National Birds of Prey Centre
NEWSLETTER Photos Duncan Jennings / Linda Wright
Editor Jemima Parry-Jones
August 2004, Number 20 Directors Note This will be the last newsletter I write for you all as Director of the National Birds of Prey Centre. The next one is due out in early December and that will be the responsibility of Keith and Jackie Beaven, who are, or will be on November 1st this year, the new owners. The sale finally went through in June, it was a traumatic time, with things moving much slower than both Keith and I would have wished, however the deal was completed successfully. I have been asked, how can I leave; will I miss the Centre; and the answer is of course
yes, how could it be otherwise. But this Centre needs a different approach to succeed financially here, and Keith will I hope, bring that approach. My approach is needed elsewhere, where I hope and believe that finances will be easier to obtain through charitable fundraising. You may think that I am mentioning finances a little too much, but anyone who does not understand how expensive the field of conservation is, should learn. Conservation is expensive. Keith will be writing an article in this newsletter, and will tell you of what he is going to be doing once he takes over in November.
In the meantime, let me tell you through the articles in this newsletter what has been happening and what is to come. I hope that members and those who read this newsletter will understand that the Centre here will continue, the staff will still be here as will many of the birds. I am leaving nearly 130 birds. Some of whom are old friends, Treasure, the Secretary Bird has to stay as she is temperamentally unsuited for the move, it would probably kill her. Charlie Pringle, because of his eyesight would not be able to adapt to new surroundings. Many of the trained owls are staying as well. So the owl evenings will be their normal fun and chaos this December. I hope that you will all feel able to continue to support the Centre, Keith and Jackie, the staff and the birds here. Yes of course there will be changes, but evolution is change, so you have to be open minded. And I am sure that Keith will be pleased to hear comments from you. Although, one thing I will say, its amazing how many people (who should know better, and in fact have no idea!!) are now telling him how to run the place. If you could have done it, you should have bought it. Let him put his ideas into place. I have had the same syndrome for years, we call it the “you know what you should do” syndrome, and believe me when I say its seriously boring to be on the receiving end. I will be here on and off until the move date which is mid November, I have at least two trips abroad, and possibly three, but they will be short. Thanks for supporting us still, thus far. I hope you will visit me in the US in years to come. JPJ
The Year so Far………………... It has, not surprisingly been a year of changes. I did not want to employ new staff from out of the county, knowing I was leaving, so volunteers have been amazing. Tom and Sarah, respectively from Australia and the US have been excellent here, and have I hope learnt a great deal. Sarah left a week ago, and we miss her cheerfulness already. Tom is giving the most laid back demonstrations, and appears unperturbed by any and all happenings. He has now graduated onto training his own new birds and has responsibility for one of the young Tawny Eagles and a new Saker that has just arrived from Martin Jones. Sharon who joined us as a full time staff member from being a volunteer has moved on in leaps and bounds and is taking guided tours, demonstrating with many of the birds and also has a young Saker, which has bitten her at least twice in the first two days, Tom was bitten yesterday!! They are feisty brothers, all three of them! We also have, just joined us, Robert Allan, from
the US, in fact he worked all last year at the South Carolina Center for Birds of Prey for Jim Elliott with the birds there. For those of you who remember Arthur Middleton, also from South Carolina who was here for over a year, Robert is of a similar ilk, but shorter!! I think they must breed them laid back in the South. He is a little more experienced than most of our volunteers because of his previous work, and has been training the two new Turkey vultures, one of the new Greater Kestrels, a baby Eurasian Eagle Owl and now has the wildest of the three new Sakers. However all the birds are doing well and you should be able to see most of them flying free by mid August. I appear to have been on a trip abroad every month this year so far, so it is with relief that I don’t have to do one this month. I will tell you of these later.
Yamasee one of our Red Kites
We have had two losses, one was my fault, my beautiful Eleonora’s falcon flew off about four weeks ago. She is a difficult bird to manage and while having one of her tantrums I lost hold of her jesses and off she flew, she was over weight at the time and she is too small to put our telemetry on, so we have seen hide nor hair of her since. Although I am confident that she will be fine as she was healthy fat and fit on going. I will not lose hope that we might get her back, before I leave. The other loss was the very old female Secretary Bird who has been slowly slipping back and finally we took her to Neil Forbes and he said the time had come for her. So he put her down. She had a good life and produced a number of young, but we miss her being here. The breeding season has been reasonable, considering how much we have had to move the birds around because of the delay in going. We have four baby Red Kites which is wonderful and Greater Kestrels, American Kestrels and Merlins as well. We have a huge flock of White-faced Owls as well, the two pairs have gone nuts with eggs!
The albino wild Red Kite at Giggrin Farm in Wales
I am pleased to say that we also found a new husband for Biscay the Steppe Eagle. He has been sexed as a male and is in with her now. So there is hope for the future with them and breeding. Shows away from home have been thin on the ground because of the delay in the move. Gary is doing the Japanese contract himself this year, but they have just told him they are putting in their own staff for next year. Our biggest problem this year and it has been huge is that everyone thinks we are closed and so we are really down on numbers. So - visit and bring paying friends, lots of them please.
And back to our red, Red Kite
Trips abroad. In January I went to SC to see how things were, work on what we were doing to facilitate the delay, see Jim and work with the birds out there. In February I went to a conference in Northern India on the Gyps vultures, about which I will tell you in another Article. In late March I went back to SC where we had a big event on the new site. It was good to work with Stephen, the Education Director at SCCBP and the volunteers, many of whom are good friends. The event went well, the birds all be‐ haved and the weather was lovely, so was the site. Came home, worked Easter here and then went back to India, we were collecting birds, working to get all the various conservation groups working together and we also went to a meeting with government officials and representative from drug companies to discuss the various problems with vultures dying. In May I went to Israel, I went off my own bat because I felt that if I am partly responsible for the breeding programme of highly endangered vultures, I wanted to get some other input from groups who had successfully bred and released Gyps vultures. The Israelis have been successful and were amazingly helpful. I had three days of non stop rushing around Israel, we saw most of the breeding establishments, some of which are zoos. The incubation and rearing facilities, which was very use‐ ful. I spent the day in the desert near the Dead Sea, which incidentally tastes absolutely disgusting, and yes of course I tasted it, isn’t that normal?? There we saw Griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures, Barbary Falcons, Bonelliʹs Eagles, Golden Eagles, Long Legged Buzzards, Lesser Kestrels and many other birds, it was an amazing experience. Getting out of Israel was an experience too! Back to SC in June to work with Jim and finalise the positions of enclosures, look at materials, walk the site and speak to people. I was concerned that building had not yet started I have to say. I will probably need to do two more trips to SC before the move and I have to go back to India once more this year, preferably before we move as it will be easier. Its been hectic that is for sure.
THE INCUBATOR ROOM AT TEL AVIV ZOO WITH SCHMULIC OHAD HATZOFT
THE DESERT AND THE DEAD SEA AND A BONELLIS NEST CLOSE BY
PHOTOGRAPHY AT NBPC AND BEYOND You may have wondered about the photographs in our newsletters. Well firstly you have to know that
they are totally or mostly totally random, I just put nice photos in that I think you might like to see, not
instead of photographing.
But to get to the point of this ramble, Linda and
now Duncan have been putting their photos on the
Canon website, not only have they been getting
for any particular reasons, not logical I know, but whatever!
However you should have noticed that most of
them are pretty damn good photos, I just wish I could afford to do this newsletter in colour as you miss so much in black and white.
In February this year I met a visitor who had a
rather nice looking digital camera, so I went up to talk to her as I wanted to get a better one myself,
great comments on the work they have put up, but
it has encouraged an increasing number of photographers to visit the Centre. I suppose because I see what we have here on a daily basis, I don’t realise
just how special it is for those interested in photography to be able to get so close to both static and flying birds.
Of course there is no doubt that the advent of the
good digital camera, and almost everyone having a computer that they can download photos onto has made all the difference. Few could afford to take
100’s of photos hoping to get a flight shot, where now that is not a problem. as I miss so much on these trips with a small camera. I am very glad I did, not only do I have a new
and very nice Canon EOS 300D, but Linda Wright
has been really helpful both with my photography, giving us great photos and also on education as she happens to be a teacher—I do like to get to know
useful people!! Duncan Jennings who has taken so many of the photos in previous newsletters also upgraded to the same camera (I got mine cheaper
though!!) so we all three can compare notes, although I have to say that they get more chance to
photograph the flying birds as I am always flying
It has made for some really nice people becoming regular visitors to the Centre and better still giving
us CD’s with wonderful pictures of the birds, the dogs and the staff.
I hope that when I move to the US we will get the
same sort of interest and following and generosity that we are getting this year here.
THE ASIAN VULTURE CRISIS -WHERE ARE WE TODAY? As many people will know, the three species of Asian Gyps vultures have suffered massive and unprecedented declines of between 97 – 99% in perhaps less than one decade. This was first documented by Dr Vibhu Prakash (Prakash 1999) at Keoladeo National Park. In May 2003 Dr Lindsay Oakes (Oaks et al. 2004) announced his work that the most l i k e l y cause of the decline throughout most of the birds ranges, and certainly in Pakistan, was Diclofenac, a non steroidal anti inflammatory drug. This discovery surprised Dr Lindsay and indeed all working on the problem, throughout the vultures ranges. How could a non steroidal anti inflammatory drug discovered and licensed in the 1970’s for human use, kill over nine million (at a conservative estimate) birds in the nineteen nineties in probably ten years. Who could possibly have foreseen such a happening. But for those who do not believe — it has happened. Millions of vultures have died. And ironically, from my point of view as I came to work with these particular vultures through the Parsis, who had their dead devoured by vultures, or as is the case now not devoured, there is a reasonably high chance that the first vultures to die were those eating the dead of the Parsis. In February 2004 there were two workshops held, one in Kathmandu Nepal, organised by the Peregrine Fund and Nepal BirdLife and one in Parwanoo, organized by BNHS and the RSPB in India. Both workshops produced Recommendations for those attending each workshop to sign. The attending governments of Pakistan, Nepal, India and all the various scientists and NGO’s signed up willingly to these Recommendations. At the Parwanoo workshop further details on the crisis were presented. A model prepared by Dr Ian Newton and Dr Rhys Green (in press 2004) showed that only one in 250 cattle would have to contain toxic levels of diclofenac to cause the declines recorded. It was shown that there were an estimated 502 million ungulates in India and 2.5 million doses of diclofenac are used annually. During that workshop every other possible cause for the decline was looked at, from other toxins right through to the competitive flying of kites, and no evidence for any of them was available to disprove that Diclofenac is not responsible. To add to further concerns, the vastly reduced populations of vultures had an observed (Prakash 2003) a further decline of 61% for G. bengalensis, 59% for G. indicus, and 89% for G. tenuirostris . So the time span left to save these species is fast running out. Two main recommendations came from the workshops. The first was that these three species of Gyps vultures need to be removed from the source of the decline urgently. So it was decided to initiate captive breeding schemes for all three species. A minimum of three centres needed to be initiated, each holding 25 pairs of each species – preferably sixty individuals from each species. This is the absolute minimum and more would be desirable and sensible. One Centre already exists in Pinjore in Northern India, this centre was set up by BNHS RSPB, ZSL and NBPC with funding added from the Darwin Initiative, initially to look for the cause of the decline, and after the cause had been substantiated, to prepare for a captive breeding programme. This centre will be extended and permission within India has been recently granted for two other centres. Sadly permission to take birds was not as fast in coming as it should have been and the 2003/2004 breeding season is past. However preparations are in hand for the 2004/2005 season. This captive breeding programme has the long term aim of self sustaining populations of all three species of vultures back in the wild by 2030. At a meeting in Delhi in May between the Indian Government, some of the large drug companies veterinary institutes from within India, and the various national and international NGO’s involved, met to discuss the situation. The main thrust of the meeting turned out to be the banning of diclofenac as it is used in veterinary medicine. Surprisingly the companies represented there were well on the way to not only understanding the need, but realizing the ban had to go ahead. Someone thinking cynically might have said that with all the publicity within India in the months prior to the meeting, the companies had seen the writing on the wall and decided to play the good guys. However generally, although those representing government were not all convinced, the banning of Diclofenac took a good step forward at that meeting, with a possible ban within twelve months being discussed openly. For those who might be thinking that if Diclofenac is banned within 12 months, then after that time the vultures will not need to be kept safely in captivity, or the huge commitment of a captive breeding programme be embarked upon, consider this. DDT was banned in the UK in the 1960’s and is still found today in farm sheds and cupboards, and that in a country which supposedly has a good education system and methods of communication, the damage that DDT caused could hardly be called a secret. There will undoubtedly be diclofenac in cupboards, in pharmacies and veterinary practices for years to come. And as the population of vultures
declines it would not take much to finish the job and complete their extinction. Diclofenac is found in at least 21 different veterinary products on the market. Thus we all feel that as many birds as possible should be got in for the sake of their lives. If at a later date we can be assured that all Diclofenac, and any other lethal drugs are no longer around, then birds can easily be released. At the start of a survey in India by Prakash, Shultz and Pain, in the first 37 dead animals tested for traces of diclofenac they expected to find nothing as it was a tiny initial sample, however three animals had traces of diclofenac. After the February meeting a survey was sent round to as many zoos and veterinary surgeons as possible to establish what NSAIDs had been used in captive birds and to what effect. Although the sample size is not huge it looks as if some of the more modern and specific NSAIDs may be safe for animal use in vulture habitat. In tests done on two birds in South Africa and one in Spain, all on birds that were due to be euthanased because of injuries, it was established that Diclofenac kills African White-backed Vultures and Eurasian Griffon Vultures. This points to a possible answer to the decline in Eurasian Griffon vultures that winter in India and Pakistan. Further tests are being done to check the safety of other NSAIDs that have been used in gyps vultures and other raptors in captivity with no apparent harmful results. In surveys in India recently, it appears that there are declines in other scavenging species of birds of prey as well, not just gyps vultures, but other vultures and possibly even the ubiquitous Black Kite. There is a high chance that diclofenac is more lethal than first thought. So where are we. We know the cause, we know what we need to do to save at least remnant populations, we know we need willing assistance and authorities from the various governments in the birds range states. We have the expertise available around the world and we have the desire to stop this staggering extinction before its too late. All we have to do is work together and get the job moving more quickly and face up to the long term commitment. To lose species now, with all we know is in my book unforgivable. But, for those of you who had the luck to see these vultures species at the height of their success, you saw a sight that will never be seen again. Never will the vultures be as numerous as they were in the past. Methods of disposing of carcasses will have to and indeed are already changing now, as the vultures are no longer there to do the task. Feral dogs are increasing enormously and the situation that gave the vultures the ability to be so incredibly numerous in the past, will not be there in the future.
The National Birds of Prey Trust has been involved in this project since 2002 and has funded a number of pieces of equipment and buildings, it is now about to put in ÂŁ10 000 for a new 112 foot by 40 foot enclosure to help with the captive breeding project. If you are interested in helping with this project and others please contact jpj@icbp.org
OWL EVENINGS Yes they are going ahead as usual, but with Keith and Jackie, Alasdair, Sharon, Gareth and others we hope. The dates are: November 26 / 27 December 3 / 4 10 / 11
17 / 18
There is one less weekend this year because of the way they fall, so if you want a place I would suggest booking soon as spaces will be limited. Most of the flying owls you know well will still be here and working, including the Snowy Owl, and Ruby the Burrowing Owl, plus others. The evenings start at 7.00pm and there will be a guided tour of the owls, then something to eat, followed by indoor and outdoor flying demonstrations. I will think of you all in the cold and damp!!
Rehabilitation Speaking of owls, as I am sure you know, the Centre here takes in injured wild raptors for treatment and if possible eventual rehabilitation to the wild. We do not do it on the same scale or quality of care as the South Carolina Center for Birds of Prey, but with limited time, space and resources we do what we can. As I write there is a Common Buzzard about to have a trip to the Vet (a forty mile round trip and a member of staff and vehicle for at least three to four hours). It has come in with a broken wing. I am delighted to say that we did not get too many orphans this year. These are in fact very rarely orphans, they are sadly usually raptornapped birds that well meaning people have found and not left where they are but brought them to us. We had five Tawny Owls in, one of Two of the four young Tawny Owls that Mugwort reared, just looking out on the evening after the visitors have left.
which did not survive. The other four were reared by Mugwort, our imprint female Tawny Owl, who did a great job and they have just gone back to the wild. Three Little Owl babies have been reared by the Collared Scops and are going off to be released in Somerset in the next few days. The breeding birds here are incredibly useful for rearing of young birds that are brought in. It is something that Jim and I hope to establish with the collection once we have moved. SCCBP gets large numbers of young birds brought in and if the captive birds can assist that will take a load off the Clinic’s work in the springtime.
SNIPPETS August is the last month for Simon working with us here. He has been a tower of strength with the breeding, and has worked the most amazing hours during the breeding seasons. We think he is a little sick of owls by now, however he has done a cracking job and we will miss him dreadfully. I had hoped that he would come to
MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS EVENING IN AUGUST Because of the change in ownership, both Keith and I would like you all to get the chance to meet him and Jackie before I leave. It should make for a good evening I hope and you
the US, but getting a work permit is so very difficult. Perhaps he will come and visit - in the breeding season!!! We had a group of the local police here on a ‘course’ recently, they were doing Body Guard Training, and had a VIP coming to visit the Centre and they had to protect her. We did offer to have something awful happen, but they turned us
down, it was fun to have that many police cars in the Car Park that day. Sadly they did not leave any behind.
Each week we receive probably hundreds of emails, many of them asking for advice, we try to answer all of them, although I refuse point blank to do peoples damn projects for them. Some of the queries have happy endings and one about eggs found in an abandoned Imperial Eagles nest had a very happy ending, One of the eggs hatched, they reared the young and then were able to return it to a wild nest. I was among a number of people who helped, it was an international email assistance programme with great results!!
will have the chance to see and learn a little more on the future of this Centre and my future with the amalgamation in the US. So book August 21 for an evening here. Keith is going to put on Wine and Cheese for you to eat and drink, we will have soft drinks as well. I will do a PowerPoint presentation on the vultures in India and the South Carolina Centre and we will fly some of this years young birds that you will not have seen before. To make sure we have space and food enough for all, can you ring or email us to let us know you are coming.
August 21st 2004 start at 6.30 Phone 01531 821581 Email jpj@icbp.org DON’T FORGET…………...
Intro to the Beaven’s (Jackie & Keith) - the future UK Hello and welcome everyone to our first contribution to the members newsletter, this will become my responsibility for the next letter but at the moment this is in the very capable hands of Jemima. First a little of our history – Jackie is a housewife who competes as a successful Dressage rider with two of her four horses (the other two are brood mares). She is the holder of two National titles and competes at Prix St George and is working towards Grand Prix level. Oh!! And by the way she is my greatest supporter especially with some of the mad decisions I make such as buying a birds of prey centre, however the penalty for failure is severe. . As for myself I spent 7 years in The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery riding 5 hours a day before leaving the Army to become an Event rider. I then started an equestrian centre called Trent Park based in North London. The centre now has 120 horses, 38 staff and 800 riders per week and is one of the largest in the UK. I sold the equestrian centre last year after 30 years so have changed hooves and hair for talons and feathers. Our intention at the centre is to carry on with Jemima’s good work although we probably will not be so heavily involved with breeding, especially of the more endangered species, it would be impossible to follow Jemima down that road, however we will still breed and be involved in conservation, rescue and rehabilitation as before. There will be a larger variety of courses for people to attend and a Junior Falconers Club (10-16yrs) We will still welcome visitors to the centre and supported by the superb staff provide the fantastic displays everyone has enjoyed in the past, visitors are vital to the success of the centre. The changes seen will be mainly cosmetic such as enlarging some of the aviaries to provide more flying room for the occupants. The biggest changes will be a total refurbishment of the café (Owls Tea Room) with a wider food choice in more pleasant surroundings, and the opening of a Pet’s Corner in the aviaries alongside the café. This is to deal with the needs of the younger visitors especially in bad weather and to help with children’s animal/pets education. Jackie and I intend to be very much ‘hands on’ owners and look forward to you visiting us at some time in the future, hopefully at the August evening members event, but otherwise, please feel free to come up and introduce yourselves to us at any time, your support of the centre is very much appreciated and important to us. Best wishes Keith Beaven
THE FUTURE— USA THE AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTRE / INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREY Firstly, I would like to publicly thank all my staff both past and present for the tremendous work they have done, loyalty they have shown and friendship they have given me over the years. I have always said that the Centre is only as good as its weakest member of staff, and rarely have I been let down in the 21 years I have run the Centre. I move to pastures anew in November, a long and scary move to another country and another life. People have asked me if I will be coming home. I can’t make this move without committing to it fully and considering that for the foreseeable future, South Carolina will be my home. I already have friends there, and whenever Jim jokingly tells me that he is the best thing that has ever happened to me, he could be right. I am looking forward to the challenge of the change. There are so many things that both Jim and I want to achieve work wise. We have aims far above our budgets at the moment and I am confident and convinced that when people in the US and perhaps beyond, start to understand what we can achieve and what we are about, they will be willing and able to help us do it. The new Center will have a public facility, a raptor clinic servicing South Carolina and beyond, accepting, managing, treating and releasing hundreds of injured raptors annually. The veterinary research the we can do with the captive collection and the incoming birds is boundless. We will be working on major education efforts both on and off site, nationally and internationally. Research into local and world wide raptor problems will continue and be expanded., as will the international conservation work. Captive breeding programmes when required will be initiated. We have a great team of people either already with us, or waiting until we are ready for them. Our horizons are boundless, the merger is exciting and endless, so much so that to try to explain it all would be impossible for me and too time consuming for anyone reading this. Suffice it to say that I am proud to be a part of the new venture, proud to have been a part of the National Birds of Prey Centre in the UK and I hope that many of my friends in the UK will come to see what we are doing in the US in the future. Jemima Parry-Jones MBE