Red Kite under treatment

Tawny Owl resting prior to release.

The last two months in the hospital have been quieter than expected, which has allowed the staff to get on with some urgently required maintenance and deep cleaning.

Seventeen birds came through the front door, covering a mix of the more numerous birds of prey.  They came from as far away as Dorset to just down the road from the Trust, and we saw a selection of ills and injuries.  Because of the severity of the injuries, thirteen of the seventeen birds seen either died or were euthanased.  The remaining four were released.  Four of the birds seen were detected as suffering with Frounce.  We saw several birds back in November 2006 with this condition.

Frounce is a highly contagious yeast infection of the mouth, throat and digestive tract.  It is often found in game birds and pigeons.  It shows itself with white spots in the mouth or crop.  These alone are not always enough to diagnose the disease.  Other signs can be head flicking, difficulty breathing, or even regurgitation of food.   It is almost impossible to treat, as wild birds are not usually found until the disease is at an advanced stage.

We have seen :-

• Five Buzzards, three with head, spinal and wing injuries, one with breathing difficulty and one with a bruised chest following a motor vehicle accident. These last two were released.
• Six Tawny Owls, two with Frounce.  Three had serious fractures.  Two were released after treatment and a short stay with us.  They had been referred via a vet and the RSPCA.
• One Peregrine with Frounce, who died soon after arrival.
• One Little Owl, who had been caught in a rat trap causing severe fractures.
• One Kestrel with a fractured left wing was euthanased.
• Two Barn Owls, one was unable to fly due wing damage and the other had Frounce.
• One Sparrowhawk came to us after being taken direct to our vet.  It was suffering from mild Frounce which was initially treated. The bird died after spending two days with us.

All our park birds have stayed fit and healthy during the last two months.

Breaking News.   As I write these notes, the first of the 2009 baby Tawny Owls has arrived. More about it (or them!) next time.