Beautifully said…. So often we miss the beauty because of over-exposure or ubiquity. Respect🌹🌹🌹
Education about Psitticines (parrotlets, parrots, macaws). Understanding a bit about their emotional/psychological wellbeing and how their beautiful minds work.🌹💕 The first few seconds are quiet because I’m sitting at my desk watching to see if he is going to disobey and try to climb atop the cage again. Explanation follows. He is really trying to behave today😍
Good morning everyone— Just a little inspiration from our feathered friends and some fine photographers!
UPDATE!! Remember me? I’m Marius, and I almost died from exposure, starvation and a parasite load. Thank you for your healing thoughts… here’s me before and after! 💕🌹
UPDATE: Marius the EEO (Eurasian Eagle Owl). Is it just me or are we all in need of some really good news?? Well, here it is and it’s very good indeed. Today, for the first time since this lovely wee man arrived, he is flying!! He recovered at last, enough to get some height. Don’t get me wrong— he still is horrifically underweight and has a nematode crisis etc. But the most important turning point has been made and after he gets another pound of weight on, he’ll be moved to the outside mews for final recovery steps. At the moment he’s so painfully thin he simply hasn’t the bodily reserve to handle our off/on weather. He must remain protected from the elements. Already, with a bath, rest, meds and excellent foods, he’s proved he is willing to fight for his life. So are we! THANK YOU those of you who aided financially for his food and meds, every pound has been used and look at what it an accomplished! His life back. 🥳 ❤️🩹
💙 WAYS TO HELP 💙
To help us rescue, rehab and release Blue Highlands birds you can support our charitable work (SC050767) in any of the following ways;
🦅 For regular donations, and one-off donations please visit this link!
www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/bluehighlandsbirdrescue
One of the saddest intakes… CRITICAL CARE CASE: this little boy, “Marius” the Eurasian Eagle Owl came in today injured, clearly grounded for a long time, emaciated (beyond starving—keel measurement 1 out of possible 5) and weighing 30% of an acceptable body weight for this species. He’s also 50% smaller than typical EEO MALES (whom are smaller than females). We will keep you updated but this wee sprite has a LONG road to recovery.
PLEASE send good thoughts. Obviously a releasee or escapee, he is elderly and incredibly small for his breed. First we will try to save his life, then hopefully his original home (assuming it’s a safe one).
If unable to be returned then he’ll be Blue Highlands’ 7th EEO in residence. This is to say nothing of the 5 snowy owls and other birds including parrots and macaws, etc. THANK YOU Katrina, his finder, whose fast, unselfish action AND LONG TRANSPORT got him the emergency help he needs. Let’s hope it was fast enough.
These birds eat a massive amounts of food (varied diet) and need minerals and regular maintenance. Please consider supporting him and the other poor souls here whom had no where else to go. 😓❤️🩹
💙 WAYS TO HELP 💙
To help us rescue, rehab and release Blue Highlands birds you can support our charitable work (SC050767) in any of the following ways;
🦅 For regular donations, and one-off donations please visit this link!
www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/bluehighlandsbirdrescue
OR, Registered Charity Bank Transfer:
Blue Highlands Raptor Rescue & Avian Conservation Centre
45601654 • 60-83-71
Hormones are bizarre. Makes the most extraordinary and unlikely mates…
Poor Tawny “Pudding” has been in rehab for months now. Huge parasite load (nematode crisis, emaciated, broken wing, infections (2 courses antibiotics) and tonnes of food/flight time to build up body mass. FINALLY, fighting fit and ready to go back to home territory. Blinking a bit because she’s properly a nocturnal owl (as opposed to crepuscular or diurnal—daytime lovers like snowys). For this reason we released in dense woodland where she could quickly recede into the dark forest to finish napping before her normal “day” begins. Please support Blue Highlands… thousands have been rehabilitated and wild released just in the last 6 of our 35 years open. We cannot do it without you. 💕
Another crucial birth of a critically endangered species:
I’ve been working on a video about beaks and tongues for ages (keeping snippets in a file of the various species that come in) but I think this lady did a FAR better job than mine is so here you go: 😍
FINAL PENDRAGON UPDATE: Today Pendragon graduates from the hardest and most crucial part of his rehabilitation (as you’ll see here). Of course he still has to learn desensitisation for medical exams and not to attack strangers, etc., but the hardest steps have been successfully taken🌹 Patience, Experience, Love can heal almost anything. INCANDESCENTLY PROUD OF HIM! 😍. REMEMBER: there’s no such thing as a BAD BIRD. 💕 🦜
NOT EVEN THE SAME BIRD. Screaming is minimised. He’s graduated to allowing me to carry him around (the hardest thing to accomplish yet). Yes still terribly aggressive to anyone new, but you can clearly see the time effort and patience is really helping him to bloom. The next thing is bath-tine. he’s not keen, but parrots and macaws MUST, MUST bathe regularly to maintain feather/skin/psychological health. In the rain forest they get drenched DAILY. Imagine what it would feel like if you didn’t get your bath for weeks😓. In 6 months he will be a whole new bird. Confident, happy, demanding. Step by step. ❤️🩹 sorry for all the baby talk; they’re very interactive and tone helps.
PENDRAGON PROGRESS… FIRST TOUCH EVER…. Remember this is the same bird that snapped at anyone who got too close. If you think about just HOW BRAVE he has to be for this first intense interaction, you feel so blooming proud of him. REHABILITATION IS LIFE-CHANGING. 🌹💪
Just a little Snowy Owl Mayhem 🙄
MEET PENDRAGON. This is a blue and gold macaw. He’s never been handled so he is completely wild. Worse—he hasn’t been socialised with other macaws, so rehab will be a LONG LONG ROAD. This young man is to be congratulated for taking his very first steps, caught here on this clip. Working with Psitticines (parrots and macaws etc.) is one of the MOST challenging parts of avian rehab and conservation. A virtual tin-opener for a face means understanding their behaviours and psychology is an absolute must.
A few sweet moments with some of Blue Highlands’ residents. Over the past 34 years, the faces have changed a myriad of times, but the love and commitment always remains. Here are a few currently benefitting. 🌹
Peewee the Tawny Owl is another patient who was ready for return during this lovely, mild spell.
Territorial birds need to be released close to finder site as soon as they ae fully fit if they're to avoid being displaced by enthusiastic competitors..
Luckily I had help from Anna and Sally today, and they made sure he went on his way just before dusk.
Involving children in wild releases can have long-lasting effects for them, especially when they are already keen to see local wildlife doing well.
Thanks Amanda for letting me have such fabulous assistants, and for permission to post the video 🥰
Fly free and safe, Andrea.
It's been our absolute pleasure to get you back to full fitness and wild releases will always be the reason to put in the long hours, and the dedication.
Back home, near Beauly, where you belong 💙
Happy Hogmanay from Widgit who is feeling a good bit better!
It's a mucky business preparing food with very little casting material but birds that suffer vehicle impacts are often very bruised and sore and the last thing they want to do is cough up a pellet.
So for a few days they need "soft" food - no feathers, fur, or bone.
Widgit is still in the Chick Shack. He isn't ready to be moved outside yet, and this video is him happily taking morsels of food, voluntarily, for the first time since his arrival.
We hope your New Year is as promising and hopeful as Widgit's!
Sláinte 💙🥃
Daisy duck (white one at the back) has joined our neighbours' flock and is settling in well. She just couldn't wait to get on the water and have a proper splosh even in the chilly weather!
From predator attack to pondlife!
Thank you to everyone who send swan / duck food for Adam the Whooper swan - it was perfect for Daisy too, and she is very grateful 💙
