Back in May I reported on the arrival of our first baby Tawny Owls.  As you will see from the photographs below they are now fully grown and ready to go out into the wide, wide world of Hampshire.  They have been checked over and ringed. After release they will be monitored to ensure their ongoing progress.

In addition to the Tawny Owls, we have treated 21 other wild birds of prey this month.  This is more than most previous months this year.  These included :-

• Five Buzzards. Three were euthanased because of the severity of their injuries. One has bad feather damage and will be a long term patient in the hospital while he recovers (he cannot fly very well at the moment, which would mean he would be unable to feed himself). The fifth one had a very lucky escape when he was chased and licked by a herd of cows. He got over the shock very quickly and has been released back to an area near to where he had been found.
• We have seen two juvenile Peregrine Falcons bought to us by our friends from the RSPCA at West Hatch. The birds ended up falling down a chimney near their nest site. They are not seriously injured and are recovering well.
• Three Barn Owls have received treatment, all with various fractures and all unfortunately had to be euthanased.
• It has been the month for small birds of prey with five Little Owls being admitted. One had a serious case of Frounce and had to be euthanased. One came in covered in old engine oil and although treated, it died while at our vets. One is still receiving treatment and the other two were juveniles and have both been released.
• Only one Tawny Owl was bought to us.  It was very badly infected with flies and was euthanased by our vet.
• Five Kestrels have received treatment. All five were eithervery young or juvenile (the youngest was about three weeks old). One was putback into its original nest very quickly after falling out, one died while afteradmission, and three have now been returned to the wild.