Summer time.......

 

 

 Juv Sparrowhawk from the Minster Gardens, York growing and eating well.
I just love Sparrowhawks and he's a little beauty, won't be long before he's off.

 

Little Owl from Potter Brompton found on her back flicking in a lay bye. She had a bruised wing and thigh. She went back successfully this morning

 

Lots of hedgehogs in ,thankfully all eating well and thriving. These 4 came from Dunnington and are now out in a rabbit hutch and doing well. 6 released in hedgehog friendly gardens.Please put out cat food and a bowl of water during this dry warm time , just helps them out.

 

 

 Marbled White butterfly on the hill behind the house.

Good Deed of the Day !

 I was called out this morning to my old friend and his family from Beck Mills,the Mute swans were on the move. They were seen on one of the side streets on Welham Road trying to get to the River Derwent. They do this every year trying to reach the river ,as the cygnets have yet to grow flight feathers , they walk them down the busy road. A local man had seen them and he came with me to round them up. I caught the adults first and sat them in the back of the car. The 9 cygnets were put in throught the side doors so no one escaped !

They hold a constant conversation throughout reassuring each other.

I took them straight to the river , 11 swans in the car is quite something ! Makes me smile , they are quite accepting once you get hold of them.

I carried the adults one by one and then armfuls of cygnets. The adults call and the cygnets reply as they family are reunited. Once all are together and water born again the party sail off without a care to continue there wild life on the River Derwent.

All very satisfactory .

 

 Just released this little clan of Bullfinch, their nest was disturbed and they came for finishing off. They did well and have gone out today fingers crossed for them.

 

 

All Sorts



 

A last years female Peregrine Falcon was found downed at Duncombe Park by Charlie Heap of ICBP. He gathered her up and I went for a look. She had a badly broken wing and after x rays etc she was put to sleep, shame,she had flown hard and fast into something .Do visit Charlie at his falconry centre at Duncombe Park he has some stunning birds.

A box full of Mallard ducklings reared here , 22 in all ,released at Bank Island, Wheldrake.

 

 

 

A badger was found sleeping in a flower border at a B+B at Cropton. I went out with grasper and carrying box and took her straight to Battleflatts vets Strensall. Mark the vet gave antibiotics and I brought her home . She was very thirsty and drank and drank in front of me, humbling , her thirst must have been very strong.She had badger fight wounds to her rump and neck and was stoddy with infection. She was laid dead in the pen next morning, we tried.

 

 

 

 

 

MY old friend the adult male breeding swan has a fine new family on Beck Mills pond.

We have travelled together he and I on lots of occasions. I once lifted him and his wife and 7 cygnets off the main road as he taking them to the river amongst skippy racehorses and big lorries. I put him on the River Derwent and he sailed off his family still complete !

He came in for rehab this last winter after hitting over head cables(see previous blog)with a droopy wing . I put him back after a fortnight and didn't see him for months.

He is rung and has a small hole in the webbing of one foot.

So am so pleased to know he thrives and his off spring are looking grand.

 

A young Jay came in over the weekend, fit , loud and bouncy. I kept him overnight , fed him well and put him back.

 

 

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.........

 
 

This big beautiful blonde Buzzard was found downed near a stream in Farndale, North Yorkshire.

She had an injured wing ,the bones splintered and sticking through the skin.

She was examined , x rayed and put to sleep at Battleflatts vets at Stamford Bridge, York.

The x ray clearly shows a shotgun pellet did the damage and this fine protected bird of prey was illegally taken out by a local Farndale shooter.

The North Yorkshire Police and the RSPB were informed and investigations are on going.

The RSPB have put up a £1.0000 reward, I fear their money will be safe as these things are extremely difficult to bottom. We all think our own thoughts and know in all probability would did this, but proving it is another matter.

Shame on them.

I had another Buzzard downed found between Pickering and Malton. She was weak and suffering from multiple abcesses , her lungs/air sacs were full of pus and she was put to sleep.

Looking at her flight feathers were the tell signs of shotgun pellet notches through the barbs

of her feathers, if you look for bird of prey persecution you find it .

 

 

A big old boar badger was found in the back yard of a house in Kirbymoorside. RSPCA Ins Geoff Edmond was called out to collect him and he was examined by Andy Forsyth at Battleflatts vets at Strensall. He needed antibiotics for fight wounds and was brought here to recover. He ate well, bounced about on boxing and was taken back home. Chris Peacock who knows the setts in the area came with me on the release. We went mid way between 3 setts not knowing which one was home for him. He didn't need to go far and shot off , he knew exactly where he was going , straight to ground and home.

 

I've been out badger watching and saw 3 grand fat badger cubs carefully watched by their Mum.

 

 

The tired sea birds being cared for by Tod German at Scarboro Sea Life Centre were successfully released at Bempton Cliffs. Well done to Tod for his care and determination to get it right for these lovely birds.

Spring ?

 Before........

 

A skinny badger was being fed by a kind farmers wife near Scarboro. He was sleeping rough in the buildings and had badger fight wounds to his rump and neck. The RSPCA collected him and he arrived here after being seen by Mike Jones, Battleflatts vets. He ate well, was given antibiotics and rested up under a heat lamp.

 

 

After.........

 

He was ready for release and was boxed up for his return. He's put on weight, looked clean and rested

and we took him home. The farmers son took us up the fields which was in the middle of 3 different setts.

 

Gone..............

 

He lifted his head and drank in the smell of home as we lifted the box from the car. We had to tip him out where he ran down hill for home. His sett was on the sloping woodland in the release picture. To get there he followed the cover of the hedgerows and we saw him in the gaps going fast and strong for home. Lovely.

 

 

 

 Bella with 2 leverets , the first of the Spring youngsters. They've been joined by 2 Mallard ducklings and 2 baby rabbits.........so it begins !

 

This newly woken hedgehog was found in a fen trap and came in for some food and assessment. He's doing well and can go out this week. The circumstances of his capture are being dealt with by the North Yorkshire Police.

 

 

I cared for a tired thin Guillemot found beached after heavy storms in the North Sea. Tod German at The Sea Life Centre, Scarboro' had some taken in too. I took mine to him so they could be cared for together. Tod does a superb job with them and here they are looking good in a sea water pool .

He was caring for 6 Guillemots, a Razorbill, a Puffin and a skinny Gannet.

 

 

Here's RSPCA In Geoff Edmond, me and Tod,  looking over the sea birds being rehabbed .



Variety is the Spice of Life.


Another rta otter cub , she was 3.1kg and knocked near Skerne, Driffield. The finder and local police took her to vets at Bridlington. She was knocked out and had lost a canine tooth and had a badly broken front leg. Otters will not tolerate any external fixations on breaks so she was sadly put to sleep.








 
 

                                                                                      
This big badger was found sat in an open shed near Lockton. He had badger fight wounds to the rump and neck . I managed to box him and he was seen by the vets who prescribed a course of antibiotics. He fared well, ate up and I managed to inject him every other day. He returned to his territory in the snow and frost. His claws tip tapped on the cold hard ground as he belted off back to his sett.
 

I was traveling back on the Stamford Bridge road where a rta dead pheasant was being eaten by this male Kestrel. He was then run over by the car in front of me, right place right time. He was rolled over and was stunned and flicking. I gathered him up and took him straight to the vets where Mike Jones gave him steroids to counter the shock. He came home and rested and fed well . He was released back and flew well into nearby woodland.

 

This Tawny was caught up in fishing line and had a bruised wing. He came for some quiet time , fed well and was released back.

 

 

I have been in court again as badger expert witness. 4 men were caught near Harewood digging an active badger sett last June. We got there in the end and they were convicted. I wish the punishments were more realistic but a guilty is a guilty. These men are well known in Leeds ,I always hope they will learn a lesson from being in court but.............

 

We need some sunshine and warm weather, it is cold, frosty, bitter wind and snow flurries, spring is on hold, roll on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And another ......................

During the freezing snowy weather this little otter cub was found close to water in a stack yard. She was taken in by the householders and had rather an exciting 5 days in their care ! She fell full length down a spiral staircase, was watched a bit too closely by the family dog and was fed on tuna steak and pilchards.
She began to look unhappy and thankfully I collected her for some tlc. I took her straight to the vets and she was re hydrated and given antibiotics.
I whizzed up some fish in a blender which she ravenously tucked into.
She needed some peace and quiet and I left her to rest in a warm shed with heat lamp and a warm fleece lined box. She had a fine set of teeth and was soon fuffing at me to keep my distance, she was soon on raw whole trout .

Her tail didn't look right and I took her for the vets to look at. Her tail had some kind of injury , either frost bite or trauma and she had to have an operation to remove the dead tissue. Mike Jones the vet loves otters and made a wonderful job of the procedure. I'd spoken to Ed Heap in the New Forest and he reassured us that a wild otter can manage with a shortened tail.
She soon came home and was tucked up safely again in the warm shed. She was on antibiotics and continued to eat well. He tail was dry, clean and healed well. I took her down to The Chestnut Centre once the snow had thawed and she is soon to join the others in the New Forest for rearing. Hopefully they will return in 2014 for release.

I've just released back 5 rta Tawnies and a Barn Owl all brought in after being found on road sides.
They must have been hunting for food in the hard weather and been clipped by cars. 2 more Tawnies and Little Owl didn't make it.

The over wintering hedgehogs are doing well, some eating still, others sleeping .
The days are getting longer so roll on some fine weather.