Strix
aluco
Pip
arrived in a cardboard box as a small item of fluff aged about
10 days. He was found on the main road at the bottom of Porlock
Hill, with his dead sibling beside him, having fallen from a nest
in a tall tree. He was too young to leave for the parents to care
for, as he had not yet reached the 'branching out', lets discover
things, stage, and had to be brought into care. Having done so
it is difficult to rehabilitate a hand reared tawny owl as they
have not been trained to hunt, and so we kept him here.
Like
Caspar he too has been flown in our outside displays, but brought
into the Owl Show in 2009. His flight pattern is slow and deliberate,
from post to pounce, to catch his prey. His flights have become
so much more interesting since being flown in the barn, and he
really enjoys his very own, cautious, pounce technique. He is
a very popular little guy.
In
the wild Tawny Owls live mainly in woodlands and wooded residential
areas, and are generalist feeders preferring beetles, insects,
small birds, small mammals and carrion on the roadside. Sadly
many get hit by cars in country lanes.
They
nest in hollows in trees or walls, and protect their youngsters
fiercely. Beware of nesting tawnies if you approach their young,
as they aim straight for the eyes!
Tinka
is a new addition to our team of owls, and like Pip was brought
in as a bundle of fluff. He was found in the middle of a field,
and the people who found him had been watching him for two days,
with no sign of parents in sight. He is settling well, and we
look forward to the future with him. It would be ideal to be able
to release him back to the wild, but only time will tell........
Tinka
is still with us (Dec 2010), and really enjoying his life. He
is well bonded with all our bird handlers, so will not be able
to be released into the wild, but his aviary is comfortable, warm,
and he is well looked after. He is a stunning young flier, and
has a lot to teach our visitors about the plight of British owls
in the wild and their natural history. We are currently compiling
an educational video about Tawny Owls with both Pip and Tinka,
which will be available for school use in the near future.
