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.