Members Newsletter May 2004

The Editors Page

It seems only yesterday that I finished the last newsletter and I am already starting on the next one. I think this is going to be a continuous process keeping me very busy. I would like to thank Lizzie Hagger and Tanya McQuillan for their contribution to the newsletter. It would be nice to see some new names at the bottom of articles, so once again if you have anything interesting to write about put it down on paper or in an email and send it to me.

I had the pleasure of joining Liz McQuillan, Martyn Baynes and Tanya McQuillan on a very successful trip to Belgium in February. We delivered three European Eagle Owls to an Ornithology Centre to be used in a breed and release program. There will be more about this in the centre news and hopefully updates over the coming months and years as to how the program is going.

Dave Blows
Newsletter Editor

What's In It For Me - A Personal View of the Raptor Foundation?

As Julie Andrews once said, "let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start".

About two years ago my family and I decided we would spend an afternoon at the Raptor Foundation. Having lived in Cambridgeshire for four and a half years at the time, and having heard loads of friends sing the praises of the place, it seemed about time we checked it out. We had great time; we all enjoyed seeing the birds and agreed we should have done this earlier.

At the end of the flying display Liz thanked everyone for coming, hoped we had enjoyed the display and asked us to show our appreciation for the volunteers without whom, she said, the Foundation would be lost. Then came those few simple words "if there is anyone in the audience who feels they have skills the Foundation could utilise and could spare the time she would love to hear from them". I heard an audible sigh from my wife and daughters, they knew that this was all that was needed to get me hooked, you see I'm a DIY nut, just love making things, fixing things, breaking things! So when I got back home I dropped the Foundation an e-mail offering my services.

A week or so later I got a reply "we'd love to see you, of course we can use your help, drop in on Saturday, no commitment, see what you think." So I went along.

Arriving on the Saturday I was immediately put to work cleaning aviaries, doesn't everyone start with that pleasant little task? After that Liz asked if I would look at a broken shelf…..fixed that! A computer that was playing up…..sorted that! A sign that was needed…..made that!

And on it went each Saturday I would come along, help clean and then start fixing things up and loved every minute of it. Soon the cleaning stopped, the DIY had taken over and I spent the majority of my day in the workshop or fixing things around the site. I even took the work home and came back with bits and pieces for the site, bird boxes for the shop to sell, a wishing well for the garden, a database for the office. Then one fateful Saturday I was working away in the workshop when in walks Liz "Everyone's out on a show" she said "you and I are the only one's on site at the moment so you're doing the 12 o'clock with me". Protestations of "I haven't even picked up a bird yet" fell on deaf ears and we did the display. Needless to say that this just added to my enjoyment of working at the Foundation.

Over the past two years I have had the pleasure of watching the place transform beyond recognition. New shop, new tea room, accommodation units, new aviaries, new staff, all of which have turned the place into what it is today and what a place it is. I am convinced the Foundation is going from strength to strength. There is an air about the place and ahead of it is perhaps the best summer that it has known, which unfortunately I am going to miss due to work commitments (The Air Force is sending me for a holiday with some penguins for four months!).

What's in it for me? That was the question at the top of the page. Well let's see:

The birds, the people, the work; enjoyment, amusement, frustration, bemusement, friendship, camaraderie, challenge, wonder and a whole host of other things the Microsoft thesaurus can't help me with! I can safely say I love the place. If you have ever thought of doing more than simply being a member come along, you'll love it!

I'll miss the place this summer, but I'll finish with another film quote: "I'll be back"

By Doug White (Volunteer)

Centre News

Can anyone remember when we first moved to this site back in August 1996? I most certainly can, what a dream, a larger site to accommodate all the facilities we needed to carry out our vital work. Working from portacabins in the early days because of the flood that happened in July, but this didn't stop us.

The last four years have been hard, dividing my time between builders and running the centre, but it has all now paid off. At long last we have finished all the building work and Rob Warren Landscapes has just a few finishing touches to do. Those members who have visited the centre recently should be proud to be associated with the Raptor Foundation. Our thanks also go to The Friends of team who have helped raise the vital funding required to make all of our dreams come true. Thank you to all that have helped.

My time will now be spent working on our aviary signs and arranging the information for the education room, along with the never decreasing paper work.

The trip to Belgium with the European Eagle Owls went well and all three girls now have fella's and hopefully the young will be returned to the wild in the Czech Republic.

Hospital news

Hospital inmates January 2004 - April 2004

Kestrels

We have had one little female and one male kestrel in which are both going to be trained as they have both flown before.

Buzzard

This came in from another rescue centre who were unsure what to do with it. A flush through with liquids and some tender loving care was all that was needed. The buzzard was released over at Holme Woods where there are other buzzards.

Red-tail

This came in to us via the RSPCA as the former owner had committed suicide. There were also other animals including snakes removed from the owners home.

European Eagle Owl

The owners of Max were moving to a smaller place and had no room for an aviary. Max is a lovely hand reared female bird.

Harris Hawk

Harry's owner is going abroad and asked us if we would like him. Harry has been put in an aviary with a female Harris hawk called Mead, hopefully they will breed.

Peregrine Falcon

A young juvenile female that came in to us from a rescue centre in Yorkshire. She was originally picked up by the RSPCA in July after being found by the road unable to fly. The bird was some 6 to 8 weeks old. The rescue centre took her on but soon decided to move her to somewhere that would be able to bring her on and hopefully release her back to the wild. At the moment she is being fattened up ready to moult. We will reassess her after moulting.

THE REHABILITATION OF MAYA

Maya is a nine year old Red Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) who has had a chequered past. With a history of attacks on Foundation staff and volunteers, she found herself consigned to an aviary with little chance of a reprise.

Pre September 2003

She came to the Foundation hospital from a private owner with a badly cracked top beak. Her beak was so badly cracked that it actually broke off. After a long period in the hospital her beak re-grew and she was able to return to her owner. The owner was contacted and informed that Maya was ready to return home but he decided he didn't want her back.

Maya was trained and joined the flying display team. For the next couple of years she continued as a member of the team and was much loved by the staff and volunteers. Then the fateful day arrived when Maya came of age.

Maya inevitably matured into an adult, female Red Tail hawk at the age of two. This maturity carried with it the instinct to dominate along with the Red Tail Hawks infamous aggressive and unpredictable nature. The situation was made worse by the fact that Maya was an imprinted bird and needed one to one handling that at this time was just not possible. Following several incidents with both staff and volunteers, some of which resulting in injury it was decided to retire Maya from the flying display team. An attempt was made to breed her but this did not go well and the male that was placed with her was lucky to get out alive. There was nothing else to do but consign her to an aviary.

A new volunteer

One cold wintry morning in January 2003 I visited the Raptor Foundation to enquire about volunteering. After meeting with several volunteers and the Chief Executive Liz McQuillan, I joined the Foundation as a volunteer. For the next 3 months I attended the centre every other Saturday learning the ropes. Each day I attended the centre I would walk past Maya's aviary. I talked to the staff and volunteers about her and heard parts of her story. In time I began to talk to Maya whenever I was at the centre. Initially whenever I approached her aviary she would attack the wire vocalising loudly and making her feelings of wanting to be left alone quite clear.

Then in April 2003 I was made redundant and found myself with a lot of extra time on my hands. I spent more and more time at the centre and my little conversations with Maya through the wire of her aviary became more frequent. Eventually the temper tantrums died down and she seemed to become more responsive to my voice and less intimidated by my visits. We were forming a tenuous relationship that neither of us realised would lead to so much more.

Autumn 2003

I had been looking for a new job for six months and things were not going well. The IT industry was in a terrible state. There were few jobs around and too many applicants for them. I had decided to look at alternative options. During the six months I had been out of work I had increased my knowledge in the art of Falconry and was thinking of buying a bird of my own. I had found that I enjoyed working with the other Red Tailed Hawk at the centre (Reds) and was considering purchasing a Red Tail hawk. Following conversations with Liz and the other Staff and Volunteers at the centre I decided that this is what I would do. I discussed the decision with my wife and we agreed that I would purchase a Red tailed Hawk in the Spring/Summer of 2004. Then one bright September morning Liz asked me, “would you like to buy Maya?” I found myself saying yes.

The rehabilitation of Maya

Within a few days Martyn, the Head Falconer and I were in Maya's aviary trying to catch her. She was not in an agreeable mood. After several attempts Martyn had her by the feet and I had her head. It was not exactly pretty but it was effective. We got her into a transport case and removed her from her aviary.

A few hours later we had cast her up, trimmed her talons and beak, fitted her with anklets and jesses and she was standing on my glove for the first time. She demonstrated her lack of enthusiasm for this by attempting to break as many bones in my hand as possible. The result of this was twenty minutes of pain and a possible fractured thumb. After the twenty minutes I put Maya in the weathering allocated to her and took off my glove. My thumb was already starting to turn purple, but Maya was out of the aviary and was now my responsibility.

Two days later Maya was sitting on the scales for the first time. She was still not happy about being controlled and handled but she did sit on the scales calmly and quietly. She weighed in at 4lb 5oz. This was way to high and she needed to go on a diet. Following discussions with both Liz and Martyn I decided to reduce her weight slowly aiming at 3 to 5 oz per week with a target weight of 3lb 5oz.

It took till the end of November but finally Maya's weight came down to 3lb 7oz and I started to hop her to the fist. She was really keen, eating on the fist and being much more agreeable. The bruising I had suffered to my hand in the first week had finally subsided. Maya was always pleased to see me and eager for attention.

Within a week she was flying. Controlled by a creance but happy to be flying she made excellent progress. Her weight came down to 3lb 5oz easily now she was getting exercise and was flying well and eagerly within a week. It was time to fly her free but although she was ready I was not.

On 5th December my wife visited the centre with me so that she could see Maya fly. It was a breezy day and first time across the flying field she was blown of course and landed in amongst the small trees by the high tower. The creance was tangled around the trees and would take time to release. I decided it was time to let her fly free. After picking her up from the ground I untied the creance and took her to the top of the tower. I removed her swivel and muse jesses and cast her into the wind.

She soared into the air and after flying a circuit of the field landed on one of the posts at the back of the flying area. I came down from the tower took a chick leg from my bag, called her and held my breath. She looked around at me and flew straight to my glove. I cast her off again and repeated the procedure. After several flights I called her down to a chick, which she ate it greedily and looked for more. Maya's rehabilitation was complete.

In the following weeks Maya continued to improve. She loved to fly and looked forward to it every day. After a month or so she was allowed to rejoin the flying display team and though she was watched closely it appeared she was a reformed character. Another staff member, David and I decided that it would be interesting to see if she would hunt. We tried using a lure with a chick tied to it and dragged it across the flying field for her to chase. She did chase it but seemed to lack the aggression and desire to make a kill. We decided to drop her weight and take her away from the centre to see if she would fly after prey. Our first attempt however failed. We took her across the road from the centre to some hunting land we had close by. When cast into the air she immediately turned back to the centre and waited for us in the car park. Unfortunately the calendar beat us and the hunting season ended before we could complete her training.

By now Liz had employed me as a full time member of staff and the time I had to spend with Maya reduced significantly. I brought her weight back up to 3lb 1 oz and continued to fly her in displays. Then she made a mistake that got her banned from flying in public again.

Since her first day out of the aviary she had made it perfectly obvious that she had no love for Martyn. During a flying display in March whilst Martyn was talking to the audience she waited for him to turn his back to her and she struck him from behind. Fortunately Martyn was not seriously injured but Maya's public flying days were over.

The Future

It is my intention over the next couple of months to try and get Maya hunting. It is obviously difficult to fly her at the centre when there are public and staff around so she will need to get used to flying in other locations and I am sure she will make a good hunter if given the time and opportunity. We will all just have to wait and see what the future brings.

By Simon Frank