The Raptor Foundation. Charity No. 1042085. Tel. 01487 741140 Site Updated : 31/08/10
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The Raptor Foundation. Charity No. 1042085. Tel. 01487 741140 Site Updated : 31/08/10 |
Members Newsletter February 2008Centre NewsOver the past few months we've been busy visiting schools and holding twilight flying evenings. We also held a highly successful Sponsored Flying day on the 26 January. It was well supported so thank you to everyone who helped and sponsored us, we raised approximately £2,000. Another busy time in the hospital with 54 birds being treated over the last 3 months, with 10 being released, 1 returned to its owner and another 17 awaiting release. Hospital NewsNovember 2007 - January 2008.
No 8 Sqn Mascots - "The Story So Far"In 1975 a male European Eagle Owl was donated to No 8 Squadron RAF Lossiemouth by the Highland Wildlife Park based at Kingussie in Scotland. This was the start of the Eagle Owl's association with the Royal Air Forces' Airborne Early Warning Squadron. The Great Eagle Owl species has 15 varieties distributed throughout most of continental Europe and as far east as India and China. The species was not thought to have been indigenous to the UK, however accidentally released owls are now known to be breeding in quarries around the country. It is the largest of the owls found in the Western Palaearctic and as in other raptors the female is larger than the male weighing an average of 3 kg. They feed on small mammals, fish and other birds in the wild. However, both of these birds were born in captivity and their diet consists of chicks, rats, game birds and rabbits. Like many other species of birds, there has been a marked population reduction during the 20th Century due to the loss of natural habitat and more importantly, human persecution. On the 7 November 1978, No 8 Squadron was presented with a female European Eagle Owl in the hope that captive breeding might help restore the balance. Both Boo Boo and Octavia were named by Paul Sharp in a Blue Peter competition in Mar 1980. Octavia laid 3 eggs, 2 of which hatched. Unfortunately, due to an outbreak of Newcastle Disease (Parrots' Disease) in the UK, export and import permits could not be gained for the European release and restocking program. However, a new home was found for them at the Welsh Hawking Centre in Barry near Cardiff and the young birds, named Uspiam and Passim, were flown by Shakleton to St Athen on Sept 5 1983. In April 1984, Octavia produced another female owlet known as ET, who was donated to the recently opened zoo at Aviemore. Shortly afterwards the birds were split up and a storm later damaged Boo Boo's cage and he escaped. Although there were reported sightings some months later, it is unlikely that a bird of prey, born in captivity, could survive long without a proper rehabilitation program. In March 1991, a new male European Eagle Owl (3 years old) was donated by the Welsh Hawking Centre to No 8 Squadron (Des) RAF Waddington. A local competition was then held to find a suitable name for him. The winning name was judged to be Augustus sent in by Rebecca Wenham. In June 1991, Octavia was flown down to RAF Waddington in a Shackelton AEW Mk 2 aircraft and introduced to Augustus. Their union caused us great concern because he actually hid from her for the first 4 months. However, over the years their relationship blossomed and in 1999 they surprisingly hatched a little girl! The Raptor Foundation kindly offered to care for the new arrival, who was named Gambia after the Squadron emblem and she is now an integral part of their flying display team. The next year, in order to prevent the pair from producing any more unwanted offspring, the two eggs that she laid were carefully replaced by chicken eggs. However, no one noticed that she later laid a third egg and again to everyone's surprise, a fluffy little boy was seen poking his head out from under his proud mum. Octavia was certainly a wise old girl to lay another egg, as she probably realised that the two dummy eggs would probably not hatch, as they had turned from white to brown and shrunk in size! Fortunately, a new local home was found for her newly hatched offspring, who was subsequently called Delta and he now helps raise funds for the Friends of the Raptor Foundation Charity. Sadly, Octavia died on 29 Nov 07 and rather than leave "Gus" on his own, the Sqn decided he would have a better quality of life at the Raptor Foundation where he now takes part in static and flying displays with his daughter Gambia, raising monies for the charity. He nevertheless still remains the Sqn mascot and is invited back on special occasions. Epitaph to OctaviaSadly, 8 Sqn's longest serving member passed away peacefully on Thursday 29 Nov 07 and has now been buried in the Sqn memorial garden. Octavia had been an 8 Sqn mascot since 7 Nov 78 and had faithfully served for 29 years before succumbing to old age. She was presented to the Sqn by the Highland Wildlife Park at Kingussie, Scotland as a young breeding female for her first mate Boo Boo. After a few years and 3 chicks, Boo Boo escaped and was last seen legging it across the airfield! He was replaced in 1991 with a toy boy named Augustus, a fine stud who was so terrified of her he hid behind the large feeding log for the first four months of their relationship! A powerful and commanding bird, her presence never went unnoticed, making her a perfect mascot for the Sqn. Her claim to fame was appearing on Blue Peter in 1980 where, having spent the night in the Hilton hooting out of the window, she reportedly wrote off the boss's No 1 Jacket when she had a bit of a strop before going on the next day! Her 5 sons and daughters succeed her at various locations around the country, raising monies for Birds of Prey centres and zoos. Uspiam and Passim were donated to the Welsh Hawking Centre, ET was later given to the Aviemore Zoo, Gambia went to the Raptor Foundation charity in Cambridgeshire and finally Delta lives with FS Jimmy Tarbox and helps raise monies for the Friends of the Raptor Foundation. It has been decided by Sqn members that Augustus will now join his daughter Gambia at the Raptor Foundation as this would provide a better quality of life for him. He will of course return to the Sqn from time to time, as he will always be our Sqn mascot. Meet the team..Mark Smith, EmployeeThis months meet the team is Mark Smith, an employee at the centre.
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Hello I'm Focus, I am a Common Buzzard. I'm 15 years old and have been at the Raptor Foundation for around 10 years and here is my story. The Raptor Foundation received a call from a Ford dealership saying they had an eagle in their showroom. In fact it was me a common buzzard, they locked me in the showroom and waited the Raptor Foundation team. When the team arrived I had taken a shine to a Ford Focus convertible and was sitting on the roof. Apparently I had done thousands of pounds worth of damage but what do they expect when they lock me in!! So now you know how I got my name here is a bit about the common buzzard as a species. The wingspan may vary between 48 inches to 60 inches with a body length of some 20 inches. Its plumage is a rich brown, with lighter markings beneath. In flight the wings have a ragged, moth-like appearance. We are slow fliers, and have little chance of catching prey on the move. We usually perch in a large tree, our markings being excellent camouflage, rendering us almost invisible. We are a patient bird, quite content to sit for hours at a time until a young rabbit, a rat or a mouse chances to pass beneath us. Then we will swoop down on to the unsuspecting prey. The common buzzard breeds in the whole of Europe, except in Scandinavia's far north, Iceland and a part of Ireland. It's also Central Europe's most common bird of prey. The Pecking Order..Falconry is said to have originated in China as early as 2000 BC. The sport of Falconry came to England with the Romans in the second half of the ninth century AD. Initial it was the sport of Kings, but shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066 falconry became more popular and people from all walks of life started keeping birds of prey. Falconry remained very popular in England until the beginning of the seventeenth century when it began to decline and only became popular again in more recent times. Your place in society
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