Raptor Rescue.

I've just done the returns for Raptor Rescue, gathering all data on birds of prey through my hands for 2011.

There were 31 Tawny's, 11 Sparrowhawks,and a smattering of owls, Long Eared and Short Eared included.Also the odd Kite, 2 Peregrine, Marsh Harrier and one or two Buzzards just for a bit of variety, near enough 70 birds in all.  I've a fondness for birds of prey and Raptor Rescue is a charity run to help injured birds of prey find professional care with a strong desire to get them back to the wild.




One of the Barn Owls looking stunning and ready for the off,
always the best part of looking after wildlife.

Badger snaring

Missed out the badger story !
I've a big adult badger in found "sitting under a fence ".
This usually means the badger is fastened to the fence by a snare.
RSPCA Ins Geoff Emond was called out and had to search for this badger as the
directions were not very good. He found her next to a wood hunched up with a snare
around her neck and front leg. He graspered her before cutting off the wire leading to the
snare tight on her body. She was taken to the vets where Mike Jones knocked her out to
remove the tortuous wire cutting into her flesh. She's here now on copious amounts of antibiotic
with the hope of a good revovery. She's decided not to eat any processed food or ddolds but is tucking
into road kill pheasant and rabbit. So I am trawling the countryside looking for dead bodies.
I will let you know how she goes. SNARING SHOULD BE BANNED, I say it again and again.

Badgers, Owls and Otter.

On 15th February this juv Tawny owlet was perching out with its sibling in trees near York. It was fat and fiesty and doing well. How early must its parents have nested ? I left them looking thin and inscrutable and hope they survive.The land owner heard the parents calling them that evening.

I collected this adult Barn Owl after an rta.She was x rayed and found to have a badly dislocated shoulder joint and sadly had to be put to sleep. She was the most unusual colour, pure white apart from very faint ginger markings and deep blue eyes.









This sleepy otter cub was found on the road side near Kelk, East Yorkshire and taken into the vets. I went over to have a look and see what could be done. She had a badly broken back leg and was very flat. I took her carefully across for Andy at Battleflatts vets to examine. On close examination of her x rays we found she had spinal and pelvic damge and think a car had run right over her.She was quietly put to sleep.Putting a wild animal to sleep after exploring all possibilities should not be thought of as a negative. Difficult yes, but a kindness when the casualty would find the treatment long and stressful or would not survive in the wild.