Eating for one, two three...?

Paradoxically, as the weather begins to improve this is also the time of year we tend to stop putting the scraps on the lawn or refrain from replenishing the peanut bags hanging from the apple tree for our garden birds. But research has shown that the birds actually need just as much, if not more, help with food at this time of year , due to their increased levels of activity finding food, or keeping themselves warm while sitting incubating the eggs.

So as most of the birds visiting our gardens right now will be on the look-out for food, if we as humans want to lend a helping hand, providing the right kind of food for the different species is very important.

Equally appreciated by our feathered friends is the provision of a good source of clean water, not so much for drinking as for bathing. This should be changed daily and positioned in a place safe from ambush by cats: a tray lined with silver foil and suspended safely from a tree or fence by string attached to each corner, makes a suitable bath of enough depth to allow immersion but shallow enough to prevent a fledgling from drowning should it chance to drop in.

(It is worth mentioning that any uncovered water butts should now have secure lids on them, as young and inexperienced birds can easily fall in while attempting to use them as a source of water. A young Kestrel was brought into us last year having suffered such ignominy and the poor chap got more than he bargained for but after a night in our raptor hospital in a warm recovery box, he was fit enough to be released the next morning.)

If you decide to help out with feeding the birds, the best start on deciding what birds you have in your garden is to do an "Hours Watch" by just sitting quietly in the garden or by a window, noting down the species which visit within a sixty-minute time slot. 

Depending on your findings, here are some food suggestions that might help. Blackbirds, Sparrows, Robins and Wrens are all rather partial to ‘live foods’ such as mealworms and wax worms. On the other hand, Blue Tits and Great Tits prefer to perch on the side of peanut feeders and also enjoy sunflower seeds. The Finch family such as Green and Bull Finches will eat seed mixes and most birds which come to visit all enjoy a good feast of home made peanut and seed cake. However, salty food - such as crisps, salted peanuts, salted bacon, desiccated coconut and last night's chips - should be avoided at all costs.

ACTIVITY IDEA!

Children love making things and here is a good opportunity to get them interested in wildlife in the garden - why not make help them make some Bird Cakes, which are quick, easy and most of all fun!
 
Ingredients (not for human consumption): Lard, peanuts or seed an old yoghurt pot with hole in bottom (or a flowerpot), and some string.
 
Method: Tie the string through the hole in the base of the pot to hang the cake - ensure you do this first! Then, melt the lard in a saucepan until runny (adult supervision required here), add the peanuts or seed and mix well. Pour the mixture into the pot/s and allow it to cool and harden. Finally hang them from tables or trees or tip out the contents onto your bird table (remembering to regularly tidy up any loose seed or food which attracts rats and other rodents, which can spread disease) and then watch and enjoy as your treat is eagerly gobbled up. 

As a result, it shouldn't be long before you see the new baby birds like this little chap in your garden, and you can be happy in the knowledge that you helped them get there! 

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The Thornham Owl Project

As a Charity of whose charter the creation of new, permanent habitat of wild owls and other birds of prey forms an important part, S.O.S. is always interested to learn about the activities of others who have similar goals.  

So we're pleased to draw to your attention the work of a neighbouring group - The Thornham Owl Project - who are celebrating an important milestone in the quest to ensure that Barn Owls in particular are given every opportunity to survive & prosper in the face of man's encroachment on the landscape.

The Thornham Owl Project last week erected its 150th Bird of Prey nest box - no mean achievement for a group of experienced volunteers who have given of their time (and money) over the last 10 years to provided safe harbour for raptors in East Anglia!Initially the boxes were put up by Roger Buxton, who started the project in 1997, and Mark Chester - both talented local artists - within the Thornham Estate in Suffolk and along The Waveney Valley, which borders the county with Norfolk, to the north. Aided and abetted by another staunch helper, Kevin Boyce, and the Countryside Park Ranger at Thornham, Tim Page, the main aim was to put up nest boxes for the various bird of prey species which inhabit the local area. 

The Thornham Team build their own nest boxes

However, it soon became apparent that - in common with large tracts of the British countryside - there was a distinct lack of Barn Owl nesting sites in the area. This was primarily because many of the old hollow trees favoured by Barn Owls had been felled or blown over in high winds, and in this neck of the woods, many of the old barn buildings had been converted into luxury houses and offices.

As a result of Roger & Marks initiative, the project has now erected over 100 Barn Owl nest boxes stretching along the Waveney Valley corridor from Redgrave to Bungay, along the Gipping Valley and throughout the Thornham Estate. Importantly, the scheme enjoys an excellent success rate - the project saw 40 Barn Owl chicks reared from these boxes in 2007.

With this in mind, the Thornham Owl Project is now radiating further north into South Norfolk with more nest box schemes, and it's here that we (that is S.O.S., as trustees of the donations you are kind enough to fund us with) hope to be of assistance.  

Firstly, the 'patch' we cover as part of our East Anglia Nest Box Scheme is pretty much centralised through Mid Suffolk: establishing links with the Thornham Owl Project means that hopefully we can avoid any duplication of effort and so ensure our resources are used more efficiently. I am sure we will learn from the experience of the Thornham group, too. Secondly, S.O.S. have offered to fund the purchase of materials The Thornham Owl Project may need for the building of new nest boxes for their extended programme.

The Thornham Team have the necessary accreditation to allow the careful ringing of young Barn Owlets

So, we hope this is the beginning of a new co-operation which we hope will benefit all concerned, not least the Owls. We'll keep you posted as to progress and future developments.

P.S. Just a polite reminder that any Barn Owl nesting sites are protected by law. You may not disturb, take eggs or chicks from any nest unless you have a special Disturbance Licence which is issued by DEFRA. If you think that Barn Owls are in situ in the nest box, please leave well alone but by all means contact a proper source such as the Thornham Owl Project or us here at SOS.

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Red Squirrels Named!

As you may aware, during the winter months we concentrate on “re-vamping” the aviaries and perform general maintenance duties around the Centre. This was very necessary down at the woodland walk, where we gave our Red Squirrel pen had a good tidy up and added a few optional extras to it, including more ropewalks and a newpond.

We had two new squirrels arrive to join the colony late last summer. Already in situ was the final remaining member of our our original squirrel colony, the older female called “Nutkin” who, with the introduction of the two boys, took to her bed for a few days!

However, up until now the new pair have been nameless, so over the Easter holidays we ran a questionnaire asking our visitors to suggest suitable monikers for them. The most common names to crop up were Rusty and Fluffy, but after much deliberation the winning names we have chosen are from Evan Walker from Letchworth, Herts with the name “ Chestnut”; and Mary Newlove from Pettaugh, Suffolk with the name “Copper”. Congratulations to these winners, who will be receiving cuddly red squirrels, a family pass to the sanctuary and the first of our new squirrel adoption certificates in due course.

Although our Squirrels live very happily together in the small colony here at S.O.S., in the wild they would usually live alone in small nests or “dreys” - usually in the fork of a tree - only getting together to mate. However, family groups will sometimes gather together within the dreys during the winter months to keep warm.

The Red Squirrel - readily identifiable by it's wonderful russet colour and distinctive red ear tufts - does not hibernate and so needs to gather a good store of food through the summer months from which to draw through the winter. Primarily, the Red Squirrel is a seedeater, favouring those from Larch & Spruce trees, and will eat pinecones too. They will also store fungi in hollows in trees.

During the Autumn when food is at its most plentiful, Red Squirrels put on weight - this is very important for a breeding female, so they are in tip-top condition for the following breeding season. Young squirrels are called kittens and are born in the spring, though very often a second litter may be produced later in the year, too.

Unfortunately, with the introduction of the American Grey Squirrel to these shores, our poor native Reds have been on the decline and suffer from a disease called Squirrel Poxvirus, which wiped out entire colonies of the native species. The Greys are immune from this disease and, being larger and stockier, often push the smaller Reds away from good feeding areas, making life even more difficult for them.

Thankfully our Reds here at the Centre never have to worry about Greys, and when you come to see us please wander down to the woodland walk and watch them going about their day-to-day fun and frolics. You WILL be amused!

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New Homes for Old!

Easter traditionally heralds the arrival of spring and although a little early this year - the earliest since 1935 - as well as getting our SOS HQ ready for spring visitors, we have also been out and about completing the preparations we began last Autumn for our feathered friends in the wild.

As you may know, a proportion of the donations we receive from visitors and through adoptions goes towards funding our East Anglian Nest Box Project and pays for the nest-boxes and manpower to survey sites for, and then install and monitor, their success. Currently we are installing the last of the owl boxes in time for the breeding season, which usually begins in May.

However, there are many considerations which need to be taken into account before erecting nest boxes for wild owls and if this is of interest to you, the following guidelines set out the steps you need to take.

In simple terms, firstly you need to establish what sort of owls you have in the area, or at least which species you intend to attract. Observation is the key here: have you seen or heard owls in vicinity, or perhaps come across owl pellets? These will be your indicators that the environment holds promise.

Once you're reasonably sure that owls are already in the area, or that the habitat may well attract them, you then need to establish whether there will be a sufficient supply of wild food - usually small rodents - in the area to sustain the owls and keep their interest! This particular process may take some patient research. as if there is no localised food source, then your mission will be a fruitless one.  

The next thing to do is to build or buy a suitable nestbox for the intended species. You will find more information about Owl Nestboxes on our website by clicking here, and later this year we are publishing a free booklet on the subject - watch this space for availability and we'll be happy to send you one.  

Then, when you have the right box, it's time to site it: in our case, this is always on someone else's land, so we need to get permission to do so before we start erecting boxes.

Now, be warned: there is usually quite a bit more to putting up an owl box than simply nailing it to a tree. As you will understand, the locations for siting the box may be remote, the footings soft and/or irregular, the size, shape and weight of the box more than a mere handful and the position well off the ground - so putting up a box may be at least a two-person job. Remember to equip yourself with suitable safety equipment and a good selection of tools before you set out.

To illustrate the point, we took some photos of our most recent jaunt to sites that had been fully researched as known or potentially suitable Barn Owl habitats, headed by our Conservation Office, Dean Winham. One box was to be located on the gable end of a barn, and two others in well-weathered oak trees - and as you can see from the photos we had a very interesting day putting them up.

'Job Done' on the gable-end of a local barn

'Hard Hat Dean' manfully secures a gable box in a mature tree

The rather damp & dreary day finished with an uplifting surprise! We had taken our equipment across the fields to the second of the mature trees we believed would provide the perfect roost/nest-site for a Barn Owl. Having placed our ladder at the base of the tree, suddenly - from a hole in the trunk above our heads - out one flew! After watching this beautiful bird in flight as it headed away over the fields, a very quick inspection of the hole confirmed it as a daytime roost - somewhere where nocturnal owls species "camp-out" during daylight hours to digest their meal from the previous night). Judging by the number of pellets found, we could tell that although this was not a breeding site it was obviously somewhere where this particular owl felt very much at ease.

This tree proved to already be a day-roost for a Barn Owl...

... as illustrated by the pellets inside

As a result we decided not to locate the nest box there, but successfully recce'd for a suitable alternative in the vicinity, a tree about half a mile away across the fields. Once this box was in place, all that remained to do was fill out the various pieces of paperwork for our records- and let the owls do the rest!

Now, having successfully erected the boxes, it's worthwhile remembering that this is not, of course, the end of the story - only the beginning. It can take as much as three or more years before the owls decide to use a box - so those of you who undertake the task may have a long wait before seeing any results for their actions. Also, be certain you are aware that it is ILLEGAL to go near an owl nestbox without a "Disturbance License," which can only be obtained from the relevant authorities. For more information on Owls & The Law, please click here.

So, that concludes our owl box adventure and I felt very proud of the SOS team's efforts on this particular day. Of course, if & when we are lucky enough to have any of the boxes used, we will of course let you know.

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Can you tell what it is yet?

Here at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary we have a variety of captive-bred owls & other birds of prey we use to illustrate the variety of native-bred species. These reside in aviaries at our Stonham headquarters and many are used in the demonstrations, talks & visits we undertake during the course of a year. This core collection is augmented by species from around the globe, which go further to show what a great & spectacular diversity of size, colour, form and lifestyle there is in the raptor world.

A great many of the birds at S.O.S. regularly fly free in the displays we give at the centre from around Easter right through the summer, and others live in spacious accomodation with the space, habitat, privacy & security required to provide an humane & stress-free environment.

Where & whenever possible, we like to keep our birds as male & female pairs of the same species, as they are generally much happier this way than if living in isolation. Though many are 'bonded' couples, the pairing is not specifically for breeding reasons and indeed, many of our older birds are paired together purely for companionship.

However, when the need arises it can sometimes prove difficult to find a mate for a single bird already in residence at S.O.S. This has been the case with Lanark, our long eared owl, who sadly (and despite our best efforts) has - since the demise of her previous partner due to old age - spent most of last year alone.

Since that time we have been trying all the usual channels to find a replacement male long eared owl, the channels being firstly, other raptor centers or collections; secondly, reputable breeders, and thirdly, private owners and other contacts who may be seeking a home for a bird they can no longer keep.

When we began our search, we soon discovered that virtually all suitable captive, non-related male long eared owls of a suitable age were already spoken for - quite literally "otherwise engaged."

Eventually we found a suitable candidate in the hands of a private collector. Having taken delivery, we then set about carefully introducing the owls to each other to spot whether there was likely to be any aggressive behaviour between them - firstly by putting them in separate, adjacent aviaries within sight of each other and subsequently together in the same aviary under constant scrutiny until such time as we felt confident they could co-habit peacefully.

Fortunately, after a week together it looks as though we have a compatible couple: whether they will bond successfully in terms of breeding remains to be seen.

Kielder & Lanark get to know each other

However, trying to get a photo of the new male - we've called him Kielder - is proving incredibly difficult! This is not really surprising as, as with any animals introduced into new surroundings, they are at first very timid and wary of change in situation, But although you have yet to see the best of Keilder, the photos do explain why these birds are hard to see in the wild, where their mottled plumage provides excellent camouflage long eared owls can be virtually impossible to see as they sit motionless up in the branches beside the trunk of a tree!

We will of course keep you informed of the progress of this new couple, and if you think you are clever enough to spot them in situ, then why not pay us a visit to meet the latest addition to the Stonham family.

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Young Falconers Course takes flight

In the news this week at SOS is the launch of our Young Falconer's Course.

If you are a regular reader of our blog pages, then you will no doubt be aware that over the last couple of months we have been preparing to run a new falconry programme specifically for teenagers. The course has been devised to address the many requests we have had to run such a course, due to the fact all our adult falconry courses are for those aged 16 & upwards.

We have divided the course up into six individual sessions which collectively aim to give a solid grounding on the essentials of the correct keeping and handling of birds of prey.

Just as we'd hoped, all six of the first applicants turned up on time and eager to get started, and I have to say that all the staff at SOS were incredibly impressed with the knowledge and commitment the children brought on the day.

We started by finding out what experience they already had, and what they wished to achieve from the course.

Then we talked briefly about the origins of falconry and why such an ancient pastime has survived into the modern age. We also discussed why falconry is still relevant in 2008 and how centres such as S.O.S. contribute to raptor conservation initiatives both nationally and internationally.

The next step was to delve into the costs and, particularly, the commitment levels involved in owning a own bird of prey, stressing that doing so is not to be entered into lightly. Then, in order to give a good introductory overview, we looked briefly at falconry equipment (to which we will return later) and went behind the scenes to see how the feeding and weighing regimes we operate are of utmost importance with regard to the correct care of any raptor.

I think it safe to say that by this point, most of the course candidates had begun to be impressed by the enormous amounts of knowledge required when planning to undertake falconry seriously.

Falconer Dean introduces a Falcon to the team

At this point it was time to take a well earned break from the classroom, so we watched at close quarters several of the SOS Flying Squad being put through their paces by Dean in preparation for our daily flying demonstrations which run throughout the summer. This gave the students the opportunity to see exactly what handling a bird in flight is all about and what they might one day get to achieve if they pursue their ambitions with a passion. This session culminated when Taiga, our Great Grey Owl, flew to the fist of each of the group, allowing them all to experience this magical moment for the first time - an experience they all agreed was the part of the day they will never forget!

The day ended with a session learning how to tie the infamous Falconer's Knot, a fundamental practice when it comes to raptor husbandry. The knot itself is quite tricky to learn but all the youngsters did extremely well and most managed to grasp the basic principal without difficulty.

Getting to grips with the falconer's knot

All in all, the first day of the course proved a complete success and all of the students said they couldn't wait to return to continue their studies at each of the fortnightly Saturday sessions that follow. If you know of any child that would like to participate in the Young Falconers Course, then please click here for more details.

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Trim for Spring

Further to the successful outcome to our "Lucky Escape" story involving a young kestrel as featured in last month's blog, you might be interested in what has happened since.

We told you of how this tiny native raptor became trapped inside a local B&Q store and how we lent a helping hand in successfully returning it to the wild.

However, to our surprise, the story did not end there!

As we reported, during the period of incarceration we had many phone calls from concerned members of B&Q staff about the welfare of the bird and it was truly heart-warming to see the levels of genuine concern expressed.

This in turn led to the development of some great rapport between ourselves and the store, as part of which Dean and Denise - both Managers at B&Q - got to understand more about S.O.S. and the work that we do. It also gave us the opportunity to give them an 'insiders view' of the centre and a guided tour of our Raptor Hospital and Rehabilitation Aviaries to illustrate our mission at first hand.

During the course of our dialogue we explained how we are completely reliant on public donations to operate, and this led to some interesting - but I hasten to add, un-prompted - conversations with regard to what help the B&Q organisation could give to S.O.S.

Given that at this time of year, the onset of Spring means that ground-keeping becomes a major concern as we start to tidy up after a long winter; and witnessing the dilapidated state of our lawnmower, itself in need of a thorough but expensive service - Dean and Denise took it upon themselves to contact the 'powers that be' within B&Q and ask if it would be possible to donate a new lawn-mower to S.O.S. to assist with our task.

The outcome was that shortly afterwards, we took delivery of a brand new lawn-mower courtesy of B&Q as a thank you for assistance we provided for the stranded Kestrel. So we would like to use this blog to extend a huge and heartfelt thank you to all the staff of B&Q and to good samaritans Denise an Dean in particular, for the part they played in ensuring that our visitor center looks pristine and ready to welcome the public throughout 2008.

In return, if you would like to join us in thanking B&Q for their support and are thinking of tidying up around the house now that winter is done, why not pay a visit to B&Q - click here for further details.

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From Snakes to Snake Eagle

As the mild winter continues here in East Anglia, we have been extremely lucky to have had some gloriously sunny weather recently, particularly during the recent "half-term" school holidays. And to celebrate, we launched our new series of Activity Adventure Days for 2008, designed specifically for 6-12 year olds.

For the new year, we have updated the format and added some new adventures to stimulate the enquiring young minds that participate.

One of our most popular adventures last year was our "Dino-Soar Discovery Day" and we really could not have timed the launch event better, because just one day before a newly discovered "flying" dinosaur was announced to the world!

Identified from its fossil remains, the discovery was of a new species of "pterodactyl". Pterodactyls are commonly recognised as the large hulking reptilian, bat-like creatures with gigantic membranous wings - quite unlike the feathered archaeopteryx that many people know from later prehistory.

The interesting thing about the newly-discovered fossil is that it sheds completely new light on the theories of flight evolution. For many years, it was thought that, because pterodactyl remains were found mostly in prehistoric coastal regions, that the creatures needed the coastal updrafts to get airborne and stay aloft. Once in the air it was presumed that because of their size, these incredible creatures would not have flown like conventional birds (as they would have required enormous amounts of energy to flap their gigantic wings) but rather flew much more like conventional gliders, spending long periods out at sea catching food on the wing from the surface.

However in contrast, the new "pterodactyl" is incredibly small, just about the size of a house sparrow. Equally surprising, it was found in the western part of China's Liaoning province, far from the sea in a region that was heavily forested 120 million years ago. As a consequence, the new discovery has the scientific name Nemicolopterus Crypticus, which means "hidden flying forest dweller".

Importantly, the experts think the pterodactyl would have been capable of the typical "flapping-flight" we associate with modern day birds. "This really amazing creature, sparrow-sized, which lived essentially in the trees, showing us a very new, very interesting side of the evolutionary history of these animals," said Alexander W.A. Kellner, of the National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. "Because they were flying animals, their fossils are extremely rare," he added.

Researchers at first thought that this particular Nemicolopterus find was a baby: he skull was not fully fused, meaning it was not yet an adult, but as the ends of the bones were developed, it was not a hatchling either. They also said the legs and feet had attachments for muscles, indicating that it could grasp tree limbs; and unlike most pterodactyls, it lacked teeth - leading to speculation that it might have eaten insects, much like the common garden birds we have today.

Meanwhile back in the 21st century, the dinosaur enthusiasts on our Activity Adventure Day started the day discussing this news, and then took time to look at some living specimens of both raptors and reptiles to see what comparisons could be drawn between them and their distant dinosaur cousins.

During our fun-packed day - and with the much appreciated assistance of our neighbour Colin of Abbey Aquatics at Stonham Barns - we examined everything from snakes to snake eagles in our quest to learn more.

Especially exciting was being able to handle many of the reptiles and other incredible creatures within Colin's collection: his reptile knowledge is second to none, and our Dino-Soar Activity Day proved a great opportunity for our young adventurers to share his amazing understanding of the subject.

We rounded off the day with a fossil-making session attempting to make our very own replicas of creatures already known to science - and some yet to be discovered! Thanks to Chris Soule of Soule Pottery - another Stonham Barns neighbour - for providing us with the clay we needed to make our freaky futuristic fossils.

Finally, if you or any youngster you know would like to participate in one of our Activity Adventure series during 2008, then please click here for more details.

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Lucky Escape

Last week was an interesting week for us at The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, when we made the front page of the local newspaper, "The Ipswich Evening Star".

Occasion was all down to a Kestrel who had made a slight error of judgment and got somewhat lost inside a local B&Q Superstore!

Superstores are deceptively tricky places - vast cavernous spaces, with isle upon isle of products that at first glance all look relatively similar, catering for every consumer need - but if, like me, finding your way back to the checkouts can prove tricky, imagine how little Kestrel felt!

It all started when in the middle of the week we recieved a phone call from two B&Q employee, Denise Kerrigan & Dean Swarbick, alerting us to the plight of the bird.  In an ideal world we would love to give immediate assistance, but we have found through experience that chasing a bird around huge warehouse-type building can prove very time consuming business and unproductive - the sheer scale of the building means that it is virtually impossible to safely retrieve the bird: height is a threat to human safety and chasing a bird in such a large space would ultimately exhaust and distress bird to the point where its life would also be endangered..

Our usual advice in situations like this is to simply leave the warehouse doors open for as long as possible,allowing the bird to exit the building in much the same way as it flew in, action is usually prompted by hunger.

But things don't always go according to plan and then human intervention does become necessary!  

On this occasion the kestrel had made its way from the interior of the warehouse to the vast glass front of the store, where it was no doubt frustrated by the invisible barrier preventing it escape to the world beyond. This state of affairs persisted for two days during which time the bird would not have eaten. As this was a wild bird, this gave no initial cause for alarm, for In the wild a raptor's bodily system is designed for the odd occasion when a day's hunting fails to provide a meal.

At this point the store the staff decided to take action and with the aid of a pond net , some long copper tubing and a few long ladders - commodities which, being within a B&Q store, were readily top hand - the staff were able to safely catch up the bird and bring it to us!

We discovered that the handsome male kestrel was in very good health, if somewhat hungry.  After providing food, we kept the in our hospital overnight as a precaution that he would be well enough to survive in the wild upon release. This being the case, the following day we took him back to B&Q, where Denise & Dean had the privilege of releasing "Lucky", as he had been named by the B&Q staff - across the open fields behind the store, an area which (very importantly) the bird would recognize and be familiar with as it likely usual hunting grounds.

Denise admits this was a "once in a lifetime" moment for Denise and one that she will never forget!  For us, releases like these really are one of the best parts of the job here at SOS!

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The world in their hands

In the news this week is our launch of a new Young Falconers Course - something that has been created due to popular demand, and as far as we know, it will be only one of the very few courses of its kind held in the UK.

Under the auspices of of the East Anglian Academy of Falconry, who are based here at Stonham Barns, the course is designed to provide an insightful look into the raptor world, coupled with much of the conservation work that is done here at SOS. The aim is to provide youngsters aged 12 - 16 years with the opportunity to experience the best of falconry at first hand

Like many keen on this fascinating hobby, along with my colleagues my first introduction to the world of falconry was Ken Loach's beautiful film, "Kes" - the emotional story of a young boy who had very little in life except the love of the kestrel he had trained from a youngster. The film really kick-started a love of all birds and raptors in particular, and at a very young age but I remember being frustrated that I couldn't find a way to pursue my awakening interest any further.

In those days there were only a handful of falconry establishments in the UK and none close to where I lived: even then it was hard to find any one of them willing to teach a youngster, and no one locally could teach me very much. I also soon found that with a very practical sport like falconry, books can only offer a limited amount of knowledge, especially as these specialised books were - before the age of the internet - not only hard to find, but also very costly

Many years later, when after several changes of career I finally found my way into the falconry world, I still found that it is still very difficult for young people to learn about the sport first-hand. Which is strange... falconry has been in existence for many thousand of years and as today the focus is very much on conservation (rather than putting food on the table as in days gone by), there is still a big void out there when it comes to practical tuition for young people.

From this rationale, the new Young Falconers Course has been born. It will provide a unique and valuable learning experience for the young raptor enthusiast, with plenty of "hands-on" time with the birds.

Divided into 6 separate practical and classroom sessions, the course will brief young enthusiasts on all the basics of what is entailed when owning a bird of prey. The participants will be introduced to the correct way of handling birds and the differences between the various types, and enable them to discover why each is more suited to varying environments and situations. They will also take an inp-depth look at raptor husbandry, focussing general health care, weight management, feeding, & the day-to-day care and maintenance of a healthy bird of prey.

There will be the opportunity to learn about the many different techniques to train young birds and participate in the training programme, including a chance to try lure winging and radio telemetry tracking equipment.

If you'd like to participate, please click here for booking details. We look forward to seeing you!

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A Vet in the Hand...

If you are a long-time supporter of our work at S.O.S, then you will be aware that our main area of concern is the care, rescue and rehabilitation of injured wild owls and other raptors from around the region.

But you have recently joined the ranks, hopefully this particular Blog story will give you some idea of the specialised work we do, often - but not always - with a successful outcome.

Throughout the course of the year we have many injured wild Owls and other birds of prey brought in to us for inspection, usually by concerned members of the general public. For the most part we are able to treat the birds ourselves in our purpose-built Raptor Hospital, a facility which was recently fully refurbished thanks the funding of your generous donations.

When an injured bird arrives at the centre, we firstly enter the details of the circumstances & conditions of the creature into our register before giving them a quick physical assessment, looking for obvious signs of external damage. Then we check for bone fractures, concussion and other aliments, relying on our accumulated experience of identifying minor injuries that have crossed our path over the years.

But whilst we are able to deal with many of these instances, we also receive many cases which require the attentions of a higher authority in avian medicine - the veterinarian.

Such was the case this week, when we were brought a Tawny Owl which arrived in a very poor state indeed. We could see immediately that this particular individual had a badly broken wing, probably - as the bird was picked up by the road-side - the result of a collision with a vehicle of some sort. The unfortunate bird also had signs of a condition called 'frounce', which swells the throat and makes it hard for them to swallow.

Without hesitation, we decided to take the casualty straight to out local veterinary practice, the Stowe Veterinary Group in Stowmarket, who are always willing to give us first rate & usually preferential assistance when it comes to wild raptor care. Here, vet Bill Besley confirmed our suspicions on both counts. Of particular concern was the frounce, or Trichomoniasis to give it its proper name, because - as it can make feeding difficult - it can compromise the birds natural ability to heal itself. The disease is increasingly prevalent pigeon and dove populations and it seems likely that this particular Tawny Owl picked it up by injesting an infected bird of this type.

It is possible to treat frounce if caught in the early stages but the course of care is fairly intensive and drawn out, including medication twice daily and hydration by crop tube every hour, which can cause no small degree of distress and discomfort. Unfortunately, for this particular Owl the prognosis was not good, and in the end the vet recommended it would be kinder to end its suffering than make it endure a very long recovery period with no guarantee of a successful return to the wild or a worthwhile quality of life.

So - win some, lose some. Next time, hopefully we will be luckier.

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A change is as good as a rest!

Hello again from all of us here at SOS as we make a start for the New Year ahead. And a special welcome to our regular supporters and all those who may be visiting our blog for the first time!

If you are an adopter of one of the owls here at the centre, then we're like to take this opportunity to thank you for your kind consideration and support. We hope that as this diary of events through 2008 unfolds, you will come to feel part of a 'family' which primarily is concerned with the care & welfare of wild owls and other birds of prey.

Besides being a diary, we also like to use the blog as a general notice board to keep you informed about global developments in the field of raptor conservation & management that come to our attention. But also, please use it as a direct link back to us, to keep us informed of your comments, queries & suggestions.

If don't have much of an idea about the type of work that we do here at SOS, then why not check back through our Blog Archive for 2007, which you'll find contains many interesting and fascinating stories about what went on at the Sanctuary last year and it will give you some insight into what we are all about.

Now, to matters in hand! SOS is open all year round, but although this is one of our quietest times in terms of visitor attendance, it doesn't mean the work stops. In fact, we use the winter months to do all manner of things that simply would not be possible during the height of the summer, when visitor numbers prevent us from doing a lot of the necessary structural & repair work that is needed.

Much of this is weather permitting, of course, and at the moment, we have two outdoor projects that are the subject of serious attention when it's not chucking it down. The first is the rebuild of our secluded breeding aviaries: ours have been in use - by the birds! - for many years and as they didn't look as though they last another winter season, so the decision was made to tear them down and start afresh.

Down with the old... and up with the new

This was quite an undertaking both financially and in terms of manpower, but we have made good progress thanks to a generous donation of timber from the local Jewsons in Stowmarket, a free supply of Twyweld Mesh Netting from Clarkes of Walsham, and some sturdy work from our volunteers led by Mick, our able handyman. This means that with any luck we will be on track to have the aviaries completed by the start of the breeding season, which begins around Easter time. As you can see from the photo's, Mick and his team certainly have their work cut out for them - but we have every faith that their expertise will win the day and all will be finished in time!

Our other major project is to re-house our chipmunk colony within the Woodland Walk area at SOS. Our recently-promoted Senior Falconer, Matt Lott (Congratulations, Matt! Mine's a pint...!) has taken this on board as a personal project and we will of course keep you up-dated with its progress and the date when our new "Chipmunkery" will be open for business. And again, a huge "thank you"is due to both Jewsons and Clarkes - without their generous support, our life could have been a lot more problematical!

When the weather did get deathly grey outside, we thought it was time to give an interior facelift to our visitor reception area, which thankfully meant nothing more than a generous lick of paint! After three years of the same colour, we decided a new colour scheme would brighten up the place and our mood - and so we appropriately turned to a colour called "Spring", which is actually a nice shade of Apple Green. And that reminds me - now would be the appropriate time to thank Anna & Andrew (who together with Maz run our visitor reception and adoptions admin) for all their decorative skills with regard to this makeover.

So, we're getting ready for the year ahead and hopefully we will have the pleasure of welcoming you to our fresh new surroundings in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime if you would like to contact us with any ideas or suggestions that you may have for the centre, then please contact us by clicking this link - we are always pleased to hear from you.

Thanks again, and Best Regards,

The SOS Team.

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Garden Gifts for Feathered Friends

If those of you reading this blog are anything like me, then possibly your love of raptors began with a simple love of garden birds.

These wonderful creatures provide endless hours of enjoyment all year round, and they don't ask for anything in return.  But as the weather turns colder at this time of year, the RSPB has reminded us we should spare a thought for our feathered garden friends by ensuring that fresh water and food scraps are in plentiful supply over the cold festive period.

Their spokesperson Colum Delaney said: “Christmas is the perfect time to give that little bit of extra attention to our garden birds. The weather has turned noticeably colder, and while we are all celebrating the festive season we should spare a thought for the regular visitors to our gardens.

At a time when we eat to excess and throw away food in equal measure, we should remember that many kitchen scraps and Christmas leftovers make ideal snacks for birds visiting our gardens and can help them get the nourishment they need to survive. Garden birds will welcome extra treats such as crumbled up mince pies, roast potatoes, cheese and of course fruit and seeds. We also urge gardeners to ensure a regular supply of fresh water, which is vital for drinking and keeping feathers clean.

Not only are we helping the birds through the cold winter but people will also attract a diverse range of birds such as house sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and song thrush, amongst others - just in time for the world’s largest bird survey, the Big Garden Birdwatch on January 26th and 27th.”

This is an ideal that we completely support here at SOS - so please give generously to the birds as well as your family, friends & relations this year - they deserve a Christmas treat!

And to all those who have faithfully read out blog throughout the course of the year (and our regular supporters as well).

We would like to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR! We look forward to seeing you all in 2008!

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BROOKFIELD Primary - Bring and Buy!

As this will be the last blog entries we publish before Christmas we would like to take this opportunity to say a big SOS "thank you" to one particular group of school children who gave us a wonderful Christmas gift this year.

A month or two ago we were contacted by a Mrs. C. Harris, a teacher at Brookfield Primary School in Mansfield, Notts., who told us that the pupils at her school wished to do a fundraiser for The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. We thought this was a wonderful idea and - to help them get them started on their project - sent them some information about the work that we do here.

This week we recieved a huge pack of hand-written letters from the children (29 in total), telling me all about the fantastic results of their original idea - the "Owl Sanctuary Bring & Buy Sale!".  

One of the letters, from Dayna of Year 6, explained how the idea came about: "During our science lessons, we have been studying animals and their habitats.  In our I.T.C lesson (Inside Computer Technology), we were researching owls and discovered your fantastic owl sanctuary.  We had very many ideas on how to adopt an owl and raise enough money.  We came to a decision to have a toy sale."

It seems that all the children exceeded their own expectations and raised in excess of £70, a magnificent achievement with which the students have decided to adopt two owls - "Cobweb" the Barn Owl for Key Stage 1 pupils and "Snapdragon" the Little Owl for those of Key Stage 2.

Mrs. Harris also wrote to us & said, "Not only has the Owl project enhanced the curriculum, but the children now have a genuine interest and concern for the welfare of animals & birds in general - an interest I'm sure which will continue in many children's lives.  I'm sure you will agree that the children have worked hard and achieved a worthwhile goal...  if you could possibly send a reply to YEAR 6 it would mean a great deal to them!"

Well, Mrs. Harris, your wish is our command!  

The children have done such a magnificent job that rather than write a personal letter of thanks directly to the school, we decided to thank all those involved via our website - which means that everyone can see exactly what a wonderful job Brookfield Primary did on behalf of SOS. So - Elizabeth, Dayna, Adele, Matthew, Chloe, Shannon, Thomas, Bethany, Michael, Lauren, Josh, Dana, Leah, Zoe, Tonisha, Ryan, Natalie, Katie, Crystal, Connor, Dylan, Tommy, Ryan, Jessica, Karla, Katie, Byrony, Katie, Luke (and anyone else I have forgotten to mention) - a BIG THANK YOU from all at S.O.S. for all your hard work on this project. Keep up the good work!

With All Best Wishes for 2008,

David Nadauld & The S.O.S. Team

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Sea Eagles to Swoop in Suffolk?

As part of our mission to keep you updated about raptor news from around the region, we thought you'd be interested in a story which recently appeared in a local newspaper, the Ipswich Evening Star, about the efforts to bring the spectacular White-Tailed Sea Eagle to the Suffolk coast-line.

With a wing-span of up to eight feet, White-Tailed Sea Eagles are the largest raptor species to be found within the UK, and would make a stunning new addition to the wildlife in this part of part of the country. But as with most re-introduction programs which prove successful in the long term, it will take an enormous amount of effort to establish the species here.

Quoting Paul Geater, Environment Editor of the Evening Star: "Talks are continuing into an ambitious proposal to re-introduce White-Tailored Sea Eagles along the Suffolk coast. There has still been no firm decision on their re-introduction, but experts are drawing up plans assuming the first birds will be released on the coast during 2009.

The White-Tailed Sea Eagle was hunted into extinction in Britain during the Victorian era, but has since been successfully re-introduced off the west coast of Scotland. The first birds were introduced there in 1975, and this year 42 pairs have raised young - an increase of six on 2006. Now scientists have started re-introducing sea eagles on the east coast of Scotland, and are looking towards bringing them south in future years.

Richard Rafe from English Nature, who are co-ordinating the re-introduction program, said the birds to be brought to East Anglia would come from a large population in Poland. “In many ways the coast of East Anglia, stretching from the Wash to the Thames Estuary, is far better suited to sea eagles than their current range in Scotland. There is no reason why they should not do even better here.”

The sea eagle is the largest European bird and is closely related to the American bald eagle. Unlike some other eagles - like the Golden Eagle, for example - the Sea Eagle is not afraid of humans: “There is no record of anyone, not even a child, being attacked by a sea eagle," continued Mr Rafe. Though these birds eat gulls and fish, these birds are often happier eating carrion, he said. “There have been reports of eagles taking rabbits and even pets, and there is some concern that they could take lambs - that is why we are talking to livestock farmers.”

Exact sites for the release of sea eagles have not been identified. Only a few birds are expected to be released but they have a huge range so could be seen over a wide stretch of the Suffolk coastline.

For more information about the project, you could contact paul.geater@eveningstar.co.uk Meanwhile we will keep you updated with this project, and of course we wish all those concerned the very best of luck in their endeavours.

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Baby, it's cold inside!

Established as a registered charity in 2001, the primary function of SOS is to provide and operate a facility for the care & rehabilitation of wild Owls and other Raptor species. 

However, we could not undertake this valuable and worthwhile work without the support and generous donations given to us both by members of the public and the various local firms and organisations who chip in with funds, resources and various items of equipment!  

Our Raptor Hospital is fully equipped and dedicated to the care and treatment of the many injured wild owls & other birds of prey which are brought here each year, but in the twelve years since we first opened our doors, much of the original equipment has had to be replaced, and it's upkeep, refurbishment or replacement remains a constant source of concern as we aim to give the birds the best possible treatment.

But good Samaritans often come to our aid, and the most recent instance was the "East of England Co-operative Society" who kindly donated a brand new fridge for our hospital.

You might ask, why does S.O.S. need of a fridge? The answer is simple, as many of the preparations we use to treat the birds need to be kept cold and the reliable refrigeration of these expensive medicines at the correct temperature ensures we get the best out of them

So our sincere thanks go out to the east of England Co-Operative Society, who operate a wonderful scheme called the, "660 Community Dividend Fund" which means that anyone purchasing products from the CO-OP can request that their 'divi' can be given to local charities and other worthy organisations. Earlier in the week Maria Harrup, who is Communications & Community Manager of the Co-Op, came with a colleague to meet a few of our feathered residents and to mark their gift with a commemorative plaque.

And meanwhile, if you feel that you could make a donation, of money, materials, appliances or time then please do not hesitate to contact us - all contributions gratefully received!

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Stranger in a Strange Land?

This afternoon we were contacted by the local newspaper to help identify a strange looking owl that had been spotted locally, and also asked for some information on the day-time habits of our feathered friends..

A reader had sent some pictures to the East Anglian Daily Times, and they posed quite a puzzle. To be honest - we were undecided: at first glance the subject looked like a Bengal Eagle Owl - a desert dweller if ever there was one, and therefore (unless it was an escaped captive bird) way off it's normal beat - or, it was a long eared owl, much more likely because the species is a native of these isles (though in itself quite a rare siting as these birds are notoriously shy). Both species are quite similar in size. What do you think? Click here to e-mail us your opinion.

On the question of an owl being seen in the daytime, it is not unusual to see Owls during the day during the winter months as the trees are bare and the owl does not have the same cover to hide as it normally would in the summer. It is a common misconseption that all owls are purely nocturnal, but many species native to the British Isles are "crupuscular", which means they will hunt mainly in the low light at dusk and dawn.

Long Eared Owls hunt mainly on open range land - clearings, fallow fields and river banks - rather than the woodlands where they roost and nest, which is usually in old un-ocupied stick nests belonging to crows, magpies, ravens or herons.

Maz. Robinson

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Oh What A Picture!

This week's BBC Countryfile programme featured an interesting story about farmer & amateur photographer Ed Frear, who produced this stunning and slightly surreal image of Barn Owls taken on his Cambridgeshire farm.

The picture was selected by comedienne Jo Brand as one of the images for the Countryfile 2008 Calendar, which has been produced in aid of Children In Need appeal. Ed bought his digital camera two years ago, although little did he know it would lead to a passion for wildlife photography. By converting a shabby chicken coop into a bird hide and waiting patiently on his stomach in the mud for hours on end, he eventually managed to capture the amazing photograph of the three barn owl chicks sitting in the window of one of his old barns.

The calendar itself costs £9 including p&p. To order a copy, call the order line on 0870 062 3600 (Calls cost 6p from a BT landline. Mobiles and other networks may vary) or send a cheque to: BBC Countryfile Calendar, PO Box 25, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1ZG (Don't forget to give your name and address and please make cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar)

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Bird Flu Outbreak On Our Doorstep

This week Suffolk Owl Sanctuary has found itself near to the eye of a national storm as avian influenza has been found on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, virtually on our doorstep. We thought you might like to know how will it affect us.

At the beginning of the week, DEFRA confirmed an outbreak of deadly H5N1 form of "bird flu" virus at Redgrave Park Farm, a free-range poultry farm about 15 miles north of us. 

Fred Landeg, the acting Chief Veterinary Officer, confirmed the strain - which has swept across Asia, Europe and Africa since 2003 - is potentially dangerous to humans and added: "The initial sequence data suggests that the outbreak is closely related to outbreaks in the Czech Republic and Germany, which indicates a possible wild bird source. However, at this stage all potential sources of the origin will be investigated."
The Environment Minister Hilary Benn briefed MPs on the outbreak, warning them more cases could be discovered in the area. A cull of all 5,000 poultry at the infected farm has been completed and the cull of a further 22,000 birds at other farms operated by the same company has begun. A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone were set up yesterday around the area 

All free-range birds for meat and eggs in Suffolk and part of Norfolk must be locked indoors to protect them from the spread of the virus.  Hobby farmers with backyard flocks are also being visited by local animal health officers who are urging them to keep birds inside.
Bird viruses do not usually infect humans but some people who have been in close contact with infected birds have died. Scientists are worried that avian flu will mutate and spread from person to person, infecting larger numbers of people.  

But Veterinary Office Landeg said people should not be worried about contracting the human form of the virus: "This particular strain of virus has on rare occasions passed to human beings, particularly in the Far East, where poultry workers have had very close contact with sick and diseased birds.  The general public needn't worry about contact with the birds. Spread to humans is not very common and no human has contracted the disease in Western Europe."
So how will the bird flue outbreak affect us here at SOS? For the moment, we are following DEFRA Guidelines and placing disinfectant foot-baths at all out entrances and exits for our visitors to use in the hope that it will significantly reduce the possibility of our bird collection becoming infected.  

We have also cancelled all out-shows and are not moving birds or accepting wild injured birds into the centre as recommended by DEFRA until advised that it is safe so-to-do. 
Other than that, we are remain vigilant of the threat and will continue to operate as normal here at SOS.

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Case closed due to "Lack of Evidence"

In our last blog we gave you the news of the two Hen Harriers shot dead at Dresingham Bog, close to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk and we said we would keep you up dated with any further developments in the case.

Sadly, the same story has hit the news again this week, but for a very different reason! It now seems that there is a "lack of evidence" to pursue that matter further which is terribly disappointing for both conservationists and raptor enthusiasts. 

The news has also been greeted with grave disappointment by the RSPB. Commenting on the official statement released by the Crown Prosecution Service, the RSPB's Conservation Director Dr Mark Avery said: 'We regard the killing of Hen Harriers as one of the most serious of wildlife crime offenses. We would always hope that people killing Hen Harriers be brought to justice (and that) their illegal killing is the reason for this bird's low UK population, especially in England where only 20 pairs remain.'

Continuing, he said: 'Despite a thorough and swift investigation by the Norfolk Constabulary, the RSPB is disappointed there is insufficient evidence to proceed with the investigation. However, we don't want the death of these two harriers to be completely in vain. At a time when the one-year old National Wildlife Crime Unit faces a funding crisis and police forces are abolishing dedicated wildlife crime investigation posts, we would like assurances that the investigation of wildlife crime offenses will be fully investigated. Operation Artemis - the police operation to protect the Hen Harrier - needs to be properly resourced, tasked and supported by police and Natural England.

If you feel as strongly as we do at S.O.S. about this tragedy and the lack of funding to protect all our native wildlife, then why not post us a comment voicing your opinion and we will see that it is delivered to the relevant officials.

If you would like to know more about this story from an 'insiders' point of view, then why not click on these links to discover more!

Mark Thomas, Investigations Officer, has written about the RSPB's involvement in the case and you can also watch a video comment from Mark Avery about the recent events at Sandringham.

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