Members Newsletter May 2007

Centre News

Things have been pretty busy over the last few months; our main news is that we are pleased to announce some new additions. Two baby Siberian Eagle Owls and a hybrid owl have arrived at the centre. All are doing well and coming along nicely.

Other news is that Best Friends Veterinary Practice is joining us at the Centre. They are an established practice with a wealth of experience.

Congratulations to Liz who has become an approved assessor for the Lantra Award. For more about the award see the experience days page.

We are always looking at ways of raising money. We have been approached by a local company who recycles ink cartridges and light bulbs, can you help by donating your old ones.

Hospital News

December 2006 - March 2007.

As you can see we have had a real assortment of birds in at the centre, some not our normal run of the mill.

The Marsh Harrier has arrived from another centre that has not got the facilities to hack it back into the wild. The bird has been placed in an aviary to moult, as it really could do with moulting. We can also assess how good it can fly. We will keep you posted on its progress.

A peregrine falcon arrived from a vet up north, with a badly broken wing, which had to be amputated. Once the Marsh Harrier has vacated its aviary, we will be able to place this male there with our resident female peregrine falcon.

We had a call from lady in Saffron Walden to say that she had picked up a European Eagle owl, when someone phones to say that, our first reaction is OK another Tawny owl, but this was a captive bred European Eagle owl. At first we thought it was just an escapee but the plot thickened. He had been seen flying around Saffron Walden for the last six years, and the locals would have liked the bird back. Unfortunately this is not possible legally if we release it back there we are breaking the law, because they are not defined as a true natural species of the UK. The birds injuries ultimately were the deciding point, if it had been out for six years, the anklets it was wearing had eaten into the skin and flesh on its legs. It would have been only a matter of time before this bird would have died either of starvation or blood poisoning from infections. At the moment he is in an aviary regaining the feeling in his legs and movement in his toes.

One of our volunteers, Lorraine Chapman was asked to go along to Ashwell to pick up a large bird of prey that someone had cornered in their garden. Again we all assumed it would be a kestrel or even a sparrow hawk, none of us thought of a Red tailed buzzard. This bird was captive bred with a ring but we were only able to find the breeder and not the owner. The bird suffered a broken wing.

We also reunited 2 birds back to their owners. The Lanner falcon had been with us since November last year and after extensive searching DEFRA was able to reunite the bird with its rightful owner.

Two other members of staff were called to a house in Huntingdon after someone had spotted a bird in their garden. They did attempt a rescue but the bird kept flying around until it was out of sight. When they came back to the Centre they tried to describe the bird, as it was not anything they had come across. The next day we received another call about the same bird in Huntingdon, this time I went out to look for myself. The bird had perched in the corner of the garden and could not get away from me; to my surprise it was an Ural owl. It took two weeks to locate the owner who was only 3 doors away from where we picked it up. The gentleman was so pleased to get his bird back that he gave the Centre a White faced Scops owl.

As you can see on the normal run of the mill birds we have had quite a busy start to the year and the releases are going well.

Meet the team..

Nigel Bell, Volunteer

Our first team member we are going to meet is Nigel Bell. He has been volunteering for almost a year now. We asked Nigel about his experiences with the Raptor Foundation, here is what he had to say.

How did you first hear about the Raptor Foundation?
    I heard about the Raptor Foundation through a friend.

How do you contribute?
    I can usually be found assisting Pauline in the office or helping outside with the birds.

Why do you help?
    Every time I handle or fly any of the birds, and experience the public’s reaction, I realise what a magical privilege it all is.

Favourite Raptor?
    It would have to be an owl but difficult to single out one specific bird as each has its own unique personality - whether a friendly greeting whenever you walk past or perhaps the mischievous antics when trying to feed or clean them.

What has been your best experience so far?
    Handling my first owl - Pip, the Tawny owl, who was really patient with all the children.

Tell us something else about yourself?
    I like owls, penguins and chocolate!

Dave Blows, Staff

The next member of the team is Dave who is a member of our full time staff. We caught up with Dave during a break in his busy schedule; here is what he had to say.

How did you first hear about the Raptor Foundation?
    I spoke to a team doing a street collection in St. Neots where I used to live and it all started from there.

How do you contribute?
    I started as a volunteer cleaning aviaries and then progressed through to flying birds. I am now the Maintenance Manager, but I still get to fly the birds.

Why do you help?
    I love birds of prey, I particularly like owls.

Favourite Raptor?
    I like them all, but I have to say Stanley has to be my favourite.

Why?
    He is my favourite because he was the first bird I rescued.. he was an unwanted pet.

What has been your best experience so far?
    The best experience is flying Luna, a Lanner Falcon, to the lure.

Tell us something else about yourself?
    As well as birds of prey, I enjoy photography and gardening.

Birds Eye View

Hi everyone, my name is Buzz Light-year, yes, like from the film Toy Story, but my friends call me Buzz. I’m the Great Grey Owl in the photograph on the front cover. I’ve been at the Raptor Foundation since I was an owlet, Liz bought me as a 25th wedding anniversary present for herself. If you are wondering why Liz named me Buzz, well, she had only had me a few days and apparently I jumped on the toilet seat and promptly fell in… to infinity and beyond!

I don’t remember the incident myself but I’m 4 years old now and am much wiser in the ways of the world (and toilets!)

Anyhow I’m here to tell you about my species, the Great Grey owl. We are one of the largest owls, usually standing around 60-85cm tall, with a wingspan of between 130-150cm. Despite our apparent large size, the majority of the bulk is feathers, which are a greyish streaked and mottled colour. This is an adaptation to the cold regions that the Great Grey owl generally inhabits.

Apart from the Raptor Foundation, Great Grey owls can be found extensively across the middle of the Northern hemisphere, from Scandinavia across to Asia and throughout Canada & northern USA.

We prefer to live in forested areas, hunting mainly in clearings and adjacent meadows. Our favourite things to eat are small rodents like rats and mice but we also eat squirrels, rabbits and occasionally small birds and reptiles.

Our preferred method of hunting is 'still hunting' from a perch, occasionally we will hunt by flying a metre or two above the ground for short distances, we rarely glide while hunting.

If you hear a deep hu-hu-hoo it will be a Great Grey owl. I hope you now know a little more about the Great Grey owl.

Anyway I’d better go as I’m flying in the next show. Come say hu-hu-hello when you next visit us at the Foundation.

Buzz