First baby bird of the year.

This young Tawny was found on a wood floor at Bransholme, Hull this week.

He had a wing measurement of 98mm making him about 3-4 weeks old.

The parent birds must have begun nesting in the dark, extremely cold days

of the New Year.

He is just too young to be a "brancher" and must have fallen out of the nest hole.

They come out of the nest shouting for food and are still unable to fly. If they fall out

they can and do climb back up with talons and bill. I don't think he would have managed to get back.

He should rear well and be released back once he is a strong flyer and has good adult flight feathers.

Deer make difficult paitents in rehab. They are extremely skittish, shy and very nervous.

This adult roe buck was crossing a busy road and was clipped by a car. A following mini bus driver kindly stopped as the deer was laid out thrashing wildly.

He picked him up and laid him among the seats, he had no passengers at the time. After arriving here we drove straight to the vets and after a listen to his chest and an examination of his fine slim legs we decided to give him a go.

I laid him in deep straw in a small shed with a heat lamp and left him to rest. He was concussed , had a bloody mouth and a deep gash to one leg but didn't look too bad, only time would tell. He remained calm and slightly dopey the next day, he had swelling to one side of his face but was on his keel and looking ok. I hoped he would stand and start to look more active.

The next day he could stand on his back legs but one of his front legs was loose and not right. 

The vet called again and the injury to the front leg was just too severe and he was quietly put to sleep. 

Some you win, some you loose.

Little Swimmer

This beautiful otter cub was found calling loudly in the middle of the day on the banks of the River Swale.
She followed the movement of a horse and rider.
The river was in flood, the banking was close to a busy road and a popular dog walking area.
We can only guess as to why she was alone.
She settled into a pen with fresh trout and a hidy hole.

She stayed a few days and I took her across to The Chestnut Centre in the High Peaks in Derbyshire.

They have a very good record and tailor made facilites for caring for otters.
She will travel on to the New Forest in the next couple of days to join 2 other cubs for her rehabilitation.
This superb close up photograph was taken by Helen Jones.
Mike Jones, her husband, is one of the vets at Battleflatts , Stamford Bridge, York.
I have worked with Mike over the years and he has always been kind and supportive.
They holiday in Scotland watching, Otter, Pine Martin and White Tailed Sea Eagle.
Helen has a web site, http://www.jonesvetphotography.co.uk/ where she displays her wildlife photographs.

It's been a hard week with a savage badger persecution incident.
I have seethed with anger and hatred but have at last settled down, it's not good to be that angry.
Caring for wildlife is not always easy but spring is round the corner and I look forward ................

Badger Sett Disturbance

This was an active badger sett until agricultural contractors set to work. This sett was badly damaged last March. It has taken this long to get them into court. Sadly the case was dismissed this week after a 2 day trial.

The magistrated decided that as the contractors didn't know it was a sett then they were not guilty for recklessly destroying it.

By more good luck than judgement one entrance was left open, so any remaining live badgers could get out.

Within a day or two the entrance was enlarged by the badgers and lots of footprints were visible.

This badger sett is still in active use with 5 active badger sett entrances.

Very disappointing to get a not guilty but hopefully an experience not to be repeated.

The weather has warmed up and a Mute Swan,3 Mallard ducklings,5 Tawny Owls, a Little Owl and a Barn Owl ate well here and were safe in avairies during the very hard weather. All are out now , back to where they should be.

The hedgehogs do well and some have continued to eat through the winter.

Winter Wonderland.

Thin Barn Owls are coming in. This female lived only a few hours after coming in from Thornton Le Dale.Local farmers are finding them weak and downed. An adult Barn Owl weighs approximately 300g this bird was only 211g . To loose a third of its body weight meant it would not survive, I tried with warm rehyration fluid, heat lamps etc.

The birds in the garden are eating all before them and we've had this covey of Red Legged Partridge.

They are normally quite shy but must be finding the conditions difficult too.

The rehabbed female Sparrowhawk is still calling for food now and again. She seems to like posing on the washing line.

The 3 Mallard ducklings are well gown with flight feathers coming through.  They don't seem to mind the snow, paddling about on water once I've cracked the ice. They can go once the weather yields a bit.

I've a Barn Owl in from Sledmere she had a broken wing. She's recovered , is flying and eating well and can go out once it warms up a bit.

A rta Tawny came in from Wigginton Road , York who is also ready for the off once the ground warms up a bit.

I've hedgehogs large and small snuggled up in deep straw, they'll be here till spring.

Looks like its going to be a long winter.

Mallard Ducklings in October ?!

These 3 little beauties arrived this week from York, a bit late in the year but they should do well.

I've 4 Tawny Owls in, all found near roads , all doing well. One has a broken wing but in the right place so should heal ok.

A Sparrowhawk from Wiggington Road, York is nearly ready to go.

An adult Mallard arrived from Hull with a split bill , top and bottom, has been stitched and is healing well.

A Moorhen came in at 9pm last night with fishing line entwined tightly round a leg. We carefully picked at the fine fishing line and removed all before leaving the bird to rest. He's stood this morning and has eaten some cat food and mealworms so can go back tomorrow.

There are 8 hedgehogs in , mostly eating well and looking good.

I lost a swan this week that had flown into overhead power cables, such a big fine adult too.

He never recovered.

I've moved cygnets from gardens and road sides. The young birds of this year are being seen off by thier parents , which is normal for Mute swans.The cygnets hang about feeling confused and get into all sorts of scrapes. The key is to get them in with other non breeding swans and then all is well.  

The rehabbed female Sparrowhawk is still calling and looking much warier and wilder.

She is a big fine bird and flashes in and out sometimes taking the food I put out for her.



Badgers

Shot Buzzard Release

 

Here is the shot gun shot Buzzard on release.
She was released at Skipworth Common.
She was ringed and examined by Craig Ralston of Natural England
and Dave Tate, both experienced birders.
Her shot through flight feathers were a concern for me.
Both Craig and Dave thought the feathers were not too short and she should be a strong flyer.They i.d.'d her as a last years breeding female She was so keen to go and flew well across plough.

It's always good to get any injured bird rehabilitated.To return a deliberately shot bird of prey back to the wild is quite something.
My thanks to Craig and Dave for thier help.




Update.
I heard from Craig the day after release.
He had been on the reserve and saw 5 Buzzards doing thier familiar flying, circling and calling over Skipworth. Among them was the shot female her short flight feathers obvious to see,mega !