeks so that you can see how he's getting on.
One eye is already on the mend
New Owl Species Discovered
The BBC has reported recently that ornithologists working in Oman say an owl discovered in a remote, mountainous region of the country could be a new species.
Wildlife sound-recordist Magnus Robb told BBC News that he heard the bird's call whilst trying to record the call of another type of owl. "I was listening through my headphones, when I suddenly heard something completely different. I know the other Arabian owl sounds quite well, and this was clearly something that didn't fit."
"I had a good inkling straight away that this could be something new and even phoned a colleague a few minutes later and said, 'I think I've just discovered a new species of owl."
Mr Robb was recording in Oman with a colleague, naturalist and photographer Arnoud van den Berg who captured photographs of the bird, which is thought to be related to the European Tawny Owl. Mr Robb is involved in an international project called The Sound Approach which aims to catalogue and understand bird sound.
He went on to say: "One of the reasons we've gone through (the) process of describing and confirming this as a new species so quickly is to get conservation for this owl as soon as possible. Conservation can only start when this species is accepted and given some official status"
According to Dr Wesley Hochachka from Cornell University's lab of ornithology, that it is "more accepted by ornithologists, particularly in tropical areas, that new species are being discovered based on distinctively different vocalisations"
Meanwhile Prof Ian Newton, a bird expert from the UK's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, said: "Based on the recordings of songs and calls and on the good-quality photographs, I was also convinced that it should be placed within the genus Strix, which also contains the Tawny Owl of Britain and Europe."
For the full story, visit The BBC website here. Photographs of the bird can be seen at Mr van den Berg's Facebook page here.