Stapeley in the snow

After all the weather warnings the snow finally arrived, with the knowledge I was going to be working outside I put on as many layers as physically possible!  With the snow still falling I made sure all our outdoor patients had plenty of food and water available- not covered over by snow or ice.

                          

    

Luckily the swans are on their pool most of the time preventing the water from freezing over, I think they are brave going for a swim in this weather!  One option for people at home is to put a ball on the water which can prevent the water from freezing.

                                

       

Although the snow has caused havoc, staff and members of public have remained undeterred battling through to bring in wildlife casualties unable to cope. Unfortunately the one thing that the snow does put a halt on is our releases until the weather improves to make the transition back into the wild easier.

                    

     

Wildlife needs help during these conditions. I had a flock of pigeons ‘hungrily’ follow me as I carried trays of seed out to the aviaries and witnessed a cheeky grey squirrel taking opportunity to help itself to some of the swan’s available food.  At Stapeley we have bird feeders (donated by CJ Wildlife) that we keep topped up, they very quickly get many grateful customers.

                         

 

If you also want to help the wildlife in your garden providing them with unfrozen fresh water, food such as seeds, fruits and nuts (unsalted) as well as garden waste can make all the difference.  For more information on how to support wildlife in your garden take a look at the RSPCA website: http://bit.ly/aLVAlH

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When captive Birds of Prey need our help

Among the many wild birds of prey admitted to Stapeley we are occasionally presented with stray, abandoned or mistreated captive exotic birds.  

An owner may lose their bird if it escapes from its aviary or slips from its tethers.  They are unprepared for survival in the wild with no idea of where to go or how to successfully hunt for live prey.  As a result they are frequently found weak or entangled by their falconry equipment by Members of the Public and brought in by the RSPCA Inspectorate teams.  A recent example was an Eagle Owl that was brought in, found in a barn, thin and with anklets on.   He is doing great now and the hunt is now on to find him a suitable home.

However it is not always accidental, some captive birds of prey are abandoned when the owners cannot cope financially or find them too difficult to handle. Birds of prey are difficult to look after, live for many years, require specialised diets, suitable housing and equipment, its not cheap.  The species vary in their specific needs, their carers therefore need experience and knowledge of their particular birds.

Unfortunately, there are also cruelty cases where often a lack of lack of knowledge or neglect has lead to the bird suffering, these cases are really sad.  

Ways we can identify a bird is captive are if it has a ring or equipment still on, is micro chipped and through its tame ‘non-wild’ nature.  If their owners can't be traced we find birds such as the Eagle Owl a place at an RSPCA approved facility where they can receive the required care needed.  Finding suitable homes is not always easy but we always get there in the end. 

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Can I see some ID please?

Many birds at Stapeley are fitted with BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) rings prior to their release.  The scheme enables information to be gathered on population trends, migration, longevity and survival via keen bird watchers and researchers around the UK and overseas.  For Stapeley, returning information helps us to monitor former patient’s survival in the wild.

   

Today I observed supervisor Andrew Smith fitting some of our swans with individually identifiable rings and taking measurements – all of which will be added to the main BTO database.  They were additionally fitted with a thicker coloured Darvic ring which allows them to be identified by observers from a distance in the field with minimal disturbance (swans also do not like being asked for ID!).

 

One case I am keen to hear about is one of the females we rung - due to her inexperience she had found herself stuck in pond ice but was luckily uninjured.  Now she is a good weight she will be released and support fed with three others at a private site, they will be free to fly away when they wish.  It would be great to get an update one day soon saying that she had paired up and produced some offspring.

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Christmas cheer at Stapeley..its hog time

You may have asked yourself what the Stapeley team do on Christmas Day?  Well it was work work as usual (feeding and cleaning) with the added festive cheer; the odd Santa hat, a few mince pies and the occasional Christmas carol along the corridor.

At this time of year hedgehogs and swans make up the majority of our admissions, all needing a helping hand through the winter.  We often get in hedgehogs that were born late in the year and are too small to hibernate; they therefore usually just need some feeding up - puppy chum, meal worms, and small dry dog biscuits usually works.  No turkey or mince pies for these guys.  We record how much each hog has eaten, its preferred food and monitor their weight daily.  This enables us to give the hedgehog more of the food it prefers and reduces waste (every penny counts!!).  We like our hedgehogs to be above 600 grams and the weather conditions fairly mild (above 5 degrees) for a 3-4 days before we release them and although there was an extremely cold stretch early December, the Christmas period has been quite mild allowing us to release a lot of our hogs.

It’s been a busy year for most wildlife centres around the country when it comes to hedgehog admissions; they have even pushed our pigeons of their usual number 1 spot,  as the most admitted animal to Stapeley Grange.

                                                                    

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Getting the Royal Seal of Approval!

Seal training at East Winch is all part of the training programme for new staff, as although they appear cute in the pictures they are actually quiet dangerous and can do serious damage.  We started with a tour, we met some of the seals; Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and a familiar face from Stapeley, and now a lot bigger, Prince William (can you tell what the theme is at the moment!).

 

We spent a lot of time observing to start with but soon enough, it was then our turn!  We started with the smallest, you would think that would be easy but nooo... they are still very strong and wriggly.  In some cases the larger seals were easier to restrain, I think being trained in contortion would have been an advantage!

 

Another part of our training was using a stretcher to catch and weigh seals to monitor their progress.   We finished the day with some more tube feeding, as they say ‘practice makes perfect’

Our time with the East Winch seals had come to an end.  Although we left with aching arms and legs, it has been great, a very informative experience.   Although we do not get too many seals at Stapeley, all staff need to know how to handle seals properly.  We still have lots to learn but this experience has been a fantastic introduction.

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Festive thank you to our volunteers

The Volunteers Christmas party was a fantastic opportunity to say thank you to all those who have generously given their free time and efforts over the year.  They play an essential role on a day to day basis; whether it is working with the animals, fundraising, helping in the office or outside with our maintenance guy, we could not do, what we do, without them!  With centres becoming busier and finances increasingly stretched we need their help more than ever.  

After feasting on a delicious buffet, our Manager (Lee Stewart), thanked those present and those not for all their hard work over the past 12 months and presented awards to a number of long term volunteers.  Some have helped for 5, 10 and even 15 years...now that is dedication.  They have put in so many hours of hard work they really deserve the certificate and medal. 

                           

I then took on the role of quiz master to put our volunteers and staff to the test.  It was a really fun night, seeing staff and volunteers outside the normal working environment.

I can’t thank the volunteers and students enough; I really enjoy working alongside them and getting to know them all.  If you wish to join are extraordinary team of volunteers please contact us: volunteer-stapeley@rspca.org.uk.  I look forward to seeing familiar and new faces next year.  

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Breaking a nail is a serious issue....for a Tawny Owl

I have always said that breaking a nail is a big deal however for a Tawny Owl it has far greater consequences.  A Tawny Owl had incurred relatively minor injuries from being clipped by a car but it arrived at Stapeley a little bit shocked, feathers a little ruffled, a few scraps and a talon missing from a toe on its left foot, a lucky escape by all accounts!

  

      

An x-ray was taken immediately to check for additional internal damage but nothing was found..fantastic news.  Minor wounds were then cleaned and the foot bandaged; he was then allowed to rest in a quiet box which we have available for owls in our isolation wing.  The following day, having had time to rest, the vet checked out his eyes carefully (which can be damaged in RTAs - road traffic accidents) but once passed fit (again - good news) he was flight tested.

Although he flew exceptionally well it was agreed he should be kept inside a little longer so that the talon could heal properly.  A few days later and he has now been transferred out to an aviary where he can prepare for a final release.  The talons obviously play an important role when hunting, so it is important that they are functional.  Imagine trying to dig into a steak with a butter knife!

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