Here at The Wildlife Alliance, we are committed to helping animals of all shapes and sizes find their way in the world!
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With your help, we can endeavour to give animals a second chance when they find themselves in a pickle!
🌻 AND WE ARE SET UP!! 🌻
We are all set up here at Bempton Goes Wild!
If you're stuck for something to do this weekend, pop along! There are some fantastic activities and what could be better then watching the puffins on the Bempton cliffs!!!
🌻 BEMPTON GOES WILD!! 🌻
This weekend I will be heading over to Bempton to take part in their wild weekend!!
The fabulous girls over at Blondes Cruelty-Free Eatery have saved my bum and sorted a fantastic tombola with some really amazing prizes!!
I will also be taking some of my handmade jewellery and some other bits and bobs!
If you're looking for a fantastic day out this weekend, head over and come and say hi!!
🌻 IVE TRIED TO KEEP GOING 🌻
With immediate effect I have had to make the decision to close the doors to any further intakes.
The group of people who know me best, know what I'm like. I've said, probably about 8 times this week "that's the last one, nor more now", but it's never that easy. I judge everything case by case and if I think I can safely take an animal in that needs help I will- never to the animals detriment, but definitely my own.
I'll be completely honest and give you some idea of what life is like over here......
I havnt had a full night's sleep in weeks, and when I do have chance to sleep, I have to be up regularly to feed babies through the night. Or check on critical patients that need a little bit more monitoring or take calls from the police at 2am to help with deer that have been involved in car accidents.
During the day I receive anywhere from 10 to 30 calls and messages from people who need help with injured wildlife.
I'm missing messages and calls because I simply can't keep up. I havnt been able to cook my family a meal in a while and that really upsets me.
The financial side of things is incredibly difficult, and you all probably get sick of me asking for donations and help. But it's so hard to keep up. A donation comes in and it goes straight back out. The more animals I take in, the more money I need to keep going and it's a major factor in whether I stay open or close. I'm doing a fantastic event at Bempton in August which will definitely help! I'll do a post on that later!
I'm so grateful to everyone who has donated, either with money or dog food or blankets and towels. You've all been an incredible help!
I'm not looking for sympathy I can assure you of that, I just wanted to explain a little bit.
For now though, I need to stop and catch up on things. Exhausted is an understatement and I can't safely take anything else in.
If you are stuck and need some help, please contact your nearest vet for advice. There is Rens Rescue and Whitby wildlife, who will be able to offer help where they can.
If anyone would like to help toward the financial side of things, please consider the rescue for a donation.
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=3MJH3QRMRJRMA
Other ways to help are with things like:-
🌻 Dog food- wet
🌻 Cat food- wet and dry
🌻 Wild bird seed
I'm also in desperate need of a chest freezer as mine has broken which really helped my stress levels 🤣🤣
Enjoy this little video of 2 of my newest babies to arrive. These 2 little squabs have a very sad story. Their parents were shot by pest control, their nest was destroyed and they were left on top of a cold, metal piece of equipment to die.
They are safe now and as you can see are perfectly content doing the food dance 🤣🤣
I'm not going anywhere, not forever!!
Jen x
🌻 JUST A DUCK, IN A TOWEL, AFTER A BATH 🌻
I see so many waterbirds here at HQ, the most common being Mallard ducks.
Their personalities are second to non and cover a wide spectrum! You get the ones who are only out for blood, the ones who are a bit nervous but don't mind humans so much and the ones who melt into you when you tickle their head.
This guy is somewhere in the middle. He is nervous, but if you move too fast he will go for the jugular!
Housing ducks, I find, can be tricky. They need soft flooring while they are in care, plenty of space and water! Lots of water! But they have got to be the messiest of all birds!! You can clean them out and feel fully satisfied that every single one of their needs are met- fresh, lovely water- a mixture of beautiful food, some grass for nibbling. A lovely clean soft bed. BLINK and it's all destroyed! The water is sludge, the food is everywhere and trodden into the nice clean bed and floor and the duck itself is drenched and flicking water onto every other surface. It's hard work.
I don't mind telling you that this little boy has been a NIGHTMARE!! He has a poorly foot- something called bumblefoot. This will have been caused by him nicking his foot and bacteria entering the wound. I can't imagine ponds and parks are the most hygienic places. But for me, this means extra work to ensure his living area while he is here, is clean and disinfected constantly. If I've cleaned him out once, I've cleaned him out a hundred times in the day! He has a 'sink bath' throughout the day to make sure his foot is kept clean- bandaging isn't an option and would actually be more of a hazard as he would constantly try and peck it off (and suceed). And so, the fight for a bacteria free space continues. He is receiving treatment as per our amazing vets instruction and hopefully it won't be too long before he can rejoin his friends.
He just looked too perfect not to take a picture in his towel before he went back in to destroy his lovely clean pen!!
He isn't the only duck I'm caring for at the moment and they eat A LOT!!
If anyone would like to help with their care, please consider us for a donation ❤️
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=3MJH3QRMRJRMA
🌻 BE LIKE A GULL, ALWAYS SEEKING THE BEST VIEW 🌻
The season has many different waves. We have waves of garden birds, waves of corvids, waves of different mammals and then we arrive at sea birds.
I quite like when we start seeing the baby gulls. Not only are they incredibly cute, but it means that we have arrived at the latter part of the hardest few months of the year. We are nearly done with the chaos.
Of course, gulls bring their own chaos in the form of projectile poo and scraps over food. But they are very entertaining and a pleasure to watch develop.
This year rescues have been inundated with babies. We had a massive help from our friends over at Mablethorpe seal who took the first few arrivals for us to join their gull army! The guys over there are absolutely brilliant and it was such a help!!
But over the weeks, even they filled up. I don't have an awful lot of space here so I can only house a handful safely until they are ready to leave. While they are here, they have fresh fish and meat daily with added vitamins specifically designed for sea birds. This is massively important when keeping seabirds for more then a few days. They have salt glands which if left unused can atrophy and cause problems.
There are a few different types of gulls along our coasts, these guys are herring gulls- the big white ones that steal your chips 🤣
Gulls are a red listed birds- which means their population is in decline. For me, it makes it all the more special to grow healthy babies that are fit and ready for release to contribute to their declining numbers!
It won't be long and these babies will be on their merry way!
🌻 1 HOUR, 3 VETS 🌻
Just when I thought things were calming down, today hit and changed that mind set instantly.
I've barely had time to think these past couple of weeks and have dealt with everything from ducks, to swans, to leverettes and everything else in between.
I'm currently hand rearing 6 little dots for Never give up Rescue, which is an absolute pleasure. Of course, they aren't dots- they are little squidgy kittens. Their mum, being only very young herself, did a great job for 2 weeks but then, sadly, had enough of them and completely rejected them. Going so far as to try and drown a couple of them.
This is one of the reasons why it's so important to make sure your cats are spayed or neutered as soon as possible. Not only are their bodies still developing when they get pregnant at a young age, they are also just simply not mature enough to deal with bringing up kittens. Everybody that knows me, knows I love to hand rear babies and over the years I've learnt a lot and perfected methods for different species to do it confidently and successfully.
Last night, we had a bit of a scare with my mums dog, Sonny. While this was all going on and we were rushing him to the team over at Norwood, 3 of my amazing rescue family were travelling to other vets to pick up orphan birds. Once mum and I had arrived at Norwood Veterinary Group, the vet nurse looked pleased to see me and came out the back with a little box 🤣 inside was a little pigeon squab! So in an hour, I had 3 birds from 3 different vets arrive for rehab!!
A massive thank you to Peel Veterinary Clinic, Vets Now and norwood for finding help for their respective little creatures!!
Today has seen the arrival of a little moorhen, another very poorly kitten and another pigeon squab. I've also taken numerous phone calls and answered as many messages as I could get through. Phew!!! I'm exhausted 🤣
It never ends but I wouldn't change it for the world! I have my moments 🤣🤣
Thank you to everyone who has helped this week, our rescue team is simply phenomenal and I couldn't do any of this without their dedication!
Which brings me onto my next little update!!
I was so upset to hear that our incredible Sandy Smith had had an accident while watching deer on her little holiday. Sandy is absolutely invaluable to me- no nonsense, gets the job done and always makes people laugh in the process. She was in a hide watching the deer when she wanted to quickly grab her phone to take a picture. She fell, banged her head and broke her arm! The after effects of her ordeal have left her battered and bruised and very sore!
Please join me in sending her all the love we can and wishes for a speedy recovery!! 💗
On that note, I'll sign off for tonight and try and get some more updates done over the next few days!
Over and out....
Personally, I have never been told any of these things from people and have only ever encountered support and kindness which im truly gratful for.
However, I'm seeing more and more, that rescues up and down the country are being the target of abuse by people on a daily basis.
These people are close friends of mine and I can promise you, having been out and worked in the field with them and seen first hand what they do on a daily basis- they work INCREDIBLY hard!!
Rescues like me, and Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue and all the rest of us, offer this service for FREE. We don't charge you for admitting an animal into our facilities, or for their ongoing care.
We do it because we have a love and a passion for wildlife. For animals in general. We have spent hours and hours learning and developing our skills to ensure we provide the very best care. The sad fact is, it's never enough. There is always more. Always other issues we face daily. Financial difficulty, sheer exaustion, absolutely no time for a personal life- but we persevere! We keep going because those little lives have noone else.
Please, please be kind to rescues of any sort. Wildlife rescue or domestic rescue- it's all the same and we are all working incredibly hard!!
We cannot believe we're even writing this post...
We have had enough of being told we're not doing enough, that we're not quick enough, and that we're not fit for purpose, yet we offer so much more than most...
As you may have seen recently, we're currently running at nearly full capacity EVERY SINGLE DAY, We are dealing with an unprecedented amount of wildlife casualties this year, and we do not have a big wildlife centre and unlimited facilities.
We are 100% volunteers; we do not deserve to be told we're not doing enough or that we're not quick enough when we are putting blood, sweat, tears, and even our own money into this to keep this rescue open.
Over the last couple of weeks, we've been working on a one-in-one-out basis, which has kept us at maximum capacity 24/7. We're exhausted and do not deserve people saying that we're not doing enough. As if we don't have enough to deal with.
So, instead of doing this one-in-one-out process, which clearly isn't effective enough, we will instead remain closed until we have brought our capacity to 75% or less.
The day we win the lottery to open a hospital, pay staff, and have unlimited facilities, we'll be living the life. Until then, we remain a small group of volunteers giving their all and tired of being told that they're not enough.
Stop the abuse of wildlife rescues, or lose them! - Speaking for rescues across the UK.
CleethorpesWildlifeRescue.com
🌻 AND THEN THERE ARE DAYS WHEN YOU MUST REST 🌻
But, unfortunatly there is no rest for the wicked!
I havnt felt this poorly for a very, very long time. Everything hurts!! I'm doing my very best to keep up with messages and calls but it's been almost impossible. This season has been one of the worst I've known and when you're not feeling your best it feels like climbing everest. Not that I've climbed everest, but you know what I mean.
I've got a sad update to give you all, our king pigeon gave up his fight. He died in the night on Thursday. He was still in the same position he was when he went to sleep that night so I choose to beleive he went to sleep peacefully and that was that. Emaciation is one of our hardest battles with animals. You'd think that giving food would be enough, but it's not that simple. In the back of my head I knew he was too far gone but, as always, I had hope that with patience, knowledge and time I could get him going again.
I've had a fair few loses this last couple of weeks, and not for the lack of trying I can assure you! The animals that come to me here are sometimes in such a bad way, even a magic wand wouldn't help.
But, I will persevere, I will keep going even when- like now- I just want to crawl into bed and go to sleep. Because this is what I've chosen to do. And it wasn't a decision I chose lightly and it's certainly not a decision I can back out of just because it's hard.
I've got some releases to do in the next few days ❤️
Including 2 collard doves and a grass snake! I'll try and get an update done nearer the time.
For now, I'm absolutely desperate for things like:-
🌻 Puppy pads
🌻 Bird seed
🌻 Pigeon conditioner seed
🌻 Black bin liners
🌻 Blue (or white) roll
🌻 Dog meat (in jelly)
If anyone can spare even just £1 to go towards buying these things, please consider us for a donation.
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PLSFQKYHADYMU
You can also absolutely drop items off to me at home to use!! Absolutely anything helps!!
A MASSIVE thank you to P&S at Hull Wildlife Protectors for holding the line while I've been on another planet.
And to the people who have checked in on me (you know who you are) it's meant a great deal indeed.
One foot in front of the other......
🌻 THE KING AND I 🌻
Well......
What a hectic couple of weeks. Things havnt relented here at HQ, and it's been absolute chaos with intakes. However, we have managed quite a few releases which is the best part.
2 tawny owls have now rejoined their wild families, a handful of rabbits, lots and lots of garden birds and pigeons galore.
We still have our work cut out for us and still have plenty of patients with more arriving by the day.
Which brings me to.....
THE KING!!
Would you just look at this incredible bird!! I'll always fight the pigeons corner, the most condemned bird around. Vermin they are not!! Pigeons are incredibly intelligent, contrary to popular belief. They have been used throughout history to perform some of the most important tasks- all for the good of humans. They are capable of recognising faces, and of learning to do different tasks. There are many different types of pigeons, not all of them wild. Fancy pigeon keeping is a popular hobby for lots of people and this includes KING PIGEONS. Which is what this guy is.
For context, the redbull can next to him is the biggest can avaliable. If you've seen them in the shops, you'll know how big they are. And this bird is bigger.
There are some horror stories around about the King pigeon being used and bred for their meat. Which is true- but a lot of the time people keep them because they enjoy them.
This guy is very poorly indeed, arriving with a big wound to his leg. He is also INCREDIBLY emaciated and so we are working carefully to get some calories into him without shocking his system. He's not out of the woods yet and the next 48 hours are critical.
But what a wonderful bird to be able to help!
As you'll see from the picture, he is ringed and we are working with the RPRA to figure out where he has come from ❤️
🌻 IN SEARCH OF....🌻
Hi guys....
We are in search of something very particular.....
We need some photos blown up and printed on something that would be suitable for an event, preferably waterproof.
I don't have the first clue where to go for something like this so any help would be greatly appreciated 🤣🤣
🌻 STARS CANT SHINE WITHOUT DARKNESS 🌻
Little Star 🌟 update for you tonight while I sit and wait for the arrival of a Kestrel.
He's doing really well and moved onto big boy food. I offered him a chick but he wasn't sure so we opted for some chunky meat instead. He will stay on some probiotics for a few days while we worm him and we will gradually acclimatise him to be in a pen instead of the incubator.
He's also still drinking oralade just so we know he is getting the hydration he needs. Oralade is a staple here at HQ and we are running very low on it! If you can help, you will find it on our wishlist which I will post below. Alternatively, please consider us for a donation so we can keep topped up on necessities. I'd definitely recommend everyone has a bottle in for their fur babies, especially in the summer months! It really is a wonderful product.
For now, turn your volume up and enjoy the chompings of our little star 🌟
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PLSFQKYHADYMU
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2JRLZU2QRMSJ?ref_=wl_share
🌻 KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE STARS AND YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND 🌻
Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Star 🌟
This little boy was found by the side of the road looking a little dazed and weak. His finder didn't hesitate to get him some helped and after a lot of stress and many phonecalls managed to find him a vets that would take him in. A massive thank you to Old Courts Veterinary Centre in Brigg for giving this boy a chance!
He was completely flat and unresponsive when he arrived and the wonderful vet team got to work and gave him life saving care.
After a thorough examination, it was clear he had no injuries to speak of. His blood glucose was checked and other then being severely dehydrated, the team couldn't find anything else going on.
And so he has come to us for further care and intense monitoring!
After some more oral rehydration, little star decided he was a little bit peckish. Here you'll see him lapping up some Hill's urgent care food that has been designed to be delicate on the digestive system whilst ensuring all nutritional needs are met.
Star will stay in one of our Brinsea TLC Intensive Care Units so his body doesn't have to use valuable energy maintaining his body temperature, and it can focus on digesting food and fluids.
Isn't he handsome!!
The hills food is absolutely nessasary, but incredibly expensive when used in the quantities we go through it in, so please- if you can help towards things like this, that quite literally save lives, consider us for a donation ❤️
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PLSFQKYHADYMU
🌻 WELL THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY🌻
Rabbits, rabbits and more rabbits!!
Today we received another 4 babies, all with their eyes closed. This means we can put them about a week old!!
These 4 little tykes were found in a muck heap that was about to be burnt! Luckily, they were found and the lovely ladies quick thinking meant that they stood a chance. She observed for a period of time to see if mum came back but unfortunatly she didn't.
These babies will be fed around the clock using kitten replacer milk and a special additive- bio lapsis. Bio lapsis ensures that their hydration is maintained, as well as providing a pre/pro biotic to protect their delecate digestive systems!
This group will take our total to 17 rabbits so far this year and although we've lost a couple along the way, we have definitely released a lot more then this time last year.
The season so far doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon so please,please if you can help us keep going, consider us for a donation! Even £1 helps massively and if everyone that follows us donated just £1, we would be in a much better position!!
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PLSFQKYHADYMU
Thank you all so so much for your continued support!! You're all wonderful!!
🌻 ITS FINALLY HOT ENOUGH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW HOT IT IS 🌻
You know it's been a busy day when your disinfecting jug is this full!!
The autoclave has been on twice tonight sterilising all the utensils ready for it all to start again on the morning!!
Today we have seen, starlings, blackbirds, pigeons, crows and young gulls!!
We had a group of 4, week old rabbits in this week too! I thought we were done with baby rabbits 🤣🤣
We have had some wonderful donations this week of food and eggs, all of which has been very well received by the animals and us!! Thank you all so so much for all the help! It really makes such a difference!!
We've got to put another order in for waxworms and Safe4 tomorrow which will set us back about £200, so please please if you feel like you can help, consider us for a donation to go towards the CONSTANT costs!
We hope youre all having a wonderful weekend and enjoying this lovely weather!
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PLSFQKYHADYMU
🌻 HE ASKED, AND I SAID YES! 🌻
So, there has been a happening here at HQ!!
My amazing partner asked me to marry him last night!!
Of course I said YES!!!!
🌻FOUND!!!🌻
Please share!!
Cockateil found and safe with us must be a much loved family pet, very friendly and tuneful.
Please message us directly if you think it could be yours! Found Hull area.
Thanks
We are desperate for some transport from.hrimsby to us in walkington of 4 very tiny, vulnerable rabbit kits. Can anyone help?
🙏SORTED - THANK YOU CLEETHORPES WILDLIFE RESCUE🙏
‼️VERY URGENT APPEAL TO HULL‼️
4 baby rabbits urgently need transporting to The Wildlife Alliance - Hull & East Yorkshire.
They need specialist care and I'm not able to give this to them.
Can anyone help please. I'm feeding hoglets here and really busy.
Please call me on 07887 835734 as soon as possible. Thank you.
🌻 LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT, FIND YOUR PATH TO FULLFILLMENT 🌻
To be a part of an animals life is something you just can't replicate. But to be a part of something much bigger is humbling and sometimes quite emotional.
Birds of prey are very special. That's not to say that any of the other birds that find their way to us aren't special. There is just something magical about this species.
They not only deserve respect, they demand it. They are not only majestic and and agile, but dangerous and moody!
All 3 of these stunning birds came in seperatly. Not directly to us- but via 3 different vet practices. Unfortunatly, no details were recorded as to where they were found, aside from the youngest male. It's so important that if you find an injured animal and take it to the vets, you ask them to record the location it was found. This means that when released, they can be taken back to where they were found.
We ALWAYS try to make sure that is done from our end, even if it means driving for an hour or more.
We had no choice with these guys but to find a suitable location for release. This does happen occasionally and it's our responsibility to ensure the environment is suitable for the species to live and thrive.
The larger male who you will see first in the video had absolutely no intention of waiting any longer, hence why he's already out before we even managed to open the carrier 🤣
The second two, a female (who we actually didnt think would make it) and a younger male were a little more cautious, but still eager to leave. All 3, flew incredibly well and we had quite the show for 10 minutes afterwards before they all disappeared into the distance.
A MASSIVE thank you to all 3 vets for giving them full checkovers and addressing any concerns they had. We couldn't do this without the teamwork involved with various parties.
Thrilled with these 3 birds! A fantastic end to their stories.
🌻 WE LIVE IN LIDL 🌻
We are clawing our way through the season by the skin of our teeth!!
It might always seem like rescues like ourselves are constantly begging for donations, and the reality is- we absolutely are!!
We are desperately trying to keep going but with the MASSIVE costs, sometimes it feels like we are meeting ourselves backwards!
We are now in full Corvod swing, and although they are one of our favourites to have in due to their character and intelligence they are also one of the most expensive birds to maintain. Unlike other birds, corvids need a very varied, high protein diet. We are currently spending between £15-£20 every 2 days JUST on the base of their diet! That doesn't include the eggs we add, fruit, insects, calcium and vitamins! It is costing a fortune!
We have slowed down our intakes at the moment in order to better manage and maintain our current standards but it's not over yet.
Next will be young gulls who will also be on a very high protein diet. Last year we were using 10 tins of dog food every day JUST on that particular species.
Please, please if you can help, consider us for a donation via our PayPal link. We would also be very grateful for that meat that's been in your freezer a little too long. Or maybe you switched your cat or dog onto raw frozen food and they didn't like it? We will gladly take it off your hands!!
This time of year sees so many rescues folding to the crippling costs, we don't want that to happen here but we also can't do it alone!
Be part of the Alliance and feed a bird today 🤣
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PLSFQKYHADYMU
🌻 DRIVING INTO THE DARK 🌻
A late night call! We can't always attend them, but when I saw how upset the lady was, I had to go and check.....
Whilst driving home, a lovely lady sadly hit a badger that came out of nowhere. A lot of wildlife find their way onto busy roads and often end up as RTA victims. Not many people stop, or even bother to report these things and so the animal is left to suffer.
This lady couldn't do that. She felt so guilty and upset and explained that the badger appeared suddenly. With nowhere to swerve to due to other vehicles, she hit him.
It's important for her, and you all to know- it's not your fault. It wasn't done intentionally, nor was it done maliciously. It was an accident. And an accident is just that- an accident.
She wasn't sure if he had passed away and so I popped out to check.
I couldn't locate him which tells me that he potentionally wasn't killed and maybe made his way back into the bushes. There is no way of knowing 100% if he is OK, and all we can do is check again tomorrow in daylight.
And so.....back to bed. Ready to do it all again tomorrow!
* Please note- my camera was set to record a 10 second interval. I wasn't using my phone whilst driving 🙃 *
🌻 RESCUE IS HARD......🌻
Some days are good. Some days, there are lots of small wins that make the day a success. It keeps you going.
Some days are dark- so dark that you question if you can keep going.
Rescue is a hard world to be in. And, yes- it was our choice. Nobody forced us to do it. But our love of animals and wanting to make a real difference was the driving force in starting all of this.
We are halfway through the busiest season of the year and if I'm being completely honest, we are both a bit flat. There is no 'time off'. If you stop, something that needs you goes downhill rapidly. If you stop, that little bird that needs feeding every 15 mins- suffers.
Sometimes, we see that people get frustrated that we havnt answered a message, or their call hasn't been answered, or we say that we can't take in any more animals right now.....
We've even had people call other rescues and complain to them about us because we havnt answered their one phonecall.
I promise you, if we havnt answered your call, it's because we are dealing with something else that, at that moment, takes precedence. Call us back, send us a text or a WhatsApp. One way or another we will get back to you with the advice or offer of help you need.
We have some incredible people around us. Our volunteers are the backbone of everything we do and without them taking time out of their days to help us transport sick and injured animals, we really wouldn't get very far. Not only that, but they are our friends. They see, firsthand, when we are struggling and keep us motivated. They lift our spirits and make us laugh. We are so very lucky to call these people our friends- especially on the bad days!
🌻 BUSY- adj. Having a great deal to do. 🌻
I'm not even 100% sure how to put into words the chaos that is HQ at the moment. Things are absolutely hectic.
We have not been able to officially reopen because we've taken in that much while we've been closed 🤣
If we have missed your messages or calls, all I can do is apologise. We receive around 20-30 calls and messages a day and do our very best to manage them in between dealing with the animal care.
We also have call outs to bigger animals that are stuck, have been involved in road accidents or that need immediate help. AND THEN, we have the vet trips and food runs to do! It's nuts!!!
We are running out of funds rapidly. Our insect order alone is between £80-120 a week, and with babies of various species still arriving daily this is only going to continue.
If you would like to contribute towards the care of these vulnerable animals, please consider us for a donation!
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PLSFQKYHADYMU
Beverley
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🌻 IVE TRIED TO KEEP GOING 🌻 With immediate effect I have had to make the decision to close the doors to any further intakes. The group of people who know me best, know what I'm like. I've said, probably about 8 times this week "that's the last one, nor more now", but it's never that easy. I judge everything case by case and if I think I can safely take an animal in that needs help I will- never to the animals detriment, but definitely my own. I'll be completely honest and give you some idea of what life is like over here...... I havnt had a full night's sleep in weeks, and when I do have chance to sleep, I have to be up regularly to feed babies through the night. Or check on critical patients that need a little bit more monitoring or take calls from the police at 2am to help with deer that have been involved in car accidents. During the day I receive anywhere from 10 to 30 calls and messages from people who need help with injured wildlife. I'm missing messages and calls because I simply can't keep up. I havnt been able to cook my family a meal in a while and that really upsets me. The financial side of things is incredibly difficult, and you all probably get sick of me asking for donations and help. But it's so hard to keep up. A donation comes in and it goes straight back out. The more animals I take in, the more money I need to keep going and it's a major factor in whether I stay open or close. I'm doing a fantastic event at Bempton in August which will definitely help! I'll do a post on that later! I'm so grateful to everyone who has donated, either with money or dog food or blankets and towels. You've all been an incredible help! I'm not looking for sympathy I can assure you of that, I just wanted to explain a little bit. For now though, I need to stop and catch up on things. Exhausted is an understatement and I can't safely take anything else in. If you are stuck and need some help, please contact your nearest vet for advice. There is Re
🌻 BE LIKE A GULL, ALWAYS SEEKING THE BEST VIEW 🌻 The season has many different waves. We have waves of garden birds, waves of corvids, waves of different mammals and then we arrive at sea birds. I quite like when we start seeing the baby gulls. Not only are they incredibly cute, but it means that we have arrived at the latter part of the hardest few months of the year. We are nearly done with the chaos. Of course, gulls bring their own chaos in the form of projectile poo and scraps over food. But they are very entertaining and a pleasure to watch develop. This year rescues have been inundated with babies. We had a massive help from our friends over at Mablethorpe seal who took the first few arrivals for us to join their gull army! The guys over there are absolutely brilliant and it was such a help!! But over the weeks, even they filled up. I don't have an awful lot of space here so I can only house a handful safely until they are ready to leave. While they are here, they have fresh fish and meat daily with added vitamins specifically designed for sea birds. This is massively important when keeping seabirds for more then a few days. They have salt glands which if left unused can atrophy and cause problems. There are a few different types of gulls along our coasts, these guys are herring gulls- the big white ones that steal your chips 🤣 Gulls are a red listed birds- which means their population is in decline. For me, it makes it all the more special to grow healthy babies that are fit and ready for release to contribute to their declining numbers! It won't be long and these babies will be on their merry way!
🌻 STARS CANT SHINE WITHOUT DARKNESS 🌻 Little Star 🌟 update for you tonight while I sit and wait for the arrival of a Kestrel. He's doing really well and moved onto big boy food. I offered him a chick but he wasn't sure so we opted for some chunky meat instead. He will stay on some probiotics for a few days while we worm him and we will gradually acclimatise him to be in a pen instead of the incubator. He's also still drinking oralade just so we know he is getting the hydration he needs. Oralade is a staple here at HQ and we are running very low on it! If you can help, you will find it on our wishlist which I will post below. Alternatively, please consider us for a donation so we can keep topped up on necessities. I'd definitely recommend everyone has a bottle in for their fur babies, especially in the summer months! It really is a wonderful product. For now, turn your volume up and enjoy the chompings of our little star 🌟 https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PLSFQKYHADYMU https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2JRLZU2QRMSJ?ref_=wl_share
🌻 LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT, FIND YOUR PATH TO FULLFILLMENT 🌻 To be a part of an animals life is something you just can't replicate. But to be a part of something much bigger is humbling and sometimes quite emotional. Birds of prey are very special. That's not to say that any of the other birds that find their way to us aren't special. There is just something magical about this species. They not only deserve respect, they demand it. They are not only majestic and and agile, but dangerous and moody! All 3 of these stunning birds came in seperatly. Not directly to us- but via 3 different vet practices. Unfortunatly, no details were recorded as to where they were found, aside from the youngest male. It's so important that if you find an injured animal and take it to the vets, you ask them to record the location it was found. This means that when released, they can be taken back to where they were found. We ALWAYS try to make sure that is done from our end, even if it means driving for an hour or more. We had no choice with these guys but to find a suitable location for release. This does happen occasionally and it's our responsibility to ensure the environment is suitable for the species to live and thrive. The larger male who you will see first in the video had absolutely no intention of waiting any longer, hence why he's already out before we even managed to open the carrier 🤣 The second two, a female (who we actually didnt think would make it) and a younger male were a little more cautious, but still eager to leave. All 3, flew incredibly well and we had quite the show for 10 minutes afterwards before they all disappeared into the distance. A MASSIVE thank you to all 3 vets for giving them full checkovers and addressing any concerns they had. We couldn't do this without the teamwork involved with various parties. Thrilled with these 3 birds! A fantastic end to their stories.
🌻 DRIVING INTO THE DARK 🌻 A late night call! We can't always attend them, but when I saw how upset the lady was, I had to go and check..... Whilst driving home, a lovely lady sadly hit a badger that came out of nowhere. A lot of wildlife find their way onto busy roads and often end up as RTA victims. Not many people stop, or even bother to report these things and so the animal is left to suffer. This lady couldn't do that. She felt so guilty and upset and explained that the badger appeared suddenly. With nowhere to swerve to due to other vehicles, she hit him. It's important for her, and you all to know- it's not your fault. It wasn't done intentionally, nor was it done maliciously. It was an accident. And an accident is just that- an accident. She wasn't sure if he had passed away and so I popped out to check. I couldn't locate him which tells me that he potentionally wasn't killed and maybe made his way back into the bushes. There is no way of knowing 100% if he is OK, and all we can do is check again tomorrow in daylight. And so.....back to bed. Ready to do it all again tomorrow! * Please note- my camera was set to record a 10 second interval. I wasn't using my phone whilst driving 🙃 *
🌻 8 DUCKINGS AND A MOMMA 🌻 These 8 babies all came in one by one- a couple 2 by 2..... They were all tiny, some injured, some orphaned- but all in need of help! We have raised them, nutured them, fed them the best money can buy as well as some natural bits and bobs to make sure they got everything they needed to be strong enough for release. A massive success and all 8 babies and their surrogate mother are now back where they belong ❤️
🌻 ITS NOT ONLY FINE FEATHERS THAT MAKE FINE BIRDS 🌻 Now, I'm not saying we have favourites, every species is treat with the same attention to detail, HOWEVER I do like a bird with attitude. Some species such as the bird of prey family and the corvid family offer a challenge, which is just what I like. The umbrella of birds that make up the Corvid group are one of my absolute favourites. The Corvid family include:- 🌻Magpie 🌻Rook 🌻Crow 🌻Jackdaw 🌻Raven 🌻Jay 🌻Chough These birds are exceptionally intelligent and being able to watch them grow and learn is an absolute privilege. I absolutely adore their characters and their attitude. They are truly wonderful to hand rear, albeit a little complex and expensive. They require such vast amounts of high protein food, but not just from one source. Every rehabber does things differently, but here at HQ we use a variety of foods depending on their ages. These 2 little ones are on a scheduled feeding rota. Their first feed is around 7-7.30am and is made up of Royal Canin puppy mousse with an avian insect mix which is rich in daphnia, ant eggs, crushed mealworms and buffalo worms and dried berries and seeds. We then alternate their feeds throughout the day. They will have waxworms, chopped chicks, boiled egg,and their puppy mousse. Today, we have used 3 full tins of puppy mousse feeding the young rooks we have in. As they grow, we introduce other foods- fruits, veg, suet, insects, raw meat, eggs, to name a few. They are one of the laziest birds to wean 🤣🤣 they much prefere being fed to feeding themselves and in my opinion it only adds to their charm! In the nest, the loudest, tallest baby gets fed first so quite often feeding time is extremely loud as they battle with their shouts to get the first blob of food. They are incredibly messy birds and it's been said, by someone who will remain nameless- 'cough, Gemma'- that they stink 🤣🤣 I quite like the smell although not the cleanin
🌻 THE TALONS OF A RAPTOR ARE SHARP, BUT ITS MIND IS SHARPER 🌻 Our friends over at Hull Wildlife Protectors asked for our help a few weeks ago with a sparrowhawk that had flown into a conservatory window. This happens with all sorts of birds, but the faster fliers end up with the most damage. We were worried about a collar bone fracture, but that was all clear and after a few days of box rest this incredible bird was ready to go home. We always worry, especially this time of year, that we have a female in that potentially has a nest of eggs or babies that need her. So time is of the essence. Sparrowhawks will start building their nests in April and lay between 3 and 6 eggs. Amazing birds!! Luckily, everything worked out well for this bird and she is now back where she belongs and living her best wild life!
🌻 JUST A BABY, ENJOYING HIS DINNER 🌻 We currently have many different species in with us, one of which is the field vole :) We have 3 of these chubby little blobs in currently that were found alone and struggling! Little field voles like these 3 are fairly common in Britain and with a life span of only 1 year, they manage to pack plenty into their little lives. They are active both day and night and can produce between 3 to 6 litters of babies a year! Here you can see me stimulating them to go to the toilet before they enjoy their milk!! Very cute little things and fascinating to learn about!
🌻 THE WAIT IS OVER 🌻 I'm very, very proud to announce that we are now WILDLIFE CARE BADGE HOLDERS!!!!!! This is an incredibly big deal for us!! Wildlife rehabilitation isn't governed here in the UK and we feel it should be. Having this badge has entailed us having a full vet check at the premises and sitting a knowledge assessment which I completed today and passed!! Moving forward we have an obligation to submit records frequently and also give evidence that we have a good working relationship with a vet. It holds us accountable!! Which is what every rescue should have to do, in our opinion. A massive thank you to the whole team over at the Wildlife Care Badge for all the effort and care they put into the whole process. We are really looking forward to being a part of the evolution of the badge and seeing what comes next! For now, I'm going for a nap!! Oh, wait!!! No I'm not- I've got baby birds screaming at me for feeds 🤣🤣
🌻 SOME DAYS YOU'RE THE PIGEON, SOME DAYS YOU'RE THE STATUE- LIVE WITH IT 🌻 Let's talk about pigeons!! Year after year, pigeons are our most admitted patient here at HQ. And this year has been no different. We have a fair few baby pigeons, collared doves and wood pigeons in at the moment, and I wanted to show you how well they adapt to us being their parents. Pigeons are fed by both mum and dad, who regurgitate the food directly into the babies mouth- who then, in turn, swallow it down. We can't replicate this 🤣 although I'm sure jen would give it a good go! Instead, we use a gavage feeding method when then babies are young. This means that we use sterilised syringes and a short tube to place the liquid hand rearing formula directly into the pigeons crop. This is where the food is stored for the body to slowly pass it through the digestive system and get all the good stuff to where it needs to be. This method doesn't cause the pigeon any discomfort or pain but it's definitely something that needs to be done by someone with experience. Please don't attempt to do this alone. There are many things that can go wrong with gavage feeding- rupturing the crop, placing the tube incorrectly and causing potential aspiration and pneumonia and overfeeding which can cause the food to come back up and enter the windpipe. I've never met a baby pigeon who isn't enthusiastic come meal time which makes our job much easier. This little wood pigeon, as you'll see, sees my hand as mum's beak and when he gets his beak In-between my fingers (replicating mum or dad's mouth) he opens wide to accept the food. We will talk about weaning a little further down the line! With 31 babies in as of this morning, we may be a little slow in replying to messages. Please do call us if we havnt responded to a message. Sleep is a thing of the past and I have to say, I'm looking forward to the end of summer when all the babies are grown up 🤣🤣
🌻 ARE YOU FEELING BETTER AGNES? 🌻 Little Agnes is certainly moving in the right direction. Her jaw has stopped locking and she is eating and drinking really well. She really did give us a fright when we picked her up!! One of the only times I've actually flapped!! Agnes eats puppy meat and puppy milk along side water-the puppy meat is very very soft and we would absolutely never give her anything that would cause discomfort. For context, she ate the FULL bowl with ease (post edited after comment made) In the next week or so we will be moving her on to chicks and chicken wings to get her fully weaned before we plan the next steps in her journey! Every cub that comes through is very special to us, but Agnes will definitely hold a special place in our hearts for a long time to come! It's very important that we don't handle Agnes aside from her daily checks- this is because she is a wild animal and being so young, the risk of imprinting is much much higher (post edited after comment made) She is kept in a quiet part of the hospital to limit stress and has a teddy to snuggle up with as well as toys for enrichment. A lone cub is never ideal and we will be finding her a family as soon as possible, she definitely deserves it! 🩷 We are very low on funds at the moment, this little one will go through A LOT of food and milk during her stay. She is just one of many little lives we have in at the moment, all of which cost money!! One day I will win the lottery but until then we rely on you're generosity to do what we do! If you can help, please consider us for a donation!! 🌻 https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PLSFQKYHADYMU
DotDot Pet Care Ltd - Beverley
Beverley
