New Nest Box for Hack Pen residents

We have a good working relationship with several local landowners, who allow us to carry out conservation work on their land.

We have previously talked about our hack pen, which is used as a final point of monitoring before releasing birds that have come into us at the Raptor Hospital. The hack pen is a large aviary with a feed hatch and a release gate. It allows birds to build fitness before release, and get used to their surroundings. It also gives them the opportunity to catch their own prey, as the pen has gaps at its base to allow small rodents access.

Local farmer Sam with Education Officer Susan at the hack pen, following a virtual chat with a school about our Raptor Rescue work.

Since it was installed last Autumn, we have released several Kestrels and Sparrowhawks onto the farmland, and monitored them using trail cams. Last month we reported that Sticky and Holewing Barn Owls had been paired together and placed into the hack pen before release. As a pair bonded couple, we were aware that they might want to breed, so provided a nest box inside the hack pen. When the gate was opened and the birds were free to leave, we were encouraged by them continuing to visit.

Barn Owls will often have two broods if the conditions are right, so we were keen to provide them with another option. After speaking with the farmer, we were able to provide a triangular Barn Owl box, which has now been installed on a mature Oak tree at the field edge.

Installing large nest boxes requires a bit more effort than the ones you might have in your garden for Robins or Blue Tits. The boxes are usually made of marine plywood, which although fairly lightweight, can be rather cumbersome to manoeuvre into position. This is especially true if fixing to a tree, which is rarely flat and smooth, and often has branches in exactly the wrong places! It is important to note that in fixing the nest box, care should be taken not to damage any part of the tree.

Barn Owls particularly like an open view from their nests, whereas Tawny Owls don’t mind having some cover to help hide their nests.

Farmer Sam said “We are very keen to help Barn Owls on the farm, we have been part of an agricultural environment scheme since their inception in the 1990’s however the latest stewardship scheme has really improved habitat for all species.  Being a bird of prey we can use the barn owl population as an indicator species for how our habitat management is performing.  If we can create the right habitat for insects and invertebrates then this will provide a food source for larger species and so on.   We have had great success with our current owl boxes and so when Suffolk Owl Sanctuary suggested a location on the farm for another box we were very keen to install it. 

I’m not sure there is a more pleasing sight than watching a barn owl out hunting the hedgerows or grassland.”

If you’d like more information about building or installing nest boxes for Owls, please visit:
https://www.owl-help.org.uk/wild-owl-nestbox-project

Spring is Sprung!

As we prepare to open our gates and welcome visitors back to the Sanctuary, the timing couldn’t be better to see the spectacle of spring in all its glory! Towards the end of March and start of April the daffodils really put on a show across the site and the blossom on the cherry and hawthorn bushes added some colour to the tree tops.

In the woodland walk, primroses and violets have made way for the large fronds of Lords and Ladies. We’re leaving some areas of the Sanctuary a bit untidy to encourage wildlife. In the pond, some of the amphibians have been busy creating the next generation of toads, frogs and newts!

Our birds have also been enjoying the good spring weather and have been getting back into routine in preparation for displays starting back soon.

"Grandad" Owl

A few weeks ago we reported that we had started ringing some hospital birds before release, in order to try and find out what happens after we release them.

Bird ringing in the UK is co-ordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology and involves catching wild birds under licence and attaching a small lightweight metal ring to their legs. Each ring is inscribed with a unique alpha-numeric code which identifies that bird as an individual (a bit like our National Insurance Number). This means that if that bird is encountered again, we get an idea of it’s life history.

Many birds are ringed as chicks still in the nest, and we have supported the Thornham Owl Project for a number of years to enable this monitoring to continue. Ringing chicks in the nest allows ringers to determine exactly what age the birds are, as different species have different moult strategies, making it harder to age adult birds to an exact year.

Last week we received a call from a local vets to see if we could help with a Barn Owl they had received. The owl had been picked up from the side of a road, so we can assume that he’d been hit by a vehicle. Upon arrival with us, he was assessed for injuries and thankfully there were no obvious breaks so he was given some pain relief and time to recuperate. In the process of checking for injuries, we discovered that he had a metal ring on his leg, so once he was settled into one of our hospital aviaries, Jess submitted the ring number to the BTO via their website.

The digitalisation of ringing records results in much faster reports back, and she soon received a reply with the original ringing details for this bird. Turns out, he was ringed as a chick near Boxford on the 26th May 2012, making this bird almost 9 years old! This is by no means a record breaker - the oldest Barn Owl recorded in the UK was over 15 years old when it was last encountered.

In the wild, the average age of Barn Owls is only about 4 years old. Most birds perish in their first winter, struggling to hunt in bad weather and getting into territorial disputes with other birds. When the young leave their nest, they don’t usually travel very far, and this bird was picked up at Long Melford, which as the owl flies is only about 7 or 8 miles away from where it hatched.

This owl was a bit wobbly on his legs for a few days but has made good progress and we will hopefully be releasing him near where he was found soon.

For more information about Bird Ringing, please visit:
www.bto.org

Long term hospital patients ready for release

When a bird comes into our hospital, we always hope to release them back into the wild as soon as possible, providing they are fit and healthy enough to survive. However, for two Barn Owls, they have spent a significant part of their lives in our hospital due to coming into contact with man made threats.

Sticky came to us in September 2019 having been found stuck in a glue trap. Despite our best efforts to minimise the damage, the glue took several days of delicate washing to come free from the feathers, by which time it had already caused irreparable damage to those primary feathers. All birds can moult their feathers if they get worn or damaged, and in raptors this usually takes 2-3 months for them to replace 2-4 feathers (they won’t replace all their feathers at once as this would make it impossible for them to fly and find food in the wild).

Falconers have learnt ways to encourage a bird to moult, and these methods were used with Sticky. However, she wanted to do things in her own time and, as she would in the wild, she grew out her feathers 3 or 4 at a time.

Holewing was found in May 2020 having been caught up in barbed wire. We recently shared another blog about fatal fences. Holewing was so named because of the hole in his wing, which our consulting vet, Elliot, did a marvellous job of patching up. Because of the damage, we knew that Holewing would need more time in our hospital than most birds, so we decided to put him in a large aviary with Sticky.

These two become companions over the past few months. We were pleased to see the hole disappear in Holewing’s wing and Sticky moulted the last of her damaged feathers.

We intended on releasing them via our Hack Pen, which was completed in October last year, but given the length of time they had been with us, we didn’t want to rush this process. We had a few other birds that we felt would benefit from a period in the hack pen before release, so Sticky and Holewing stayed with us over the winter. Then at the end of January, just as we were planning on putting them out, we were hit by that snow, and if there’s one thing that knocks Barn Owls, it’s snow!

Holewing on the left and Sticky on the right, both ready for release.

Having waited until early spring, we hope that the weather will not cause any issues for the Barn Owls when they are released. In preparation for this, Sticky became the first rehab Barn Owl to be ringed for a number of years, as Holewing already had a ring on! This means we were able to find out exactly when and where he was ringed - in a nest box east of Thetford in 2014 as a chick!

Sticky being given a unique metal ring.

Ringing wild birds is useful as it helps scientists see why populations change over time, track migratory birds which may be caught on either their breeding or wintering grounds here or abroad and also gives an idea on the general health of birds. Barn Owls are routinely ringed as chicks in nest boxes by licensed volunteers, as Holewing demonstrates.

Susan is a bird ringer, so was able to assist with taking biometrics of the birds. Here she is measuring Holewing’s wing length.

By ringing our rehab birds, we hope to discover where our birds disperse to after release. We are keeping everything crossed that they may be subsequently found breeding in one of the many Barn Owl nest boxes found in the area as part of the scheme we run in conjunction with volunteers from the Thornham Owl Trust and is funded by the generous donations of S.O.S. supporters.. We will share any ringing recoveries here on our blog, so watch this space!

Sticky, showing off all her new feathers which she’s grown while in our aviaries.

For more information about bird ringing, please visit the British Trust for Ornithology website:
www.bto.org

Making improvements while we're closed

It’s almost a year since the pandemic closed our gates. We were fortunate to be able to reopen towards the end of the summer season and enjoyed a few months of “business as usual”, albeit with restricted numbers, social distancing and extra cleaning and washing going on. We closed our gates again in December, in response to the outbreak of Avian Influenza, and have remained closed to visitors as part of the nationwide lockdown since, although our hospital has remained open throughout.

BUT…we have not been idle during this time!

Last year during the summer lockdown, we built some new off-show aviaries to give some of our birds a break during their annual moult. These will also be used for some of our breeding birds and can be furnished with suitable perches and boxes as necessary. We are grateful to a local manufacturer who donated wood offcuts to us, which has enabled us to create a variety of new perches and nest boxes for our aviaries.

Over the winter, we took the decision to cut back the Rhododendron hedge between Ozzie the Kookaburra and our Flying Team aviaries. Winter is the best time of year to cut back hedging as you’ll cause the least disturbance to wild birds, and whilst the resident Starling flock have lost this roost, there are plenty of alternatives they can choose from in the vicinity of Stonham Barns. This has not only lessened the risk of having the wild birds near our aviaries, but has also let in much more natural light to an otherwise relatively dark area of the Sanctuary. We’re sure Ozzie is enjoying a bit more sunshine now!

We’ve also replaced the fencing around our Children’s Play Area.

Last week, work began on improving one of our original octagonal aviaries, which has stood for 25 years! Mir, our Steppe Eagle who took up residence here around the same time, has been temporarily moved to another aviary while the work was carried out. This has involved removing all of the wire mesh and cutting back the vegetation which is a natural feature of this aviary. We then replaced the mesh on the roof and most of the sides, but have enclosed a couple of sides which face into the prevailing wind. This will give the residents a bit more shelter from inclement weather. We also added a hatch, which will allow us to put flying team members into this aviary in the future.

With a reopening date coming up soon (hopefully the 12th April), our attentions are now turning back to the birds and getting them ready for meeting the public again, so make a note in your diary.
Our Advance Booking system will be open from March 20th and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

World Wildlife Day 2021

For World Wildlife Day 2021 we thought we would celebrate the wonderful Wildlife that call Suffolk Owl Sanctuary home!

Many of our visitors will know that in addition to our captive birds, we attract numerous wild birds, from Blue Tits, Robins and Blackbirds to Starlings, Green Woodpeckers and Sparrowhawks. Sometimes our pond on the flying arena even attracts ducks, but they never stay very long!

We also encourage insects to pay us a visit, and last summer we planted wildflower mixes in some of the spaces between aviaries to provide food for pollinators such as butterflies, moths, bees and beetles, as well as to brighten the place up a bit.

Our Woodland Walk features several wildlife friendly areas, including a pond, insect hotel, log piles and overgrown areas. These are vital refuges for insects, birds, amphibians and small mammals, where they can find food and shelter.

To find out how you can make your own garden wildlife friendly, why not visit our resources to:
Make a Bug Hotel:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5751dba960b5e94cd64107d5/t/600333ce1e378c5ba11e821d/1610822626798/How+to+make+a+bug+hotel.pdf

Build a Pond:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5751dba960b5e94cd64107d5/t/60033341c50f244aee4ed2a8/1610822478289/How+to+build+a+pond.pdf

Make a Recycled Bird Feeder:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5751dba960b5e94cd64107d5/t/60033385655a78118b966f52/1610822555316/How+to+make+a+bird+feeder.pdf

When we had snow in January/ February, we placed a Trail Cam on the Flying Arena and captured this lovely footage of a night-time visitor.

GUEST BLOG - Dr Elliot Simpson MRCVS from Aquilla Veterinary Services Ltd

Here at Suffolk Owl Sanctuary we work with a variety of people and organisations. We thought we’d ask some of them to share some insights into their work.

To kick us off, we’re happy to introduce Dr Elliot Simpson MRCVS, who is our specialist avian vet.

How did you get to where you are today?

Well, where to start! It probably really began, somewhere very similar to SOS. I was absolutely fascinated by seeing birds, and in particular birds of prey, within falconry centres and zoo collections. This fascination then manifested into a passion, and after studying the various sciences at Sixth Form College in North Norfolk, I took a gap year to further my volunteer experience. I worked for three months in the Falkland Islands with Falklands Conservation, volunteering with camp treks across the islands to perform the annual penguin count census. I also volunteered with their veterinary team, which was part of the Agriculture Department.

In 2009, following my gap year, I was fortunate enough to get a place at Bristol Vet School. Having qualified in 2014, I began work as a mixed large animal vet back in Norfolk, steadily building up my experience working with zoo and avian patients.

In 2019, myself and my fiancée Sophie (who is also a vet) spent some time volunteering with providing medical care to the animals on a small island in the Caribbean, where they filmed much of the infamous pirate franchise. One police officer, coconut-filled beaches, and only a weekly food delivery to everyone. A true desert island!

At the start of 2020, I then launched my own zoo and avian veterinary service. And having just celebrated our first year anniversary, here we still are!

Can you describe a normal day in the life of an avian vet?

The first thing to probably say is the best part of the job is that no day is normal, and no two days the same! But generally speaking, admin begins at 06:30; any urgent emails or accounting work, followed by walking the dog at around 07:30, then usually the first call in the morning, starting around 09:00. This will usually involve visiting a client (as most are small zoos/owners of exotics). Sometimes patients are booked in for procedures, whereby I work with a local (and very kind) small animal practice in Norfolk to facilitate surgical or diagnostic procedures.

Afternoons are usually, if there are no emergency or other calls, filled with writing up the notes from any calls in the morning, replying to more emails, and, generally, paperwork! Every patient has their own file, which, every time they are seen, has to have everything recorded.

What have been your most interesting/challenging cases?

A very good question. Avian cases can often be very challenging, due to the fact that birds are generally very bad at showing any signs of being ill. It means that often by the time you may notice something is wrong, they are very sick.

We recently had to see a barn owl that belonged to a private owner, that was cohabited with a small number of other barn owls. On this particular day, for whatever reason, this barn own had suffered a presumed attack at the hand of the others.

This was a challenge as not only did we need to treat the exhausted and hypothermic (cold body temperature) owl, but also consider changes that had to be made to avoid another attack happening in the future. This is where being a vet can be very rewarding, as not only are you treating the animal in front of you, but you often have to play detective to work out the whole story, and how to address the bigger issue. I am pleased to say that the owl made a full recovery, and is now doing well!

What one tip would you give everyone on how to look after wildlife?

Hmmm... one tip! That is a tough one. I guess, as a sneaky answer to try and cover as wide amount of wildlife as possible, my one tip would simply be this; whatever you do, be wildlife- mindful, and do not let perfect be the enemy of good.

You have a hedgerow to cut? Consider the wildlife, and when may be best to cut it, when it won’t harm nesting birds. Have space in your garden? Why not put a bird table out there? You have the option of buying three peppers loose or three in plastic? Make that conscious effort and avoid the plastic. You have an area of the garden you could seed as wildflower or just leave to overgrow and see what happens? Do it! Don’t be put off thinking “that small pile of leaves in my garden won’t make a difference,” as every little bit everyone does, really does add up.

Being wildlife-mindful doesn’t have to be at our detriment, or a chore - it is engaging, thoroughly rewarding, and to be honest, surely is our duty. Especially when we have such a beautiful array of species living on our doorstep, that are facing such uncertain times ahead. Learn to enjoy wildlife, as it is far more enthusing to involve yourself with something you enjoy.

Tawny Owls need to learn the Green Cross Code!

We’ve recently taken in two Tawny Owls who have been involved in collisions with vehicles.

This individual was found by one of our volunteers after being seen by the roadside and was unable to fly or stand. Upon investigation he was found to have a slight fracture to the pelvis which luckily was not displaced so we hope with a bit of rest and recovery he will be back to normal. Until then he is enjoying a much needed warm break from the weather!

Our second Tawny patient found itself concussed after flying into the finder's lorry. He was kind enough to pick him up and bring him to us for assessment and was found, albeit a bit dizzy, to be suffering no obvious injuries. A very lucky tawny! He should be on his way soon after some rest and recovery

Buzzard boy

This sweet male buzzard was brought to us by Loren at Ryder Davies vets in Woodbridge after being found on the ground. Luckily he was in decent condition, albeit a bit thin, but was suffering from a sore leg which potentially could have been the result of an RTA.

After a few days indoors he was showing signs of improvement so was put outside in a flight aviary to recover further and within a week feeling much better. He has since been returned to where he was found and released.

Kestrel feeding time

We’ve had a busy few weeks in the hospital. This is to be expected when the weather takes a turn for the worse. The prolonged cold spell and deep snow makes it difficult for all wildlife to find food and stay warm, but for young birds experiencing winter for the first time, it can be deadly.

This young male Kestrel was found at the side of a road in a weakened state and was taken to Uplands Vets. They couldn’t find any obvious injuries suggesting it had been hit by a vehicle, but did discover that he had an oral infection. Usually this is a common infection called frounce but Uplands were kind enough to culture the growths and found it to be clear of trichomonas parasites so he is currently being treated for a bacterial infection instead. It is possible that he picked up an infection from being in poor condition and foraging on the floor beside the road.

When he first arrived he was very weak and needed to be hand fed small strips of high quality meat and offal (heart, lungs, liver etc) with no casting (feathers/bone) to limit the stress on the body. As you can see he was very thankful of the meal!

Once he has gained some strength and is feeding by himself, he’ll be placed in one of our aviaries to give him some more space to build up condition before he is released.

Romeo and Juliet

This pair of Kestrels arrived together the day after Valentines Day after being found in an unused holiday cottage - luckily the finders have been popping by to check up on the property, where they were greeted with these two trying to set up their love-nest in one of the bedrooms!

The theory was that they had entered via a chimney in the room, most likely looking for somewhere to start nest building together. Although fairly dehydrated and hungry these two probably didn't have a bad place to weather the cold snap!

It’s very unusual to be brought in an adult pair in such good condition (except the odd scrape) so we hope to get this pair out as soon as possible so they can continue their nest building!

Cowlick the Kestrel

This is Cowlick, a young male Kestrel who was found on the floor in a barn being licked by cows! It’s possible she had been living and hunting around the farm and happened to get a bit waterlogged after the recent rains. He must have found shelter in the barn but the cows just wanted to check he was ok, it seems!

He was also suffering from a foot infection called bumblefoot - this is seen a lot more commonly in captive birds with inadequate perching (usually hard flat surfaces can cause it) It's rare to see this condition in wild birds, which suggests he could have been perching / living in the barn for a while, as they usually have a lot of flat surfaces. Failing that it could simply be an old puncture wound that has become infected. He is currently receiving treatment to ensure he is fit for release in the near future.

Sparrowhawk in a sling

Sometimes, our team need to think outside the box when treating birds that are brought into us at the hospital.

This female Sparrowhawk was found underneath a window in a garden and was unable to stand. She had presumably collided with the window while hunting.

Upon arrival, the team found she had an area of swelling on her spine which was preventing her from standing. She was given medication but the team needed a way to support her body without putting too much weight on her legs while she recovered. They made a little sling for her out of a piece of fabric, cutting holes so her feet could touch the floor and hold her in a natural standing position. This was hung inside one of our small hospital boxes to prevent her from crashing around and making her situation worse.

A makeshift sling helped this Sparrowhawk in the early days of her recovery.

She had to be tweezer fed for the first few days which she took to readily thanks to her strong fighting spirit! That bird wanted to live!

The team assessed her daily and she made good progress so that after a week or so she was transferred into an aviary, where they could monitor her for any long term damage.

After several weeks she was deemed fit and well enough to be released and was returned to where she was found.

Fatal fences

Fences are widely used in the UK to form barriers and mark boundaries. However, did you know that they can also caused issues for wildlife?

In 2020 we had a few cases brought into our Raptor Hospital of Barn Owls having been found caught up in barbed wire fences. Barbed wire is usually used to keep livestock contained in fields, with the sharp metal barbs reminding cattle and sheep that they should stay on their side of the fence. To livestock, the barbs are less likely to cause damage to their thick hides unless the animals are driven into the fence (in the case of panic through being chased).

Barbed wire fences should be kept taut, which means that even a large animal should merely “bounce” off them if they do charge. However, farmers move livestock between fields and some fences may not be regularly checked or maintained. A broken fence post or a lost staple can leave the barbed wire loose. For livestock, this could mean it gets wound up around their legs, and cause damage as they try to escape. However, livestock are checked regularly and any injuries would be dealt with and treated, and hopefully the offending fence fixed.

For wildlife, any injuries are likely to go unnoticed until it’s too late. In the case of birds, they can get tangled in the loose wire, panic and in an attempt to get away cause more damage as the barbs cut their delicate skin. This was the case in all the cases we had last year.

Unfortunately, for most of the owls, they were too badly injured by the time they came in to us and the kindest thing to do was to euthanise them to end their suffering. However, we were fortunate that one did make a full recovery, thanks to the dedication of our specialist vet, so was able to release it a short time back.

There is nothing better than seeing a Barn Owl flying out over a field after release, especially one that was so horrifically injured when it first came in to us.

Fences in urban areas can also cause issues for one of our favourite mammals, the Hedgehog. This species has declined drastically in recent years and last year we wrote how it had been listed as vulnerable to extinction in the UK (https://www.owl-help.org.uk/blog/2020/8/10/hedgehogs-classed-as-vulnerable-to-extinction)

As their name suggests, Hedgehogs are typically associated with hedges, which were traditionally used to mark boundaries and contain livestock. With increased demand for food, and hedges taken up more space and maintenance than fences, massive swathes of them have been ripped out of rural Britain to create larger fields for crops. The loss of hedges has meant suitable habitat and food sources have been depleted for Hedgehogs, as hedgerows support a community of species from plants and insects to mammals and birds.

In towns and cities we have fenced ourselves into our gardens and removed much of the natural surface in preference for easy, low maintenance paving or decking. This not only removes the natural food sources for wildlife (plants which produce nectar and pollen, seeds and fruits) but also places for them to live (insects need vegetation to lay eggs on and soil for their young to pupate and hibernate in).

In addition to this, fences create barriers, and the solid base found on many boundaries restrict movements of animals like Hedgehogs, who struggle to find food, shelter and mates in ever smaller territories.

To raise awareness of this, an organisation called Hedgehog Street was launched and developed a Hedgehog Highway idea, encouraging home owners to cut a small hole in the bottom of their fences to allow Hedgehogs to move around and get access to new gardens. For more information on this, please visit: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-your-garden/

Photo by WildSouthUK

You can find more information about keeping your garden Hedgehog friendly here:

https://www.owl-help.org.uk/hedgehog-care

We have also joined forces with Suffolk Prickles and hope to be able to offer additional space for their Hedgehog Rescue later this year.

https://suffolkprickles.org/

State of UK Birds Report

Every few years, bird survey data gathered by thousands of volunteers from across the UK are brought together to provide detailed information on our wild bird populations status in the State of UK Birds report. This report was published at the end of 2020 and we thought you might be interested in a summary of how UK birds of prey are doing.

Buzzards are increasing everywhere apart from in Wales. They top the English list of species successes with a 1070% increase between 1995-2018, and come second for Northern Ireland with an increase of 1305% between 1995-2018!

Red Kites top the list of successes in Wales, with the highest increase in population (413% increase between 1995-2018).

Kestrels appeared on the list of declines in Scotland, with the second highest decline (61%) between 1995-2018.

Across Britain Tawny Owl occupancy dropped to 53% from 65% in 2005 (see below for more information on this).

Hobbies have shown a long term population increase of 568%, which could be in part due to climate change*. However, short term declines of 23% in the past 10 years, suggesting they have passed their recent peak in population size.
*Hobbies may have benefited from milder conditions due to climate change in the past few decades, but may now be suffering from other negative effects, such as a decrease in the abundance of larger invertebrate prey.

Around 19 million pairs of breeding birds have been lost since 1960s! While this number will include some birds of prey, the majority of these lost birds will be passerines and waders, which make up a significant proportion of many predatory birds diets.

Here are a few extracts from the report that are relevant to birds of prey specifically:

“Increases in the number of red kites and white-tailed eagles have resulted from targeted action, such as reintroduction projects, habitat creation and land management supported through agri-environment schemes. It is worth noting, however, that despite these recoveries, most of these species remain dependent on ongoing conservation support and are found at levels far lower than before historic population declines.
Increases in both the long and short term are obvious for most of our birds of prey. A release from historic levels of persecution and the impacts of organochloride pesticides has allowed raptors such as ospreys, peregrines and marsh harriers to recover. However, hen harriers remain a notable exception, with a lack of recovery, and indeed a short-term decline, caused by illegal persecution.”

“Project Owl
During 2018 and 2019, the BTO ran Project Owl, a set of interrelated, UK-wide research and engagement projects focused on owls.
Two of the major projects within Project Owl aimed to better understand the population status and calling behaviour of tawny owls. We chose tawny owls as the primary focus for several reasons: they’re widespread in the UK (although absent from Northern Ireland and some islands); they have distinctive calls and so can be identified even by inexperienced volunteers; and, most importantly, they are thought to be undergoing a decline which has been detected in the daytime Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) that required investigation through a bespoke survey.

Declines in occupancy
The Tawny Owl Point Survey was a survey to determine their presence or absence (occupancy) during autumn 2018. This was compared to past surveys in 1989 and 2005 to investigate changes in occupancy over time.
The survey followed a standardised methodology and was coordinated via the volunteers of the BTO Regional Network. The method involved carrying out multiple, 10-minute-long surveys in a set of pre-selected tetrads. Volunteers typically visited their tetrad twice and recorded the presence or absence of tawny owls during two consecutive 10-minute periods on each visit, although there was some flexibility in the visit structure.
Over 2,120 volunteers took part, with 2,900 tetrads surveyed. It is estimated that there was a 51% probability of hearing a tawny owl in any given survey period, assuming they were present. Taking detectability into account, there is evidence of a significant UK-wide decline in tawny owl occupancy, from an estimated occupancy of around 62% in 1989 and 65% in 2005, to 53% in 2018. Analysis is currently ongoing to identify potential causes.

Tawny owl calling behaviour
The other survey carried out was the Tawny Owl Calling Survey, which was coordinated by the Garden BirdWatch (GBW). By allowing participants, many new to monitoring, to select their own sites, this survey proved highly popular. It ran from 30 September 2018 until 30 March 2019, with over 9,000 1-km squares surveyed.
Despite the unstructured nature of the design, the large dataset can be analysed to investigate changes in tawny owl calling behaviour over the winter, during the night and in relation to a range of environmental factors.
Analyses are still underway but patterns of calling behaviour will help design and interpret future surveys. There is evidence that owl presence is influenced positively by certain types of woodland and negatively by artificial light and urbanisation.”

The State of UK Birds 2020 report was jointly published by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), together with the UK’s statutory nature conservation bodies.

You can find the full report here:
https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/publications/state-of-uk-birds-2020-report.pdf

Christmas guest in the hack pen

The new hack we built in the autumn has helped some of our hospital birds in their rehabilitation before release into the wild again.

Checking out the new lodgings

Over the Christmas period a new species spent some time in there. A young male Sparrowhawk (also known as a Musket to falconers) was put in the pen to gain fitness after an extended stay with us. He was brought in unable to fly after sustaining feather damage. Birds of prey replace their feathers very slowly, and a young Sparrowhawk won’t replace all of its juvenile feathers until it’s third summer. This means that any damage sustained in it’s first year can have a detrimental effect on it’s survival, as this species relies on it’s feathers being in tip-top condition to be able to hunt.

The grey adult feathers are better quality than the brown juvenile feathers, which can take 3 years to replace.

You may have been lucky enough to see a Sparrowhawk hunting, as they are now a fairly common sight in urban gardens, especially if you have a good population of garden birds regularly visiting your feeders. Sparrowhawks will map out the neighbourhood and know the best routes into the densest populations of small birds, such as House Sparrows, Starlings and Blackbirds. Females are significantly larger than males and can even take full grown Woodpigeons, which weigh about the same as them!

These hawks are capable of catching prey in the air, and their feathers enable them to be highly manoeuvrable in pursuit of their prey. They will also take small rodents and are excellent ambush predators as they use vegetation to get closer to their target.

As a young bird, the Musket will spend a week or so in the hack pen, to introduce it to the release location. The hack pen is designed with small gaps in the structure to allow prey animals such as mice and voles access, which should allow the Musket the opportunity to catch it’s own food. Our falconers will also provide food for it, and once the pen is opened, food will continue to be provided until we are certain the bird is no longer visiting, by using trail cameras.

The Musket will be able to hunt for rodents in a more natural environment before release.

Sooty the Tawny Owl

Some calls to our Raptor Hospital require a falconer to assist with bringing the bird in. We received such a call last week when a couple found a Tawny Owl in a bit of a predicament.

What Jess found when she arrived - Sooty was wedged into the flue with just her tail feathers poking out!

Sooty was found stuck in a flue behind a wood burner after thinking the chimney was a nice place to roost away from the cold. After being gently freed from the flue Sooty was covered in thick soot, so took a trip to us where we swiftly rinsed her off to avoid her ingesting too much more. She had to be cleaned several times to remove the soot from her feathers, but over the course of a few days her true colours started shining through!

It is quite common to find Tawnies in this situation at this time of year as they often use old hollowed out trees to roost in, so a chimney pot can look a very inviting and cosy place to roost! Unfortunately many get stuck and will get over encumbered with soot which can cause them endless issues - from eye irritation through to ingestion which can make them very sick. Even worse, if the chimney is in use smoke inhalation alone can cause their demise but luckily for Sooty the burner had not been used for a few weeks!

The best way to avoid this happening is to install caps on the chimney to stop wildlife getting in!

After a few days in an aviary for observation, to check she hadn’t ingested too much or caused any damage to her feathers, Sooty was ready for release!

Southwold Kestrel Release

Although birds of prey are a common sight around East Anglia, most people are fortunate to never find a sick or injured bird that needs our help. For Amy Falcon, this year has seen her bring in two injured birds to our hospital. The first, a hobby brought in over the summer, was unfortunately put to sleep due to the extent of it’s injuries. However, a few weeks ago we got another call from Amy, who had found a Kestrel on the road at Southwold.

Upon arrival, the adult female Kestrel was checked over by out falconers, who found no obvious injuries or swelling that would be associated with a road traffic collision. They did find a tiny wound on her leg, which was also showing signs of bruising. This suggests that she got in a fight with another bird of prey and came off worse, although was very fortunate to not be hit by a car!

Kestrels are commonly seen perching on posts or trees near roads, where they wait for rodents to make an appearance. Grassy verges are vital for wildlife and have been shown to connect otherwise isolated populations, creating a green network across the UK. However, living so close to fast traffic does come at a cost, as discussed in our blog over the summer:
https://www.owl-help.org.uk/blog/2020/9/7/the-dangers-of-roads

The Kestrel was a bit thin, although not starving, so she was kept in for some aviary rest and to be given a few decent meals of mice, which included some pain relief for her leg. After about a week, she was showing signs that she was ready to be released, so was delivered to Amy, who released her not too far from where she was originally found.

We would like to thank Amy, and all of the other concerned members of the public who call us about sick or injured birds of prey. Without your help these birds would not be provided with the care and medical treatment required to get them fit again for release, ensuring their survival.

Muddy Buzzard

We recently took in a rather bedraggled young Buzzard. It was found stuck in the mud of the River Orwell, having been mobbed by the resident pair of Peregrine Falcons.

When it arrived, the mud had congealed on to most of its tail and wing feathers, so our falconers carefully bathed it in warm water to try and release it. This needed to be repeated a couple of times as the water quickly got very dirty!

Once clean, the bird was checked over before being put in a warm box to dry off. It was discovered to have frounce, a yeast infection which causes pain and swelling to the birds digestive tract. This is easily treated with the right medication, and it was given the appropriate treatment.

The Buzzard is spending some time in our aviaries whilst being treated for frounce, and will be able to build up some weight in preparation for the coming winter before it’s released.

During the 60s and 70s, Peregrine numbers dropped drastically, but they have recovered well and are now found in many new areas, including urban areas such as Norwich and Ipswich. Peregrines are highly specialised aerial predators and can easily tackle prey as large as themselves, such as pigeons and ducks. It is likely that this was a young bird dispersing that drifted into the resident Peregrine territory and was therefore being told to clear off.

UPDATE - We were pleased to receive this video of the Buzzard being released somewhere slightly less muddy by the original finder.

Kestrel Releases

Our new Hack Pen has been well used in recent weeks. The first birds to use it were an adult male and a young female Kestrel, which came in separately but were released together after a few days to get used to the area around the Hack Pen.

We installed trail cams in the area to monitor if they were returning to the Pen to feed, because we continue to put food out for a week or two after release. The footage shows that the young female seems to visit frequently, but the male appears to have left the area.

Interestingly, some of the footage appears to show an older female, which was often seen when the falconers visited the area to put out food. We presume that this is her territory and she is taking advantage of the free food!

Following their successful release, the Hack Pen was in use again, this time with a single female Kestrel. She had been brought to us from a local vets after being found with a broken wing. She was kept in a small box to limit the amount of movement to allow her wing to heal, but she had other ideas! This fiesty bird was an expert at escape and was frequently found sitting on top of the box, despite our best efforts to keep her contained! This showed us that she was a fighter and we were confident that she would be a suitable candidate for release.

After a final vet check, she was placed in the Hack Pen for a few days to give her some space to build up muscle condition again. We opened the Pen last week and were very pleased to see her fly strongly out across the fields and even perform a small hover before disappearing from view.