Summer is here...as am I !!

Hello once again wild lifers!  Its Lynsey again, I am back for another summer spell at Stapeley! I cannot believe it is already over a year since I was last here, and once again our busiest time of year is in full swing!

Having arrived in May, things were off to a slower start than usual, with seemingly fewer admissions and quieter rooms. We put this down to the practically non-existent spring having impacted the arrival of many newborns.  However, now into July, the pace has really quickened and we are as busy as previous years.

 

Yesterday our new vet Bev had her work cut out for her, with the task of attempting to remove a fishing float from a cygnet’s oesophagus. It was well and truly stuck with decaying food lodged all around it, a pitiful and frustrating sight indeed. One can only imagine how miserable the signet had been since swallowing the float, made worse by the parents having been observed attacking the poor thing.

 

Having four other cygnets to care for, in nature it isn't uncommon for a weaker sick individual to be rejected by the parents. Rearing young is costly energy wise, so the input of caring for ones offspring should be of benefit to the parents e.g. healthy individuals have a greater chance of survival and ultimately, of passing on their genes in the future. A sick or injured animal may be weeded out, thus emphasising the Darwinian phrase of ‘Survival of the Fittest’.

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

 To donate to Stapeley text and our orphans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070

Successful Open Day at Stapeley Grange

The date of the Open Day finally arrived, the marquees and stalls were all setup then the rain came down!

However this did not deter the large number of visitors to come despite the weather. As a result of the fantastic turnout we were able to raise approximately £3800 which will be an enormous help to the Centre.  The raffle raised £918 with many thanks to staff from Barclays on the day and all the donations of prizes. The name of the spectacular dog was Heidi and she raised £80.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitors had a great time browsing the stalls, seeing the education department, playing games, watching the dog shows and choosing from the great selection of cakes.

The finale was the staff Archery competition which enabled us all to have a go with a photo of the Manager on the targets (it is not every day that you get to fire arrows at your boss!).

 

Huge thank you to everyone involved to make it all come together to be a success and to all who came along. The day raised much needed funds and awareness and we will look forward to next year!

 

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

 

To donate to Stapeley text and our orphans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070

 

 

Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery Open Day- Preparing for the big day!

Come join in the fun at Stapeley Grange Open Day Sunday 23rd June from 10:30 to 16:00.

After months of preparations the staff and volunteers at Stapeley are now busy sorting the finishing touches to have everything ready for the big open day event and getting very excited!

From preparing the centre to getting prizes and doing a bit of baking everyone is getting involved to make the day as much of a success as possible. It is all in aid to raise much needed funds for our Centres.

Do not miss the opportunity to visit the cattery, admire the education department and get a glimpse of the wildlife team in action. There will be various stalls, a fantastic tombola, activities for kids, a guess the name game, archery and lots of delicious refreshments. All of us at Stapeley have just as much fun as the visitors! There will also be dog shows as well as discounted micro chipping for dogs and ferrets.

Guess the name for the chance to win the cuddly dog!

We have had many generous donations of fantastic prizes for our raffle so a huge thank you to, Rookery Hall, Crewe Alexandra, Art of Framing, Cotebrook Shire Horses Centre, Trentham Gardens, Straight Up Comedy, Handmade Creations Nantwich, Bridgemere, Blue Planet Aquarium, Snugburys, Hanleys, Pillory House Nantwich, Chatwins, Cheerbrooks Nantwich, Gormet Cookshop Nantwich, Mr Simms Old Sweet Shop Nantwich, Magpie Cards Nantwich, Homemade Nantwich, Cafe Nero and our volunteers Lynne, Graham, Eileen and Jed.  

To see the event information see the link below http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/events or to find out more about the centre please see http://www.rspca.org.uk/inyourarea/detail/-/iya/Stapeley%20Grange%20Wildlife%20Centre%20&%20Cattery/About%20us/119/

Hope to see you there on Sunday!

 

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

To donate to Stapeley text and our orphans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070

 

The Hoglet that was left behind

It was first thing in the morning and I took a quick glance around orphan room to see if there were any new admissions and where to start from. A small incubator appeared to be empty but had an admission card on top for an unweaned hedgehog weighing only 41g, it had come in the previous evening. Unfortunately the nest had been disturbed so the mother had moved the other siblings to a safer place but sadly had left this individual behind.

Now in our care, I prepared milk formula along with the equipment to tube feed the hoglet his breakfast. It is a delicate task of followed by the delightful job of toileting. Well hidden under a nice piece of fleecy material the tiny orphan eyes still closed looked like a small sausage with spikes! Estimated it to be just over a week old I’m going to enjoy watching this hoglet grow until it no longer needs our care and can be released.

If you are certain a young hedgehog has been orphaned it is best kept warm and taken to an experienced wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible to receive the specialist care it needs. 

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

To donate to Stapeley text and our orphans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070

Nestlings and Fledglings: can you tell what it is yet?

Later than usual Stapeley is now getting a steady stream of nestlings, quickly filling up our incubators and generating lots of hungry mouths to feed, usually on an hourly basis.  The most common reasons for admissions are their parents being predated on and the nest being disturbed or destroyed.  Fledglings are also admitted but often they are brought in too quickly; we are always encouraging concerned members of the public to monitor the situation to make sure their parents are not around the corner waiting for those concerned to move on.

  

Nestling Blackbirds

Nestling Wood Pigeon

During the process of admission we identify which species the nestlings are, which can prove tricky at times. When presented with an alien looking tiny pink nestling they can all look very similar, a bird in its adult plumage is much easier to classify.  It is important to identify correctly in order to provide the appropriate diet and housing.  Key clues that help us determine the species is the size of the nestling, the beak shape, feather markings (if they have any!) also the location found and which birds are known to nest in the area. 

Their true identity becomes more obvious as they grow, although usually right we get the odd occasion when it turns out to be something different!  See how many of the nestlings you can correctly identify from the photos (without looking at the captions!).

Nestling Wrens

Nestling Magpies

Nestlings and fledglings need specialist care for the best chance of survival, it is best to take them to a Wildlife Centre rather than attempting yourself. Also you should avoid carrying out building work, pruning, tree-felling or hedge-cutting in spring and summer as this causes many nesting birds to be disturbed and nests destroyed while in use.

For more information and advice on young birds please see this link

http://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/faq/-/question/ENQWADFindingFledglingNestling/category/Wildlife/

Fledgling Black bird

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

To donate to Stapeley text and our orphans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070

Stapeley's orphaned badger cubs

At this time of year many badger cubs are exploring outside their den and learning new tricks. Over the past two months Stapeley has received six orphaned cubs, three were local from Staffordshire and Cheshire, the others from Northumberland, North Wales and the other was networked through RSPCA East Winch.  All were orphaned and many had had their mothers taken from them, victims of road traffic collisions.  When no one returns to feed them the cubs are often found weak and hungry and desperately trying to find food for themselves.  It is therefore imperative that they are brought in and cared for as soon as possible.  Unfortunately, one of the cubs was so weak that he had to be put to sleep.

 

When cubs are admitted it is important to obtain as much information as possible such as the exact location it was found, the more detailed the better. They are then weighed, checked over by a vet, blood samples are taken and any treatments they require administered.

One of the more recent cubs, a little orphaned female, was found next to her dead mother on the side of the road, which must have been very sad to see first hand.  In the wild the mother would wean them on regurgitated worms, I’m dedicated to my job but that is a bit far!  Therefore she was fed (a much nicer) meal of puppy chum and a bowl of puppy milk, three times a day.

Four of the five cubs have now been grouped together following a period of isolation. They are now found in the crèche shed where they are able to socialise.  This is off limits to most staff as we need to keep them wild.  Soon they will be released into a more natural setting, a paddock with an artificial sett and we hope to release them later in the year.  All our badgers are TB tested ensuring we are releasing TB free badgers.

                          

If you find a cub you believe has been orphaned, unless it is at risk or in urgent need of assistance, it is best to monitor the situation over at least 12 hours.  If your are concerned please call your local wildlife rehabilitator or the RSPCAs 24-hour cruelty and advice line: 0300 1234 999.

IMPORTANT: If you have not already done so please join the RSPCAs campaign to put a stop to the cull: http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/wildlife/badgers

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

To donate to Stapeley text and our orphans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070

Delightful Ducklings

Opening an RSPCA box with 9 fluffy yellow Mallard ducklings you cannot help but say aww despite knowing the work they are going to create!  

I set up an incubator with a couple of towels, a cuddly toy, food and water. Each orphan was checked over before all being put into an incubator with a cuddly toy to snuggle up to as well as each other in the warmth.

 So they do not spill or get soaked in water, ducklings get a special device called a hopper to drink from. However they still manage to somehow splash it everywhere!

They are also fed what we call chick crumbs which have the specific nutrients they require and are small enough for them to eat, they usually all race straight to the bowls the second you step away. You can see them pecking away in the video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIpaalihpd8&noredirect=1

These ducklings have now moved into a pen with more space which is the next stage in their rehabilitation. With 9 of them running about it does not take long before it becomes messy, and just like most youngsters they do not clean up after themselves!  
 

They are growing fast so it will not be long before they move outside into one of Stapeleys duckling pens.

As with all orphans it is important that it is certain they have been abandoned before bringing them into a Wildlife Centre. Often the mother will be waiting for you to move on before she will go back to them. With ducklings it is important they stay together and are not put on the water without their mother. 

 

 

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

To donate to Stapeley text and our orphans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070