A Long-Eared Story

We have had another busy week here in the S.O.S. raptor hospital, with one of the owls a very unexpected visitor!

It's rare that we see (and certainly receive into our care) a wild Long Eared Owl but such was the case when just recently, one was brought into us all the way from way over of the coast at Sizewell, home of the infamous power station. We suspect caught out by the cold snap and late covering of snow of the last few weeks, it arrived in a very weakened, extremely hungry and obviously exhausted state when it came to us. But after a spell in our warm treatment room followed by a few days of regular food, the little chap was as good as new and we'll be taking him back to home ground for release very shortly.

Fit for the off! After a few days good food this once-emaciated visitor was ready to go back to the wild

As with all releases of birds back to wild it's preferable that, where possible, they are turned loose in proximity to where they were found, firstly because they are likely to have an established and recognisable territory there, and secondly they could have a partner in situ - many's the time when at the point of releasing birds, we have been surprised by the appearance of another bird then able to rejoin its mate. I have to say, it's a joy to behold knowing we have effectively released a bird back to its family.

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Hospital 'springs' into action

As regular readers of our blog will know, the Raptor Hospital at S.O.S. sees a steady stream of visitors throughout the year and this last week was no exception with three 'patients' brought in from the wild in various states of disrepair.

The week started with a pair of Tawny Owls involved in separate road traffic accidents - RTA's as we call them, which regrettable appear to the prevalent cause of wild bird-of-prey injuries we come across. One of them had a badly bruised wing and the other had received a serious knock to the head, as the accompanying images will illustrate. 

Things that go bump in the road - luckily we think we can nurse this battered Tawny Owl back to full health

The good news in both cases is that with the right care & treatment, we should be able to help both through to recover and release: it's too early to tell yet, but 'watch this space' and we'll let you know how they get on - one thing you can be sure of is that we'll give them out best attention.

Our other visitor this week was a Barn Owl brought in by a member of the public in a very withered state and who was pretty obviously suffering from a lack of food - not unsurprising as the area has been covered in snow turning to ice over the past week of enduring bitterly cold weather, and this no doubt restricted it's hunting activities. 

Four days at home and keeping hubby awake at night was a price worth paying to get this emaciated Barn owl on the right road to recovery

To be honest, when he first came in we didn't think he would make it through the night and would really need some round the clock care to keep him topped up with small amounts of fluid and food. So - much to the consternation of my long-suffering husband who just loves having his slumbers interrupted by the frequent need to help me administer nocturnal avian TLC - I took the owl home with me to keep an eye on things. I'm more than pleased to report that after four days of intense treatment the little beauty has now been re-located back to our hospital where he's enjoying the warmth and food that will set him on the right road to recovery and probably release before very long.

Please keep reading our blog for regular updates on these and our other 'inmates' and if you are ever in our area or planning a visit to the sanctuary, the hospital is open for inspection year round Please also remember that we are here to offer help or advice, or even take in an injured owl or other bird of prey should you be unlucky enough to come across one.

If you are not local to our sanctuary and are looking for advice, please refer to our information page “What to do if you find an injured bird” where we list the organisations that should be able to assist you in your area. In most cases, you also have the option of taking the bird to your local vet who have a duty of care to injured wildlife and usually be more than happy to help you.

Hospital 'springs' into action

As regular readers of our blog will know, the Raptor Hospital at S.O.S. sees a steady stream of visitors throughout the year and this last week was no exception with three 'patients' brought in from the wild in various states of disrepair.

The week started with a pair of Tawny Owls involved in separate road traffic accidents - RTA's as we call them, which regrettable appear to the prevalent cause of wild bird-of-prey injuries we come across. One of them had a badly bruised wing and the other had received a serious knock to the head, as the accompanying images will illustrate.

Things that go bump in the road - luckily we think we can nurse this battered Tawny Owl back to full health

The good news in both cases is that with the right care & treatment, we should be able to help both through to recover and release: it's too early to tell yet, but 'watch this space' and we'll let you know how they get on - one thing you can be sure of is that we'll give them out best attention.

Our other visitor this week was a Barn Owl brought in by a member of the public in a very withered state and who was pretty obviously suffering from a lack of food - not unsurprising as the area has been covered in snow turning to ice over the past week of enduring bitterly cold weather, and this no doubt restricted it's hunting activities.

Four days at home and keeping hubby awake at night was a price worth paying to get this emaciated Barn owl on the right road to recovery

To be honest, when he first came in we didn't think he would make it through the night and would really need some round the clock care to keep him topped up with small amounts of fluid and food. So - much to the consternation of my long-suffering husband who just loves having his slumbers interrupted by the frequent need to help me administer nocturnal avian TLC - I took the owl home with me to keep an eye on things. I'm more than pleased to report that after four days of intense treatment the little beauty has now been re-located back to our hospital where he's enjoying the warmth and food that will set him on the right road to recovery and probably release before very long.

Please keep reading our blog for regular updates on these and our other 'inmates' and if you are ever in our area or planning a visit to the sanctuary, the hospital is open for inspection year round Please also remember that we are here to offer help or advice, or even take in an injured owl or other bird of prey should you be unlucky enough to come across one.

If you are not local to our sanctuary and are looking for advice, please refer to our information page “What to do if you find an injured bird” where we list the organisations that should be able to assist you in your area. In most cases, you also have the option of taking the bird to your local vet who have a duty of care to injured wildlife and usually be more than happy to help you.

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New kids on the block...

Like the rest of the country, only a few days ago we were being hampered by sleet, snow, hail and all sorts of atrocious weather but today we had some welcome sunshine - and with it, news of our first chicks of the year - a pair of Great Horned Owlets from our mature pair Phoenix and Huron.

Both unbelievably tiny, these two owlets are the first to hatch at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary this year

One proud father - our Great Horned Owl Huron in defensive pose in order to warn intruders against paying too close attention to the new arrivals.

We will be hand-rearing one of the chicks and once fully grown, the youngster will become an active member of our flying squad to participate in flying demonstrations during the summer. Also, those lucky enough to have booked onto our "Understanding Owls" courses will have the opportunity to meet our new team member 'up close & personal' at the series of popular events which are held here at the Sanctuary throughout the year (click here if you'd like more information). Meanwhile, we hope they both will grow up to be as handsome as their Dad, above seen strutting his stuff as he ensures that no-one gets too close to the youngsters.

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New kids on the block...

Like the rest of the country, only a few days ago we were being hampered by sleet, snow, hail and all sorts of atrocious weather but today we had some welcome sunshine - and with it, news of our first chicks of the year - a pair of Great Horned Owlets from our mature pair Phoenix and Huron.

Both unbelievably tiny, these two owlets are the first to hatch at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary this year

One proud father - our Great Horned Owl Huron in defensive pose in order to warn intruders against paying too close attention to the new arrivals.

We will be hand-rearing one of the chicks and once fully grown, the youngster will become an active member of our flying squad to participate in flying demonstrations during the summer. Also, those lucky enough to have booked onto our "Understanding Owls" courses will have the opportunity to meet our new team member 'up close & personal' at the series of popular events which are held here at the Sanctuary throughout the year (click here if you'd like more information). Meanwhile, we hope they both will grow up to be as handsome as their Dad, above seen strutting his stuff as he ensures that no-one gets too close to the youngsters.

It's a Funny Old World...

The snow has returned to us here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary with a vengeance - so much so it is pretty astonishing to think that just a week ago we were all working outside in short sleeves with the temperatures into double figures.

The freezing temperatures have certainly made the Sanctuary look very scenic and thankfully all of our owls and other birds of prey are coping with the weather pretty well thanks to the cover & warmth provided by their downy plumage. Some, like Loki our Snowy Owl who naturally can survive in temperatures as low as minus 40°C, are positively thriving on the acetic conditions.

Others of our winged friends are not quite so well prepared for conditions that freeze the found and water surfaces. As you will be aware we have a very healthy population of songbirds here in our Woodland Walk and during this cold snap, it has been very important to keep the seed feeders, fat ball and peanut dispensers topped up so they keep well fed and healthy.

If you're doing the same at home, please don't forget to put out fresh water daily so the birds can have a drink - a requirement equally as important as being able to feed.  

It's a Funny Old World...

The snow has returned to us here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary with a vengeance - so much so it is pretty astonishing to think that just a week ago we were all working outside in short sleeves with the temperatures into double figures.

The freezing temperatures have certainly made the Sanctuary look very scenic and thankfully all of our owls and other birds of prey are coping with the weather pretty well thanks to the cover & warmth provided by their downy plumage. Some, like Loki our Snowy Owl who naturally can survive in temperatures as low as minus 40°C, are positively thriving on the acetic conditions.

Others of our winged friends are not quite so well prepared for conditions that freeze the found and water surfaces. As you will be aware we have a very healthy population of songbirds here in our Woodland Walk and during this cold snap, it has been very important to keep the seed feeders, fat ball and peanut dispensers topped up so they keep well fed and healthy.

If you're doing the same at home, please don't forget to put out fresh water daily so the birds can have a drink - a requirement equally as important as being able to feeding.

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Under-The-Bonnet Hitchhiker

Early in February, BBC News reported on a driver on Miami who found she had an unexpected extra passenger on board - a Great Horned Owl who had been travelling under the bonnet of her car.

Click here to see the full story

Now you see me - now you don't

We felt the following selection of pictures an ideal way to illustrate the way that the plumage of different owls help them camouflage themselves. 

* We acknowledge that these photos were sent to us uncredited and we know not from whence they came, but we use them as part of our Charity's objective to inform the general public about matters concerning the care & conservation of owls in the hope that our readers will learn more about these beautiful creatures and their lifestyles.

If you are responsible for any one of these photographs we apologise for using them without your permission and will remove them from our website or credit you and add a link to your own website if you prefer. Please email Suffolk Owl Sanctuary if you would like us to do so.

Kestrel's Life On The Ocean Wave

If we're honest, The Daily Mail would not be the first place we'd expect to find a consistent raft of interesting raptor-related stories, but - all credit to them - this consistently proves to be the case.

"Lucky" by name, lucky by nature - this young kestrel
hitched a lift back to Suffolk by boat

Late last year we read in their on-line edition of a Kestrel which had hitched back to shore aboard a 30ft Cornish pilot cutter being sailed from Holland to the East of England by Carol & Max Raffe from Crowfield in Suffolk, just a few miles down the road from where we are based in Stonham Aspal.

Some 25 miles out to sea, Carol felt a tapping on her neck and was surprised to turn and find the exhausted kestrel sitting on her shoulder. After an abortive attempt to then make it back to the coast under it's own steam, the bird - which Carol & Max nicknamed 'Lucky' - landed back on deck. She remained there for the remainder of the voyage until landfall was reached at the mouth of the River Deben, when she took off to perch on the nearby church in Ramsholt.

Carol said of when the bird joined them: "There was nothing in sight except a nearby wind farm so I was completely stunned when it bird landed my shoulder. We just could not work out how a land bird was so far out at sea.

When first she landed the tired kestrel settled in somewhat warily…

"My shock must have made it decide to move off and it then settled near the coiled mainsheet. We tried to give her food as she looked absolutely famished but it seemed to spook her and she took flight - weirdly landing on the water. As she is a land bird we became terrified that she might drown as she would have no natural swimming skills.

"'But she managed to regain herself before landing on my husband’s shoulder and then settled down on the boat and stayed with us for four-and-a-half hours. She was like a seasoned sailor and soon just pottered about the boat and didn't seem to care about us at all.

… but as the voyage wore on, she became quite accustomed to her situation.

Husband Max, a local Scout leader and technical designer for BT, added that astonished when the bird landed on his wife’s shoulder. He said: "I could not believe it. It is odd to see a bird of prey so far out to see but for it to land on my wife’s shoulder completely out of the blue is just incredible. There was a strong easterly wind at the time so we think it must have been blown out to sea from the Suffolk coast.:

Photos by Carol Raffe. For more visit The Mail On-Line

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Kestrel's Life On The Ocean Wave

If we're honest, The Daily Mail would not be the first place we'd expect to find a consistent raft of interesting raptor-related stories, but - all credit to them - this consistently proves to be the case.

"Lucky" by name, lucky by nature - this young kestrel hitched a lift back to Suffolk by boat

Late last year we read in their on-line edition of a Kestrel which had hitched back to shore aboard a 30ft Cornish pilot cutter being sailed from Holland to the East of England by Carol & Max Raffe from Crowfield in Suffolk, just a few miles down the road from where we are based in Stonham Aspal.

Some 25 miles out to sea, Carol felt a tapping on her neck and was surprised to turn and find the exhausted kestrel sitting on her shoulder. After an abortive attempt to then make it back to the coast under it's own steam, the bird - which Carol & Max nicknamed 'Lucky' - landed back on deck. She remained there for the remainder of the voyage until landfall was reached at the mouth of the River Deben, when she took off to perch on the nearby church in Ramsholt.

Carol said of when the bird joined them: "There was nothing in sight except a nearby wind farm so I was completely stunned when it bird landed my shoulder. We just could not work out how a land bird was so far out at sea.

When first she landed the tired Kestrel settled in somewhat warily...

"My shock must have made it decide to move off and it then settled near the coiled mainsheet. We tried to give her food as she looked absolutely famished but it seemed to spook her and she took flight - weirdly landing on the water. As she is a land bird we became terrified that she might drown as she would have no natural swimming skills."

'But she managed to regain herself before landing on my husband’s shoulder and then settled down on the boat and stayed with us for four-and-a-half hours. She was like a seasoned sailor and soon just pottered about the boat and didn't seem to care about us at all.

… but as the voyage wore on, she became quite accustomed to her situation.

Husband Max, a local Scout leader and technical designer for BT, added that he was astonished when the bird landed on his wife’s shoulder. He said: "I could not believe it. It is odd to see a bird of prey so far out to see but for it to land on my wife’s shoulder completely out of the blue is just incredible. There was a strong easterly wind at the time so we think it must have been blown out to sea from the Suffolk coast.:

Photos by Carol Raffe. For more visit The Mail On-Line

Raptor Hospital Review 2012

As the new year begins, we start archiving our records, this week focussing on the wild owls and other birds of prey admitted to our Raptor Hospital in 2012.

Many of these cases have featured in past S.O.S. blogs and overall the recovery figures are positive, for although we sadly lost birds as a result of their injuries, we did manage to save 41% of those that needed hospital and in many cases veterinary treatment, all of which were successfully released back to their natural habitat.

After rest & recuperation, 41% of the birds who received medical attention with us last year were released in good health

Of the 79 birds in this hospitalised category, 23 were euthanised by the vet, 23 died naturally of their injuries and 33 were released back to the wild in good health. This of course is in addition to an unrecorded number of birds brought into us - usually healthy orphaned owlets brought into us by concerned members of the public - which were successfully released back to their home territory without medical or veterinary attention.

Though having been shot twice, this Buzzard was eventually returned safely to the wild

Of the hospitalised birds, 43 birds had been injured in road traffic accidents, 5 birds were wet, cold and undernourished owing to bad weather conditions, 13 further birds were severely undernourished and otherwise too weak to hunt for themselves for unknown reasons, whilst the balance were admitted for a variety of causes ranging from having been shot, poisoned or getting caught up in barbed wire, to concussion resulting from colliding with windows, falling into vats of cooking fat and in one instance, getting entangled with the roof rack of a travelling car.

This little chap took an unexpected ride in a roof rack
- but lived to tell the tale

With an average recuperation time of between 3-4 weeks for each injured bird it seemed like our resources were pretty stretched at times, but nevertheless one of the most satisfying parts of our role at S.O.S. is knowing that - thanks to the generosity of our supporters - where there's a job to be done, we know that we can, whenever possible, effect a safe return to the wild for our injured avian charges.

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Raptor Hospital Review 2012

As the new year begins, we start archiving our records, this week focussing on the wild owls and other birds of prey admitted to our Raptor Hospital in 2012. 

Many of these cases have featured in past S.O.S. blogs and overall the recovery figures are positive, for although we sadly lost birds as a result of their injuries, we did manage to save 41% of those that needed hospital and in many cases veterinary treatment, all of which were successfully released back to their natural habitat.

After rest & recuperation, 41% of the birds who received medical attention with us last year were released in good health

Of the 79 birds in this hospitalised category, 23 were euthanised by the vet, 23 died naturally of their injuries and 33 were released back to the wild in good health. This of course is in addition to an unrecorded number of birds brought into us - usually healthy orphaned owlets brought into us by concerned members of the public - which were successfully released back to their home territory without medical or veterinary attention.

Though having been shot twice, this Buzzard was eventuallyreturned safely to the wild

Of the hospitalised birds, 43 birds had been injured in road traffic accidents, 5 birds were wet, cold and undernourished owing to bad weather conditions, 13 further birds were severely undernourished and otherwise too weak to hunt for themselves for unknown reasons, whilst the balance were admitted for a variety of causes ranging from having been shot, poisoned or getting caught up in barbed wire, to concussion resulting from colliding with windows, falling into vats of cooking fat and in one instance, getting entangled with the roof rack of a travelling car.

This little chap took an unexpected ride in a roof rack- but lived to tell the tale

With an average recuperation time of between 3-4 weeks for each injured bird it seemed like our resources were pretty stretched at times, but nevertheless one of the most satisfying parts of our role at S.O.S. is knowing that - thanks to the generosity of our supporters - where there's a job to be done, we know that we can, whenever possible, effect a safe return to the wild for our injured avian charges.

Schools Newsletter Takes Off

As part of the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary's charity remit, providing educational facilities forms an important part of our work and we visit regional schools and country shows; host school visits here at your Stonham Barns headquarter and stage special school events like our Mediaeval Days; and for schools across the nation provide free access to a unique suite of on-line education packs for teachers and pupils to download.

Visits to the Sanctuary are enhanced with special school events like the Mediaeval Encampment which visits is every year

In 2012 we attended 20 schools in our region and introduced a total of 2,695 children to the fascinating world of birds of prey and our schedule for the year to come means that we will be visiting even more schools this year. If you would like a FREE introductory 'assembly' visit to your school, then please contact us and we'll put you on the schedule. We're able to visit schools in South Norfolk, all of Suffolk and down into Essex along a rough corridor stretching from Banham down along the A140 to Ipswich and then east along the A12 to Felixtowe & south as far as Colchester.

We also hosted over 30 schools who travelled here to benefit from the wide range of nature-related experiences we can provide, and once again our special Mediaeval Day for schools was well attended, to the extent that 2013 will see an extra day added to the schedule in June. To find out more, click here for details.

The latest edition of our Schools Newsletter is available for free download now

For schools throughout the East Anglia region, across the UK and even further afield, our education packs on a wide range of raptor and British wildlife related subjects for Foundation and Key Stage l & ll pupils remains as popular as ever. Including stories, word games, craft activities and and a whole lot more, they are free to download from our website.

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Schools Newsletter Takes Off

The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary provides a comprehensive range of free education services for schools, both in terms of regional activity and free downloads to aid teachers and pupils in matters concerning wildlife care & conservation. We've just launched the latest issue of our Schools Newsletter, too … read on!

Visits to the Sanctuary are enhanced with special school events like the Mediaeval Encampment which visits is every year

In 2012 we attended 20 schools in our region and introduced a total of 2,695 children to the fascinating world of birds of prey and our schedule for the year to come means that we will be visiting even more schools this year. If you would like a FREE introductory 'assembly' visit to your school, then please contact us and we'll put you on the schedule. We're able to visit schools in South Norfolk, all of Suffolk and down into Essex along a rough corridor stretching from Banham down along the A140 to Ipswich and then east along the A12 to Felixtowe & south as far as Colchester.

We also hosted over 30 schools who travelled here to benefit from the wide range of nature-related experiences we can provide, and once again our special Mediaeval Day for schools was well attended, to the extent that 2013 will see an extra day added to the schedule in June. To find out more, click here for details.

The latest edition of our Schools Newsletter is available for free download now

For schools throughout the East Anglia region, across the UK and even further afield, our education packs on a wide range of raptor and British wildlife related subjects for Foundation and Key Stage l & ll pupils remains as popular as ever. Including stories, word games, craft activities and and a whole lot more, they are free to download from our website.

A Bad Egg

A former Suffolk Police officer pleaded guilty recently to possessing 650 wild bird eggs collected while he was still in the Suffolk Police Force. This follows a successful investigation by the Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies and the RSPB.

The 52-year old was investigated by officers from the Police Professional Standards Department who on conducting a search at the offenders house revealed the eggs, including those of protected species such as Woodlark, Cetti’s Warbler and Marsh Harrier. The egg collection was found in an old suitcase in his loft along with hundreds of egg data cards hidden in a water tank.

These detailed notebooks found at the house documented egg collecting trips around the UK, including visits to the Western Isles to steal Golden Eagle eggs and the New Forest to take Hawfinch eggs. The notebooks also documented the taking Kittiwake eggs from Lowestoft Pier while the officer was on duty as an acting sergeant on three different police night-shifts.

The prosecution resulted in a suspended jail sentence and an order for 150 hours community work

Mark Thomas, the RSPB investigations officer leading the case said: "That a police officer should knowingly break the law in pursuit of this obsession is shocking, and we welcome his conviction."

It has been illegal to take the eggs of most wild birds - irrespective of their age - since the Protection of Birds Act 1954 and it is illegal to possess or control any wild birds's eggs since that time under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1961.

A Bad Egg

A former Suffolk Police officer pleaded guilty recently to possessing 650 wild bird eggs collected while he was still in the Suffolk Police Force. This follows a successful investigation by the Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies and the RSPB.

The 52-year old was investigated by officers from the Police Professional Standards Department who on conducting a search at the offenders house revealed the eggs, including those of protected species such as Woodlark, Cetti’s Warbler and Marsh Harrier. The egg collection was found in an old suitcase in his loft along with hundreds of egg data cards hidden in a water tank.

These detailed notebooks found at the house documented egg collecting trips around the UK, including visits to the Western Isles to steal Golden Eagle eggs and the New Forest to take Hawfinch eggs. The notebooks also documented the taking Kittiwake eggs from Lowestoft Pier while the officer was on duty as an acting sergeant on three different police night-shifts.

The prosecution resulted in a suspended jail sentence and an order for 150 hours community work.

Mark Thomas, the RSPB investigations officer leading the case said: "That a police officer should knowingly break the law in pursuit of this obsession is shocking, and we welcome his conviction."

It has been illegal to take the eggs of most wild birds - irrespective of their age - since the Protection of Birds Act 1954 and it is illegal to possess or control any wild birds's eggs since that time under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1961.

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Great Grey Owl - The Phantom Of The North

Visitors to the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary will be familiar with the impressive good looks of our resident Great Grey Owl, Taiga. But though it's true our part of the world can be a trifle chilly at times, Taiga's Great Grey contemporaries remarkably survive in a far less temperate and far harsher climate than ours in the snowy wastes of climes like Canada and Northern Europe.

British photographer Jules Cox kindly gave permission for us to reproduce some images of Great Grey Owls in their natural habitat, in this case the wastes of Lapland. Jules has previously travelled there in the hope of capturing some images of this magnificent raptor for his wildlife portfolio - and on the last visit, came up trumps.

Busy hospital days - and safe releases

The last few weeks have been busy ones in our Raptor Hospital, where we have received a variety of sick and injured birds brought in for treatment and attention.

Firstly, however, we are very pleased to tell you that our long-term patient “Oily” the kestrel was released this week, along with another kestrel that stayed with us for a period of time after an RTA. It was great to see them both flying off into a beautiful secluded forest where - fingers crossed! - they will both establish territories of their own.

Both Kestrels have now been safely released on a local estate

But our hospital seems to fill up as soon as it empties and the vacancies left by the kestrels were soon taken by a Tawny Owl with a broken leg, a very damp Little Owl and a dazed & confused young Sparrowhawk - all three casualties of RTA’s.

Although on first inspection things looked bleak for the Tawny Owl, who clearly had a broken leg. A trip to our local vet Paul Canning soon revealed that the break was in a very good place and offered the bird a full chance of recovery, so the owl's leg was set in a little cast and he is now resting in our hospital.

Sporting a cast for his broken leg, we're hopeful this Tawny will make a full recovery

The Little Owl had apparently flown into the slipstream of a vehicle and had been dashed into the gutter, and so was in a pretty wet, dirty & bloodied state when he first came into us. We believe he would probably have died if he had not picked up, as his plumage was very water-logged and he would have struggled to get dry enough to move himself out of harm's way if left alone in that state. However, after a spell of intensive TLC he dried out enough for him to preen himself clean and once fully healed, will be released near to where he was found.

Bloodied but unbowed - and sodden to boot. Despite his trying times, after some R&R time to heal, this Little Owl will shortly be back in the wild.

Finally, we approached looking after the concussed sparrowhawk with some apprehension for, although we think he had just been glanced by a car and needed a little while to recuperate, these birds are notoriously difficult to look after as they are such highly strung little creatures and often die of shock after a trauma

Maz holds this sparrowhawk gingerly to avoid the attentions of some vey sharp talons, in full use now he's recovered from the dazed state in which he was found.

However I am happy to report the little chap was successfully released this week by the people who found him - we always try where possible to ensure rehabilitated birds are release in the same location they are found, as that's where they have already established a territory.

Shortly afterwards the couple who brought him into us sent us a very kind letter, which read: "We released the spar Saturday lunchtime in a field entrance just a few yards from where we picked him up. I’m sorry we failed to take photos we tried but he didn’t come straight out of the box. He sat there for a minute and then was gone in a flash, up & up and soaring around I’m sure he knew where he was. He was very beautiful and I am sure a survivor. Thank you for your help!"

Thanks for your good wishes, which are much appreciated. And that's what we're here for.

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Busy hospital days - and safe releases

The last few weeks have been busy ones in our Raptor Hospital, where we have received a variety of sick and injured birds brought in for treatment and attention.

Firstly, however, we are very pleased to tell you that our long-term patient “Oily” the kestrel was released this week, along with another kestrel that stayed with us for a period of time after an RTA. It was great to see them both flying off into a beautiful secluded forest where - fingers crossed! - they will both establish territories of their own.

Both Kestrels have now been safely released on a local estate

But our hospital seems to fill up as soon as it empties and the vacancies left by the kestrels were soon taken by a Tawny Owl with a broken leg, a very damp Little Owl and a dazed & confused young Sparrowhawk - all three casualties of RTA’s.

Although on first inspection things looked bleak for the Tawny Owl, who clearly had a broken leg. A trip to our local vet Paul Canning soon revealed that the break was in a very good place and offered the bird a full chance of recovery, so the owl's leg was set in a little cast and he is now resting in our hospital.

Sporting a cast for his broken leg, we're hopeful this Tawny will make a full recovery

The Little Owl had apparently flown into the slipstream of a vehicle and had been dashed into the gutter, and so was in a pretty wet, dirty & bloodied state when he first came into us. We believe he would probably have died if he had not picked up, as his plumage was very water-logged and he would have struggled to get dry enough to move himself out of harm's way if left alone in that state. However, after a spell of intensive TLC he dried out enough for him to preen himself clean and once fully healed, will be released near to where he was found.

Bloodied but unbowed - and sodden to boot. Despite his trying times, after some R&R time to heal, this Little Owl will shortly be back in the wild.

Finally, we approached looking after the concussed sparrowhawk with some apprehension for, although we think he had just been glanced by a car and needed a little while to recuperate, these birds are notoriously difficult to look after as they are such highly strung little creatures and often die of shock after a trauma 

Maz holds this sparrowhawk gingerly to avoid the attentions of some vey sharp talons, in full use now he's recovered from the dazed state in which he was found.

However I am happy to report the little chap was successfully released this week by the people who found him - we always try where possible to ensure rehabilitated birds are release in the same location they are found, as that's where they have already established a territory.

Shortly afterwards the couple who brought him into us sent us a very kind letter, which read: "We released the spar Saturday lunchtime in a field entrance just a few yards from where we picked him up. I’m sorry we failed to take photos we tried but he didn’t come straight out of the box. He sat there for a minute and then was gone in a flash, up & up and soaring around I’m sure he knew where he was. He was very beautiful and I am sure a survivor. Thank you for your help!"

Thanks for your good wishes, which are much appreciated. And that's what we're here for.