CHESTNUT
It's all about second chances at living a wild life.
Found by Rebecca on 8th June, on the A9 straight near Kilmuir, this adult Tawy Owl was stunned, hurt and grounded.
Fortunately for him Rebecca was on her way from the Black Isle to survey Common Seals at Loch Fleet when she scooped him up and contacted us. Kirsty collected him from Rebecca and brought him here where he started his recovery.
12 days later after rebuilding strength and stamina, in our flight, he went back home and we are delighted to share the best bit of our work, with you π
Release!!!
An oiled Mallard drake came in from Inverness needing 4 wash, rinse and dry sessions followed by 10 days of care to rewaterproof and prepare for wild release.
A perfect afternoon gave us the chance to let him go, and Melody Rose who just happened to be at the release site was happy to help him get going.
He didn't waste a second, out and GONE!!!!
I stayed and watched Sand Martins flying around and before long he headed back into the shallows, looking very pleased with himself.
Thank you Melody, for your help π
Found on a driveway in Wick, by Stewart, these little rabbit kits are barely a week old. Mum had moved them but not returned despite being given time to come back, and her babies were shivering, on the bare gravel.
Named Peter, Bolt, Chipper, Bonnie, Penny and Laurie by Stewart's son Darren he knows they're not pets, but that they need to be reared to head back to the wild, where they belong.
Full tummies after each being handfed rehydration formula, they're warm and content.....until the next feed π
The latest batch of mucky duckies.
They're lovely little guys but nothing stays clean for more than 3 seconds.
Sound on, to hear them filtering their food through the water (soup they've made), whilst sitting in it.
Ahhhhh another clean-up job π§½π§Ήπ¦
Sunday Duckday π¦π
Another batch of adorable, mucky, little Mallard ducklings to drive us insane with their terrible hygiene habits but look how sweet they are!
The new arrivals Hughes, Wordsworth, Byron, Blake, Elliot and Hardy are just little - the same size as Hathaway so we have a newly blended family here, with Shakespeare going back to the bigger crew.
The duck food that so many of you generously donated last month is being put to very good use as you can see!
Remember Oakley, the Short-Eared Owl?
He made a full recovery and has gone back to his home, away up North.
How brilliant to see him flying so beautifully after being found grounded beside a road.
We do love a wild release π
Orlaith update π¦¦
Our wee cub is very lonely and attemps to find a friend for her have so far failed.
We will keep trying because solo rearing is never best - she would naturally be with ber mum and siblings, playing and sleeping together. She's finding it tough being alone and has gone off her food a little.
The soft toy isn't ideal, but as you can see, playing is good therapy. She spent last night snuggled up to it and we really hope it gives her a boost.
There's still time to be a part of pur Otter cub pen build if you'd like to. It's a crucial step in the projects we undertake to provide the very best environments for our patients π
https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/otter-cub-pen
Note to self - remember to warn nieces that Wood Pigeons are quite stessy and likely to "explode" out of a box when wild released π€£
Sorry Jessie and Izabella. Jeezo!! π€£π€£π€£
NB Bowie was found grounded and flightless two weeks ago by Nick. Not so flightless now!
TEGA gave us a highly educational parting gift at his release, at Jim and Lynne's new woodland area.
Self-anointing
When a hedgehog encounters a new, stimulating object or substance, it is often sniffed, licked and even chewed although sometimes the odour alone is sufficient to trigger this unusual behavioir.
The resultant saliva is applied to the spines and fur with the underside of the tongue as the hedgehog contorts its body and licks itself and TEGA gives us a perfect example of this behaviour as he experienced his new home, in this amazing video.
Our thanks also to TEGA's finder and sponsor Nicole π
We do love a name theme, so the duckling poets Yeats, Shelley, Burns, Angelou, Poe and Plath have been joined by a tiny little Shakespeare π¦
Because he's so small, I've paired him with the smaller of the first 6, Plath. This way everyone has a friend, and noone gets bullied, which can easily happen if you add little ones to existing care groups.
Every duckling instinctively loves water - in a top 3 of the dirtiest bird patients, only gulls and buzzards really compete with a mucky ducky π
#mallard #ducklings #wildliferehab
Well done to everyone who guessed we have a stunning Merlin in care π
We LOVE an unusual patient!
Clues
1. UK's smallest bird of prey
2. In winter, the UK population increases as most of the Icelandic breeding birds migrate to our warmer climate
3. This one is a male
4. It is on the UK Red List
What is he?
Yay! Way to go Logan!
Extra leaves and twigs to make sure his bed is perfectly comfy, at his new home in Ullapool.
It's brilliant for us, and Logan's sponsor Joanne, to see how quickly this reared youngster is adapting to his new, wild life.
Our thanks to Noel and the brilliant Ullapool Sea Savers for their fabulous help with release sites and transport, and to Jenny, Logan's guardian, for looking after him and the video footage π
#wildrelease #backtothewild #wildliferehab
Just Sheldon discovering the utter deliciousness of dandelions.
He and siblings Amy, Doug and Myrtle are doing so well, and we are all very grateful for the fabulous supplies of Meadow Hay that have been arriving.
Thank you to everyone π
As well as Hubba Bubba leaving us yesterday, we bid farewell to Angel and Sammy last night with thanks to Nick and Jan for becoming new rehabbed hedgehog guardians.
Today Hagrid went home to Anne's garden in Inverness where he came from, and then Sally, Logan and Dozer headed West, to Ullapool where our favourite young partners in wildlife care, the Ullapool Sea Savers helped to find excellent new homes with Jenny, Hunter and Ailsa.
The combination of generous sponsorship, donated food and wishlist items, volunteer kindness and care, great vets, and a well equipped and stocked Hogspital, make this all happen.
Thank you so much to everyone for helping us to create these second chances at wild lives π
#teamwork #hedgehog #wildlife #wildliferehab
HuΙba Bubba was released tonight, and Michelle, his finder went to a lot of trouble to set up a home, and a feeding station to support him.
She brought him to us for help at the beginning of December as a juvenile, found out in the day, trying to eat a piece of frozen chewing gum.
It's wonderful to see our patients being released, and having their second chance.
Good luck Hubba, and thank you Michelle π
Cheerio Pippy and Chloe π
After a couple of failed release attempts in the last few days (they decide whether to go or not) the Pipistrelle girls had a meeting and decided that tonight was the night!
Plenty of insects about after the prolonged rain, and so many bats from next door's roost all out to feed so they've gone to join them.
Amazing, fascinating, really special little creatures, I couldn't be happier for them π¦π¦
#batconservation #pipistrelle #batrescue #highlandwildlife #bct
Drunken wobble means trouble β οΈ
β οΈ Waking from hibernation is hard work.
β οΈ Reserves are low.
β οΈ Hunger sets in.
β οΈ Dehydration can be dangerous.
Wobbling could be due to dehydraton, or caused by neurological problems, or even an infection but wobbly hedgehogs need competent help, quickly.
To help all hedghogs do leave out shallow dishes of fresh water, and moist / meaty cat food.
But those that wobble won't get better on their own. Call us on 07957 584817, or the SSPCA on 03000 999 999, or your nearest vet who can liase with us - we very happily work with vets across the Highlands π
