Kim getting the Honey Buzzard ready prior to its release

The imprinted Tawny Owl

one of the baby Yellow-billed Kites being fed

Last month I reported on the arrival of our first baby Tawny Owls.  We now have eight in the nursery all doing very well. 

I was also pleased to write about the Honey Buzzard rescued from the sea off the Isle of Wight.  I hope many of you followed Spring Watch on BBC television and saw the feature they recorded in the hospital.  You will also have seen Kim releasing the bird back into the wild.

In addition to the Honey Buzzard and the baby Tawny Owls, we treated thirteen other birds.

• Two Buzzards. One in a very thin state and suffering from multiple ticks died not long after admission.  The other one from Southampton was in a very poor state, also with ticks. It was euthanased as it showed no prospect of improvement.
• One Peregrine Falcon was bought in with a serious open wound to its left wing.  This could not be treated and the bird was euthanased.
• One adult Kestrel and two babies were bought to us. The adult had an eye and head injury probably caused when it hit an object.  It was euthanased.  The babies are doing well and will be released back into the wild when they are able to look after themselves.
• Two adult Little Owls and two chicks have received treatment.  One adult came in cold and wet and did not recover. The other adult was uninjured but thin and was released back to the wild after a period of recovery.
  
  One of the baby Little Owls had a pelvic injury possibly following an attack by a dog and had to be euthanased. The other one was covered in ticks and was very weak and thin.  It is receiving treatment and doing very well.  We expect that it will eventually be released back to the wild.
• Three adult Tawny Owls have been bought to us. One had a  serious infection of Frounce, along with flies and maggots, and had to be euthanased. One is receiving treatment following a head injury. It is on medication and eyedrops and doing well.

The third Tawny Owl is a juvenile born back in May. It was found having fallen from its nest and has been looked after by the finder since then. Having been completely hand-reared, it is now very imprinted on humans and will not be able to go back to the wild.

If baby birds are found, they should be left alone or returned to their nest. If this is not possible, and they are birds of prey, they can be brought to us as a last resort.  They will be reared and treated in such a way that they can eventually be returned to the wild. The future of this bird is still to be determined.

Two eggs from Park birds have recently hatched. They are Yellow-billed Kites. The chicks are doing well..