NEWSLETTER NO 2 SPRING 2008
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE BIRDS OF PREY
FOR
LITTLE ORCHARD FARM EARDISLAND HEREFORDSHIRE HR6 9AS PHONE 01544 388 777 EMAIL JPJ@ICBP.ORG
WWW.ICBP.ORG Edited by Jemima Parry-Jones MBE
WHAT’S NEW
Well, almost anything here at Eardisland. Below you can see the Indoor Flying Hall built and full of birds, and hopefully, eventually, empty of birds and ready for flying indoors
I have held up the sending of this because I had hoped to be able to celebrate with you all the fact that the planning application had been granted. We had a planning meeting today with the local councillors. It was an interesting time; one of the objectors actually stopped the meeting with his behaviour and everyone left at one point. I guess it’s one they will not forget. However the sad thing is that the decision has been delayed by another month as all the councillors are coming on a site visit. This of course has knock on effects for all of us, not least the birds. But we will do our best to let them all know what a special place this will be and hope that sense prevails—watch this space!!!!!!!!!!!!!
REHABILITATION The Centre will always accept injured wild raptors as we did at Newent, and I strongly believe that if you are open to the public you can’t turn them away. They do carry a cost, sometimes high and can be time consuming, but oh how very worthwhile when they are safely released back to the wild. There is a school of thought that rehabilitation is a complete waste of time. That many birds will not make it through their first year, and if they have failed once, the chance of success is even less. However it is defeatist not to try and it is without a shadow of doubt thanks to the many injured wild birds around the world that we know so very much about surgery on birds, care and convalescing, ema-
bird of prey just up the road. So I stopped what I was doing, we hopped into my car and drove about three miles to just outside Leominster and there on the verge was a very sick looking Kestrel. After a slow approach to make sure that the bird did not fly or move into the traffic, he allowed himself to be picked up. Joylon, who had found him, held him while I drove back to ICBP. As yet we are not geared up to manage injured wild birds, so I ran next door and borrowed a hot water bottle. On examination the bird was a juvenile male of the year, he was desperately thin, but other than that there was not anything apparently wrong. However he was not long for this world in that state of emaciation unless we moved very fast. We wrapped him up, put him on the hot water bottle and took him straight to the vets. They did very well, put him on fluids in the warm and dark, and he was looking much more alert once he had warmed through. Often it is the speed you can get to them and get things moving, also warmth to stop them losing vital energy keeping up their body temperature, that makes the difference between life and death. It is not a sound idea to take too long to collect them, or leave them in a box to await treatment, it needs to be done swiftly. Two weeks on he was getting bouncy in the kennel, so I collected him from Bromyard Veterinary surgery and with some shuffling of birds, was able to put him in a reasonably sized pen for a few days flying before release. We then just had to wait for the weather to improve. On arrival he weighed 130grams, nearly half what he should have weighed, when he went he weighed 220 grams. Three days later the weather, although windy and a little damp, was warm so we decided to release him. I phoned Jolyon and he and his wife drove up. We took the kestrel back to where he had been found, getting a little away from the road Jolyon released him. He immediately flew off up wind and then turned down wind and within a few seconds was up at over 400 feet and flying strongly. It was a nice end to our first wild raptor to be rehabilitated and we all wished him luck for getting through the winter.
ciation and a hundred other topics that we have learned from these patients over the years. So in that alone they have had and will continue to have a huge contribution and value. Even more they have a value in terms of awareness and education. When someone finds a bird and cares enough either to bring it in or find help for it in some way, that in itself leads to more caring of wildlife. If they can be involved in the process of recovery and release, then additional good is done in terms of education and PR. In November a local villager came into our slowly evolving Centre. It was freezing cold and had been for several days. He said that he had found an injured
THANK YOU ALL Sometimes it is really nice to thank people by name for all they have done, and I have a huge list of people on two continents that I really feel I need to name and thank. If I do this in order of events as they happened I hope I will forget no one, if by chance I do, please let me know and forgive me: •
Firstly are all the people who so kindly contacted me after I had written to everyone on my email address list on March 15th 2006 telling them that I was forced by circumstances to try to return to the UK. I am not able to name all as there were too many, but just to tell them that their support, and the welcoming comments from those in the UK and the disappointed comments from those in the US, helped me a great deal. Thank you all. •
The dangerous and despotic (!) team of people who helped me move my stuff after I had been so kindly evicted by the bird of prey center from my trailer in the US
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Then there are those who tried very hard to find somewhere within the US where I could safely take the birds if I could not do the move home.
Dick and Eva Fitzgerald, Steve Hein, David Hitzig, Tom Cullen and the National Aviary. Thank you all. Next come those who helped so much to look for a property in the UK., drove miles looking, put me up, lent or hired cars for me and gave huge support Mick Cordell, Linda Wright, Gavin and Jess, Mary and George Rosevear, John and Alison Loram, Jim and James and Sue French, Linden Alcock, Nichola McAuliffe, Alice, and Amanda Simpson, Jan and George, and Miranda Stevenson Thank you all.
Then all those who dog sat for me so I could leave the US to travel to the UK property hunting. These people are also on the next list, which is those who helped me to get ready to leave in the run up to June 13th and pack up the birds on the day of leaving. Marshall Allen, Jim Leyman, Marjorie and David Rath, Linda Flanagan, James and Cynthia, Clau dine, Louis and Emily Herodote, Kari and Jeff Cone and Max Duffie, Jessica Edwards, Stuart Forrest, Jay Middleton, Todd Katzner, Shannon and Keith, Bruce and Bob Morris, Eva and Dick Fitzgerald, Lavonne and Joe, Billy Gunion, Rob Morris, Iona, Steve, Mary Catherine, Nedra Hecker, Robert Allen Lee Glen, Melissa Hughes, Nadara, Steve Bleezarde, Sheena, Irene, Erin, Bev Ballow. Thank you all.
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Next comes those who were waiting as we arrived in the UK to help get us back to Hereford, care for the dogs, and help to unload all the birds. Also the BA team for flying us home. Philip Knowles and the James Cargo team, The AQS team and Liz Shickle, Jim and Sue French, Mick Cordell, Charlie Heap, Pete Hale, Joe Rose, Ruth Tingay, Annie Gower, Mary Rose, Amanda Simpson, Simon Brough, Linden Alcock, Tony Butcher, Duncan Jennings, Linda Wright, David Ridpath, Kate Taylor, Kerry Flamank, Martin Flamank, Neil Forbes, Aiden Dryden, Alasdair Greenyer, John Crooks, Chris Roberts and Len, Tanya and partner, Nathan Sandford, Sharron Boul ton Thank you all.
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Following them are those who have continued to help me with the birds and a myriad of jobs here at Eardisland, plus looking after and walking the dogs. Mick Cordell, Robin Pote, Kate Taylor, Linda Wright, David Ridpath, James Duffie, Rob, Kath, Carolyn, Melissa and Steve, Charlie Hanson and family, Reg Good. Thank you all.
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I have to thank my neighbours who have not only looked after me personally and fed all the builders and volunteers at lunch since November, but embraced having a bird of prey Centre almost surrounding them. Barbara and Walter Jones
Thank you. •
I need to thank Martin and Kerry Flamank for taking on the veterinary responsibility of the collection, and Neil Forbes for continuing to be the consultant, and whom I know works closely with Martin, both of them giving the collection superb veterinary cover. Thank you all.
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Also assisting with the health of the collection is Health and Hygiene, whose product F10 not only cured the yeast infection in Mozart’s eye, but also helps to keep cuts and bruises healing with the F10 ointment. info@healthandhygiene.co.za - John Temperly Thank you.
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Feeding the collection for the first three months., Honeybrooks. Thank you both.
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My builders, who have worked in awful weather to get the first two buildings up and the aviaries moved from Hereford to here. Mick Cordell, Mark and Verner, and Stuart and Tim Thank you all.
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Those people in Eardisland who kindly gave me their encouragement, and their acceptance of a world class public facility to the outskirts of their beautiful village, and their kindness to me since I arrived.
Thank you all.
Some people from both continents gave financial assistance and I have to say that with the financial struggle I am facing it has really helped. As I am not sure if they want to be named, I have not done so here, however to all of you - thank you so much, and I promise to use all funds wisely, in ways that I think you would approve In all well over a hundred people gave up their time, spent their own funds, gave encouragement and help. Without them I could not have managed. Thank you all so very much, you are part of the reason that I am fighting this uphill battle to create a new Centre for the birds, the public, and for you, and of course the dogs! Lastly and most insignificantly are the people I have no intention of ever thanking for their obstructive un-help and quite staggeringly appalling behaviour to me and the dogs, and the incredible lack of care for the birds and their welfare, whilst in the US. I look forward to exposing them and their behaviour in my book, which is going well and has publishers interested.
Onwards and Upwards— Linda Wright I first met Jemima four years ago when, toting a brand new camera, I went to her Newent Centre to photograph the birds. The weather was incredibly cold and I remember being impressed at the resolve of someone who would conduct a flying demonstration in a biting east wind, wearing wellies and a skirt!! That encounter led to a spell of voluntary work during those six months when all focus at the National Birds of Prey Centre was on leaving the UK. How much I regretted that departure and how little I imagined
more we have gatherings of enthusiastic photographers. Although the weather in the UK is unpredictable and the light levels can sometimes be a challenge, the fun and camaraderie that comes from making the best of those wonderful demonstrations is hard to beat. I visited Mima twice in America. The light was amazing in the spring time – colours were intense, and the air was clear. I enjoyed watching the flying – when birds and staff alike were being trained for local events, but there were never any visitors in South Carolina that add so much to the excitement of a day. Like many others in the UK, I am sorry that things have been so tough for her, but thrilled that Mima has at last returned. We wish her all the luck in the world and look forward to the opening day of the new ICBP. __________________________________
What’s Next?
Well that rather depends on a couple of factors, the planning application and the finances. Just to give you an idea of costs so far. The rent for the warehouse was somewhere around £60000 for the ten month period, that counted the rent, rates, insurance and power. It did not count the diesel costs for driving about 21000 miles getting there and back twice a day. The quarantine quarters cost £33000 to build. The planning application cost around £26000 with surveys, plans, applications, and so on. The first two barns cost £119000, which did not count planning costs and inspections. Wages have been over £10,000 so far for the builders and so the costs go on. ONE OF LINDA’S AWARD WINNING PICTURES—NOT A RAPTOR FOR A CHANGE that in this, the next Olympic year, I would be working along with many of the old staff towards the future of an even bigger and better UK centre than that planned in the US. In the intervening years, I pursued the photography of raptors with a passion and began to enjoy success both in competition work and other publications. The first win was sponsored by KLM and Canon and the picture of Sole the albino Kestrel belonging to Jemima featured in all KLM inflight magazines for three months. The prize, a nice camcorder, was used only this afternoon to record Mima’s thanks and acceptance speech for two Awards that she and Mozart have won in America… In the meantime, the pictures of her birds have appeared in three books, several UK magazines and a feature calendar for 2008. It is so nice to see the birds all home again and I can’t wait for the time when they are out flying, and once
The planning application was going well until a few local people objected, so it is now held up until a planning meeting on April 9th, so cross your fingers that it goes through. If it doesn’t, then I am not quite sure what my plans will be at that point! The funding is and has been difficult. Some funds that should have been through by now are not and that is causing some considerable stress. I have to admit to an increasing number of nights waking up at 3.00am, and not getting back to sleep that night.. IF the planning goes through and the funding comes good, then we start on the groundwork. We have to move around 9000 tons of soil and put down 5000 tons of scalpings to make a base for the paths and aviaries. Once that is started then the buildings can start to come. I hope that once the first aviaries, Hawk Walk and carpark are up this will allow us to open and that will
mean that funds are coming in. I have earned no money since March 2007 and the wages that I received then from the bird of prey center in South Carolina were a joke and went long ago on living and moving the birds back here. I have to say on a personal note that this has been tougher than I would have thought possible, nevertheless I hope we will get through it. It is a joy to be handling birds again, we have three kites, three eagles, three falcons and two Harris Hawks out, it is two years since I have flown birds. I was not allowed to fly any of my birds for the last lovely year in SC and since I got back it only became possible by the end of March. That is the longest period I have not flown birds since I was 15. The board and staff of the bird of prey center in SC have a great deal to answer for.
A winter morning in Eardisland at Christmas
I have three quotes for all the groundwork and three for the buildings, I am waiting to hear from the Electricity company about moving the poles and making a very nasty transformer safe for the birds. We have missed the planting season for bare root trees thanks to the objections, which have in that respect actually been counterproductive, because if it had all gone through in early March, there would have been semi mature trees already in place and starting to act as screening, so we
have lost a whole growing season. A few friends have called and one is going to help me to build up the owl collection again, and pair up those birds who lost mates. It’s very special to me when people are that supportive and it bodes well for the future. The sheep and lambs have now gone and we have removed all fencing so we can safely fly birds here. There is a tremendous amount to do all reliant on funding. Kate and I are going to meet a funding expert next week to see what we can do in the way of grants and such like. Birds are well and we have eight pairs on eggs, so hopefully we will have a few young this year. Dogs are fine and the walks round here are lovely.
Lambs can never resist a mound so we are planning on building some
The new cafÊ extension and education building—full of birds temporarily!
CURATORS COMMENTS—Alasdair Greenyer Well with spring rapidly approaching, watching the countryside slowly starting to blossom with a vibrant mix of colours subtly appearing in the fields and hedgerows, I have been asked to write an article for the latest edition of the newsletter. I have now been directly involved with the creation of the ICBP since the end of November, and I believe the changes have been vast, some obvious, others not so obvious, but all significant. In this short space of time, presentations have been, well, presented, buildings and aviaries have gone up and come down, we have had our first successful wild raptor admission and release, as well as television and media coverage, births and deaths. All of which come with the inevitable highs and lows that are to be expected from such an undertaking. Albeit feeling slow at times, progress is being made and we are moving forward in the right direction.
Alasdair putting sand in the temporary aviaries!
As I write, we finally vacated the quarantine quarters at Rotherwas, which in itself is both an achievement and significant step forward. This building served its purpose as the birds were kept safe and well, passing through their quarantine period with ease. The downside of course, being the twice daily trudge through rush hour traffic to care for the collection, of which I only had to endure for three and half months, and then not every day for that matter. I am not a natural commuter at the best of times, and evidently nor are others, this would often make the day’s a challenge before the work had actually be-
gun. From previous newsletters you may be aware that through this, life for the birds carried on as usual, as it tends to do with wild animals. New lives began in the unusual surroundings of the warehouse with the barn owls successfully breeding and rearing a clutch of young. They now continue, it appears endlessly, to lay eggs in their new home at Eardisland. More importantly the Eurasian Griffon Vultures have also laid eggs in the warehouse and even more to our surprise, fertile ones at that. Bearing in mind that we really aren’t geared up for Mugwort—a very special breeding this year they sadly did not hatch. Sad as this is, Lady the very fact that they laid fertile eggs to begin with can only be taken as a positive sign for next year. Now all the birds are on site we have been able to add nest ledges and boxes to some of the aviaries. We now have one of the pairs of Black Eagles and the pair of Steppe Eagles are on eggs. We also have at least six Kestrel eggs, and ‘Sole’ (the Albino Kestrel) has laid seven, but is on her own. We also have five pairs of owls on eggs so we wait patiently for the first successful breeding at Eardisland. Sadly, following the natural circle of life from its beginning to its end, with the potential for new life comes the possibility of its loss, highlighted recently by the sad and sudden death of ‘Mugwort.’ Although of fine age, it is never easy when a cheerful character such as ‘Mugwort’ is no longer there for a quick ‘chat’ in the morning, as well as a little favouritism and bribery. An excellent foster mum for wild orphans, it appears another hole has opened that can never be filled. ‘Mugwort,’ 1990 – 2008. R.I.P. After the recent successful return to the wild of a Kestrel, our first wild bird admission, this week saw four of us called out to try and assist yet another bird. However this was not what I was first expecting as the phone call came in. The gist of the call had us bolting a cup of tea and a slice of toast whilst we gathered suitable pieces of kit. The subject of the call, not a buzzard or kestrel as one may have expected, but a Parrot none the less! Well for the best part of an hour, Jemima, Mick, Dave and I all merrily raced around an estate at the back of Eardisland trying to capture this parrot.
I’m pleased to say that no one was about with a video camera or I think we could have made some extra cash courtesy of ‘You’ve been framed!’ Just ask Mick next time you visit about chasing it down the drive! Though we were unsuccessful in our efforts, within a few hours one of the neighbours had succeeded where we failed and consequently I am currently caring for a very pretty Stanley Rosella. I know not quite a parrot, but when you get swifts coming in as Gyr Falcons that’s pretty close! Following her earlier talks for the local village about the plans for the centre, Jemima has also attended planning meetings and given a talk to a school on the Asian Vulture Crisis. I myself recently attended the annual ABWAK conference where one of the two presentations I gave was on the development and plans for the centre. The presentation went well and everyone passed on their best wishes. With the completion of the move from Rotherwas to Eardisland, we then built temporary weatherings and have ten birds out to train. As yet another first for the site rapidly
approaches, the trials and tribulations of trying to get the centre off the ground continue on a daily basis. The team so far has been relatively small but it has been a pleasure to be back amongst old friends and acquaintances; Jemima, Mick and Kate to name just three. It is often them who help keep both me and the project driving forward. That said it has also been a chance to meet new ones too, noticeably Barbara and Robin, as well as Martin and Kerry with their team at Bromyard Vets. The relationship with the vets has been developing well and I look forward to that only becoming stronger with time. What’s more I’m sure there will be many more of both in the future. It has been hard and everyone has had days when it has seemed insurmountable, I am no exception to this. However on the other side of the coin, each little goal has to be recognized and appreciated as we remember what we are striving to achieve overall, and indeed have already achieved. In hindsight, no mean feat and there is still so much more to come…!
Wish List I guess every group has a wish list, and so we felt that at least we should try it and ask. After all if you don’t ask no one will know what you so badly need, and they might be just about to throw it away! Golf Cart (electric) (two!) Lap top computers for running Photoshop and power-point Garden tools—rakes, spades, shovels, brooms etc Wheel barrows Lawn Mowers £5000000 winning lottery ticket! Fencing materials Gates Mini Digger Plants and Shrubs Trees Medical supplies Decent sharp scissors Pens and pencils PA equipment Tables and chairs Tools—hammers etc. Anything else you think might be useful!
Website The website is slowly coming together, it is slower than I had hoped it would be, but there is an awful lot of material to go on there, and it is difficult to get it completely right until we know for sure that this is where we are really going to be long term. Although I have to say that I am not sure I could cope with another move. WWW.ICBP.ORG Have a look, make comments (constructive ones), send suggestions
Concepts The Enclosures will be similar to my last design but with new features as well
The concepts of the new centre are mainly in my head, some on paper, and some in a new programme I have been working with called sketch-up, Some of the plans are here for you to see. The initial plan is to build all the required enclosures and a Hawk Walk as our first priority. Along with those will go the infrastructure of paths, signage, fencing and major planting of hedges, trees, shrubs and borders, and of course lawns. The enclosures will be barn type structures, with open fronts and sides, and a polypropylene lining for ease of cleaning. Each enclosure will house a family group. The first four barns along with the Hawk Walk will go up as soon as we can, with all the other barns to follow. The aim being to get all the birds in their new homes by October and to open in a limited fashion by the autumn. Surrounding the aviary area will be an eight foot high beech hedge to give security, a visual barrier from the village and the birds flying in the flying grounds, and a wind break which is much needed. The Owls will all be situated in a conifer wood, some of which exists now and the rest will be planted once the barns are up. The plan being that you don’t see them from anywhere until you arrive through the trees. It will also make the top of the site more sheltered for the owls.
Looking forward to having a real home again
Once the birds are out of the cafĂŠ/shop building and the education building, we will start work on them internally to make them work, be comfortable and warm, easy to clean, and have superb displays for teaching. We also want a log burning stove in the cafĂŠ to make for the right atmosphere in the winter months. A building that will be in the second phase will be the veterinary and research building. We need to be able to examine and treat the collection on site at times, particularly the larger birds. We also take in injured wild birds that need to be housed separately. On the research side, the collection offers superb opportunities for non invasive research and that is something we have always been interesting in. So having a dedicated building will really help.
The Veterinary and Research Building with Clinic, Research Room, Initial Care Rooms and small recovery enclosures at the rear.
Have a great spring and please keep in touch. Best wishes to all of you, from all of us!