Red-backed Hawk Mace This last month has been very busy in the hospital at the Hawk Conservancy Trust, where we have treated a total of thirty-six wild birds, thirteen of which were baby Tawny Owls. We also have seven baby park birds and one Red Backed Hawk named Mace. They have all kept us on our toes and very busy.

Barn owl receiving treatment

Because of the severity of the injuries that the adult birds had sustained, fourteen of them were unable to be successfully treated. They were:-

• Two Barn Owls with leg fractures
• Three Little Owls, one with pelvic injuries, one was wet and very weak and one died very soon after arrival.
• Seven Kestrels, including three which were euthanased at the vets' surgery because of severe head, shoulder and leg injuries, one with a suspected fractured wing and one with a bad leg break.
• Two Buzzards have received treatment but both had leg and head injuries. One of them may have been electrocuted.

Hannah, one of the work experience students, prepares and weighs a Tawny Owl before it was released

We have released four birds back into the wild. One was a Little Owl back to Porton Down near Salisbury which had come to us in a wet and very thin state. Also two Kestrels, one from the meadow at the top of the park (one of the breeding pair). It may have had an infection or slight poisoning. It recovered well. The other one came from Farnham in Hampshire following a glancing blow with a car. Again it flew off well.

A Buzzard was released back into the wild having arrived with us very wet and suffering from concussion, and a Tawny Owl locally to the park.

Also a Kestrel came to us with equipment on its legs. It was found near to Highclere Castle and was a captive bird which had been flown at a display, got lost and was not able to find food. The owner was traced and was pleased to collect the bird.

Baby Snowy Owl hatched 12 June

We are still treating one Barn Owl that is having difficulty in flying, three juvenile Little Owls that will stay with us until they can fend and feed for themselves, and a Kestrel with a wound to its left wing. The Barn Owl and Kestrel are receiving medication.

We have thirteen baby Tawny Owls all doing well. They will go back into the wild as part of the ongoing project started two years ago to monitor them when released.

We have one park adult bird, Mace a Red-backed Hawk who has an infection that is being treated with daily medication.

The nursery is still busy. The three baby Harris’ Hawks are still growing well and are now in an outside aviary. We have two baby Yellow-billed Black Kites, one Burrowing Owl and one Snowy Owl baby, hatched on 12th June.