Sunday 17 April 2011

Peregrine Falcon



Ooh I love a big bird of prey.
This fine, male Peregrine was found sitting on a fence ,where he had been all night.He was taken into the vets at Beverely and brought here by a kind couple who also brought in a juv Tawny Owl.
They were both settled seperately in warm , quiet quarters after tube feeding.
The falcon had a proud wing with some swelling and heat on the elbow joint and was too quiet .
The juv Tawny was also thin and quiet and was left to rest.
The Peregine was rung with a metal bto ring and an orange darvik, quite unusual.
I rang the bto and they told me he was rung in the nest last year in Nottinghamshire.
He was soon eating but I was concerned about the wing and rang Andy Forsyth, vet at Strensall for some advice.
I took him in the following day where the bird was x rayed. There was no sign of shot , thank goodness and the elbow joint was not fractured.Andy is a very good experienced falconry vet, skillfull and realistic.
So home to rest with plenty of food and pain killers.
Keeping a wild bird of prey content and resting is often difficult, but we managed it.The swelling went down and the bird remained calm and he kept his feathers in good condition.
He stayed a fortnight and then went for release.
Nerve racking as I hoped he would fly well, I'd tried him in an avairy and he flew from perch to perch.
He flew low from the hand and improved the further he flew.He swooped up into a dark, quiet wood close to where he was found. I hoped he would rest there and gather his bearings.

The juv Tawny didn't do so well , he would not eat so was tube fed and went onto meat .
He seemed to be doing well but was found dead one morning in the I.C. box.

I have 11 Mallard ducklings under a heat lamp, eating, swimming and talking a lot !
The first baby garden bird is here, a juv Blackbird, very well and should have been left for his parents rear
but .........
The over wintered hedgehogs have gone I just wish it would rain, more food for them if it did.



Thursday 7 April 2011

Home Sweet Home.

This adult sow was found hiding under a car on the drive way of a rural house. She was collected by the RSPCA and taken to Battleflatts Vets ,Stamford Bridge.
After x rays and examination she came here for rest and rehabilitation. She had pusy infected ears, her eyes were sunk in her head from dehydration and she was far too compliant !
She was given antibiotics, lots of food and left to rest under a heat lamp.






She laid doggo for 2 days, eating all before her and sleeping rolled up in deep straw.
If left alone, fed well and unharassed badgers will switch off and heal well.
She was ready for release a week later.
 There was some stubborness on her part to enter the travelling box, but after some firm cajoling with a board she stepped in and was ready for travelling and release.

The kind householder that found her joined us in my car for a look round the area.
Badgers are very territorial and must be put back very close to where they are found. It was dusk with a bit of traffic still about.A field away from the original site was a lovely badger path leading into a scrubby dark wood.
As I lifted her in the box, she raised her head, drinking in the smell of home.
She stepped smartly out of the travelling cage before I had fully opened the door. She took off along the badger path at speed, for the familiarity of home.
Always the best bit of rehabilitation.

The first Mallard duckling is here along with a baby Robin, 2 juv Tawnies and a rta adult Tawny.