Michael preparing food for hospital patients

A very interesting year has gone by since I wrote an article for the Helping Hands page of the web site. As a volunteer spending most of my time in the Hilary Smith Hospital working with Mike Riley and the other Falconers, I get to see and help with the recovery of many sick and injured birds of prey. The birds come into the hospital from the wild and from the aviaries at the Trust. These often include new birds coming into the Trust’s collection.

My duties are varied but mostly involve preparing and distributing food to the patients, cleaning out recovery bays, administering medication and record keeping as well as general cleaning and maintenance. Care of the birds also involves trips to our vet in Andover where detailed checks or surgery can be performed.

Writing up patient records

This time of year the hospital is very busy with many young Tawny Owls arriving for care. These are kept in “nursery bays” where several babies are kept together so that they remember that they are Owls and don’t come to reply on Mike or myself as being their parents. They will be released later in the year once they reach adulthood as part of the Trust’s project being masterminded by Sam.

It still gives me a thrill to be able to take an injured wild bird of prey, once it has fully recovered, back to the area where it was originally found especially if the finder is able to witness the bird flying free again. About 43% of the injured wild birds we treat get released. I also go bird watching as often as I can and look up and maybe see Buzzards or Red Kites flying on the thermals and wonder whether they have been patients that have received treatment and are now enjoying their wild life again. It is a pleasure and a great privilege to be able to help out in the hospital.

Click here for previous Helping Hands articles