HawkTalk Issue 89 Winter 2021

WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

Winter’s approach

Wrap up warm and surround yourself with wonderful wildlife this winter. Whether that means joining us for a day out, perhaps with friends and family too, taking a walk in your local patch of nature or getting out the binoculars to go bird watching, we hope that you are getting your daily dose of nature and seeing some spectacular birds of prey.

At this time of year: • Listen out for Tawny Owls . They’re particularly vocal at this time of year as youngsters seek to claim new territory and adults defend their own. • Watch out for your local Barn Owls quartering over fields. Shorter days help with spotting them hunting at dusk and dawn. • Fewer leaves on the trees present us with a great opportunity to spot perching Red Kites and Buzzards , and search fallow fields where they sometimes forage. • Keep an eye out for other nocturnal wildlife too. You may be lucky enough to spot a badger or hedgehog foraging, or hear the plaintive cry of a fox. • Help your local wildlife by providing shelter and water in your garden for birds, insects and small mammals. • Take care of your wellbeing and make sure you enjoy nature every day. This can be as little as watching nature in your garden or out of your window, or enjoying our wildlife podcast, Nature’s a Hoot. It’s an inspirational listen with some amazing guests over the past year. At the Trust, we have so much planned for you to enjoy – find out more on page 3. With shorter days and colder weather, it can be easy to stay inside wrapped up warm. The benefits of getting outside and immersing yourself in nature can be phenomenal though, and we encourage you to embrace nature in whatever way and as much as you can! The Trust is open all the way through to the beginning of January, so make the most of your membership and pay us a visit.

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HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

A message from our Chief Executive Penny Smout CEO

In this issue

Visit us this winter EVENTS Members’ Working Day – Sunday 5 December Winter Woodland Lights – 14-30 January 2022. Our newest event and one like no other. Find out more and book at www.hawk-conservancy.org/events/winter-woodland-lights/. CHRISTMAS During the Christmas holidays, book a peaceful visit outside, enjoying quality time with your loved ones, without any pressures. Please note that the Trust will be closed on 22, 25 and 26 December. We recommend booking your visit early to secure the date of your choice. You can also book a scrumptious Christmas lunch in Feathers Restaurant. Available 27 November - 21 December. Please email info@hawkconservancy.org for more information and to book. Take a look at the menu on our website: www.hawk-conservancy.org/your-visit/feathers-restaurant/. DAY VISIT ACTIVITIES Plan your next visit to us and enjoy a whole variety of activities, many completely different to a visit during the summer months. Here are our top picks of things for you to enjoy with us this winter:

Visit us this winter

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A perfect partnership Fascinating feathers The role of a Director

The change of the clocks in the autumn always takes some adjustment with the dark evenings, but it is not an idle time at the Trust. It is a time for change and development.

at the Trust New partnership

We have a whole new timetable – the Bird Team start preparing for this well in advance – and new birds in the displays. A welcome return of some of our favourite stars and of the British Bird Encounter. Winter chills are the perfect excuse for that luxurious hot chocolate and a hearty lunch. You can always walk it off with a tour of the park afterwards. While you are on your tour of the park, you will see that construction work is underway by the Woodland Arena. This is also the time of year when we typically start some of our bigger development projects on site. This particular project is going to stay under wraps for a while, so we can celebrate with a grand unveiling of what we hope you will agree is a fantastic addition to the woods. It is only the first step, and you will see pockets around this area transformed to create a beautiful setting. We are also going to be working on other parts of the park, and if we are successful in securing a grant (fingers crossed), will have some exciting news for displays in Reg’s Wildflower Meadow and for our school and educational visits. It is going to be a busy time, we hope. I hinted last time that we were in discussions with a prospective partner. I am delighted that we have been able to announce that Investec has become an official partner, supporting some of our education, research and rehabilitation work. We are pleased to have them alongside us. As we have had COP26 recently, I wanted to share that we regularly look at ways we can improve our sustainability. We have had issues with the heating in Feathers Restaurant for some time, and have taken the step of replacing it with electric heaters, which was the more sustainable option compared to oil. All our electricity comes from renewable sources and before too long we hope to have our own solar panels. We are also aware that we are not a very sustainable place to travel to. We are working on ways of improving this – please keep those fingers crossed for that grant! It is the time of year for budgeting. We are daring to hope that 2022 will not bring new lockdowns, and that we can renew and expand our conservation and research work. We have managed to keep things going in Pakistan; the birds in the breeding centre certainly didn’t notice a pandemic. However, due to travel restrictions, we have had limited ability to work in South Africa, but through our Project Officer Andre Botha and collaboration with Angus Anthony at Kimberley, we have managed to keep things ticking over there, too. We do have quite a bit of catching up to do though! The silver lining in all this is that the enforced confinement to barracks has given us the opportunity to look at ways we can do more in the UK, and we hope some potential alliances may take our work in a really exciting direction in 2022. I hope to see some of you at the Members’ Working Day on Sunday 5 December and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. While we are very much focused on 2022, there is a special time of year ahead with Christmas 2021. Our hopes are high that this will be a year to celebrate with our families, and that the familiar customs of the season can be honoured. At the Trust, we will be thinking of you and of your support through the last two years. We certainly couldn’t have weathered this storm without you behind us and know how fortunate we are that you are on our side. Thank you, we are deeply grateful. We hope you have the happiest of Christmases and the healthiest of years in 2022.

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with Investec What’s it like being a conservation intern? Get ready for Christmas

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Dates for your diary

Members’ Working Day , Sunday 5 December Winter Woodland Lights , Friday 14 to Sunday 30 January Owls by Moonlight , Selected weekends during autumn and spring Tickets for above events all on sale at www.hawk-conservancy.org/events or call us on 01264 773 850. At the beginning of every year we close in order to undertake vital maintenance and development projects. The dates that we will be closed for this work will be Wednesday 5 January to Friday 11 February 2022 . Feathers Restaurant and the Trust shop will remain open during this time and we will be open in the evening for our Winter Woodland Lights event (14-30 Jan).

Don’t forget that we will be closed Wednesday 5 January to Friday 11 February 2022. Feathers Restaurant and the Trust shop will remain open during these times. We’ll be open in the evening for Winter Woodland Lights, 14-30 January.

Arguably, the loudest member of our team, Sirius the Striated Caracara is back with his cheeky ways, to show off how incredibly intelligent this species is. You know how much we love vultures, so while our summer team enjoy a well-earned rest, our team of New World Vultures are back to fly the flag for this fantastic yet underrated group of birds. You can enjoy watching Chips and Pike our Black Vultures and Burdock the Turkey Vulture. Calling all owl lovers! During the winter, our Woodland Owls display takes place at 11:30am and, as ever, we try to squeeze as much adorable owl-cuteness into this display as we can! Teddy the Long-eared Owl and Wispa the Boobook Owl have recently returned to the team, and soon to join them will be Sage the Tawny Owl and Cinnamon the Siberian Eagle-Owl. We’re excited to introduce you to Melchett the African White-backed Vulture and Flashheart the White-headed Vulture. In fact, we’ve shared news about them in our summer edition of HawkTalk this year after they hatched in spring, but they have now been named according to our theme this year, Blackadder. Melchett is currently living in our large Vulture Restaurant aviary with its parents, and Flashheart is living with Cassius and Simba, two of our other African White-backed Vultures. For children, don’t miss our giant Top Trumps activity trail!

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Synonymous with winter, the return of Sweeney Todd the Snowy Owl to our displays team is something that we all look forward to every year. This winter, enjoy her characteristic low flying and adorable walking in our World of Birds of Prey display. New for this winter, in World of Birds of Prey, look out for the majestic silhouettes of our White Storks in the display finale! Our popular British Bird Encounter is back for the winter season. Each day you can witness a different British species take to the Hampshire skies to show off their very different flight styles, including Saxon the Golden Eagle, Lester the Merlin, Farah and Raj our Peregrine Falcons, and Charlie our Barn Owl. For our British Bird Encounter, we’ll also fly either a second British bird of prey or you may be lucky enough to get a glimpse behind the magic of our displays to see some training with one of our younger birds. This may include Cooper the Variable Hawk, Nutmeg or Willow the Lanner Falcon (they’re actually very experienced birds but they’re helping train Ben from our Bird Team in how to fly a falcon; a very tricky skill!), Wallace the Bald Eagle and Sarabi the Lugger Falcon.

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Hawk Conservancy Trust Visitor Centre, Sarson Lane, Weyhill, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 8DY T: 01264 773 850 E: info@hawkconservancy.org www.hawk-conservancy.org

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REGISTERED CHARITY NO: 1092349

youtube.com/user/hawkconservancytrust justgiving/hawkconservancy @HawkConservancy

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OFFICIAL PARTNERS

CORPORATE SPONSORS

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HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

“Growing up as a lad, I was lucky enough to be deeply involved with birds of prey. My father was a falconer and we had various birds at home that I was lucky enough to work with. It was then that I decided to pursue a career working with birds of prey. A perfect partnership

Welcome!

We’re excited to introduce you to our two newest team members. Claire Twyning joined our Office Team in August and Jennie Marshall joined our Bird Team late September.

Claire

I began by working at the Trust more than two decades ago and have, of course, never left! From that moment on, I had access to a vast array of species of birds of prey to potentially work with. I gradually started to understand more about all their different traits and specific needs, and I quickly became very fond of falcons. Their nature and the way you need to work with them is quite different to other species. You’re working with an animal that’s full of explosive energy, highly reactive, easily excitable, and can often be startled with things within and changes to its surroundings. A lot of care and attention needs to go into the way you approach working with them, and you really have to work hard to gain their trust. I’ve been lucky enough to work with a range of falcon species over the years, but there was always one that I hoped I would get the chance to work with, the Merlin! This is the smallest bird of prey in the UK, renowned for being challenging to successfully train and fly and, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating and beautiful falcons there is. Just over 10 years ago, I realised my dream when I became the proud owner of a 12-week-old Merlin whom I named Lester, after horse rider Lester Piggott (because of the size comparison of course). I quickly got to work becoming part of this little bird’s life, and I loved every minute of rearing and training him.

Flying Lester has been so much fun over the years and I have many happy memories with him. I generally fly him from autumn to spring, and he gets a well-earned rest during the summer to moult. He has rarely flown off out of sight without coming back of his own accord (I’ve just jinxed this now, haven’t I?) and has managed to create some jaw-dropping moments during displays. One of the things I always love about his flying routine is that he enters the display very discreetly from out of sight. Many visitors have no idea that he’s even present until the commentator points him out. It’s not too surprising though as he’s just 25cm tall, with a wingspan of around 50-60cm and weighing a mere 160g. I love the moment when he bursts into action and the focus of the audience is drawn to this miniature rocket that explodes from the cover of his tree and immediately starts to hunt my swing lure. The lure encourages him to twist, turn and stoop as if he were hunting a small bird. He uses every ounce of his energy to chase and pursue this prize, and that’s the challenging part of working with a Merlin; it’s incredibly difficult to keep the lure away from him until that final moment of his hunting success. He has just turned ten years old, and the milestone birthday gave me pause to reflect on some of the amazing times I’ve had with him. His last season was one of his best, with some really explosive flying so please come and watch him in action this winter!” Gary Benton, Head of Living Collection

Jennie

Name: Claire Job role: Reception and Administration Assistant Favourite thing about working at the Trust: Walking around the grounds and saying hello to the birds. Greatest achievement: Passing the Beginning Falconry Award Course as a mature student! Claire has always had a love for animals and wildlife and has been a member at the Trust since 2014. She loves to see and hear the reaction of visitors when watching the flying displays and sharing in the Trust’s passion to conserve birds of prey. Outside of work, Claire has a great love for theatre, looking after her fish (which started from rescuing five Goldfish in a car park!) and spending plenty of time with her family.

Name: Jennie Job role: Bird Team Apprentice

100 Club What an interesting year 2021 has been. Having started with lockdowns and restrictions, we gradually began to take tentative steps towards what used to be regarded as a normal life prior to the pandemic. Yet, through it all, John and I have been bowled over by the kindness and generosity of members in their support of the Trust and of the 100 Club. Our membership has soared from 164 in December 2020, holding 213 shares between them, to 195 members holding 258 shares at the time of writing (late October). We cannot thank everyone enough for their enthusiasm and commitment. Earlier this year, we donated £1,000 to the Raptor Nest Box Project. Those 100 Club Members who attended our special evening in May will remember Dr Matt Steven’s talk on conservation in the UK, particularly in the south of England. We’ve recently donated £7,000 towards purchasing a new electric vehicle to replace the old Mule, which was a great workhorse but had seen its last days. We still hold £7,000 in our bank account which is held ready for any other projects which might arise soon. Should you wish to keep up to date with the 100 Club or, if you are not already a member, you can find out more about us at www.hawk-conservancy.org/support-us/the-100-club/. We always have room for new 100 Club Members! Take care, and have a warm and wonderful winter. Thelma and John Cobbold Jennie has spent many years visiting the Trust from a young age, with her dad, who has a great love for birds of prey. At 16, she undertook two weeks work experience with us, cementing her love of the Trust. When not at work, Jennie enjoys some unusual active pursuits, including aerial hoop and pole fitness. She’s even won the Patrons Silver Jubilee medal for a longbow archery clout shoot off! Favourite thing about working at the Trust: Helping with the demonstrations – they’re a real wow factor for visitors. Greatest achievement: Getting this apprenticeship! I feel so lucky to be able to work with such amazing animals and am so excited to get stuck in.

In his first year, as a juvenile bird, his feather colour was light brown from a distance, but as you looked closer his feathers were a montage of every shade of brown you could imagine with odd faint flicks of white and black giving him such detail that it almost looked like he was painted. After his first moult, he started to gradually replace juvenile feathers with a mix of adult greys across his back and tail and developed a burnt orange collar. I think Merlins are one of the most striking birds of prey, particularly in the sun when the feathers shine with all those colours.

Marion Paviour Award We are thrilled to introduce Jaime Carlino, our 2021 Marion Paviour Award winner, a graduate student on Humboldt State University’s Barn Owl Research Team. Jaime works in the vineyards of Napa Valley, California and is studying where Barn Owls prefer to live and how healthy they are and what effects this has on how successfully they reproduce. Keep an eye on our blog and future editions of HawkTalk for updates on how Jaime is getting on with her project.

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HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

Fascinating feathers

FEATHER TYPES

If asked what makes a bird a bird, many would say ‘they fly’. While this is true for the majority, there are 59 species of bird (including ostriches, kiwis, 18 species of penguin, 20 species of rail and crake, five wildfowl, two grebes and a cormorant) which are flightless. Aside from flight then, perhaps the only really obvious features that all (modern) birds share are their feathers. Feathers are fascinating structures and studying them reveals a lot about a bird. Here we’re going to take a deep dive into this intriguing world and explore some key questions about them.

Down feathers on a Tawny Owl chick

HOW MANY FEATHERS DO BIRDS HAVE?

The total number of feathers a bird has depends on how big it is, where in the world it lives, and whether it is winter or summer (many birds have more feathers during the winter). A medium-sized songbird such as a Blackbird has between 2,200-2,600 (contour) feathers, whereas some of the smaller hummingbirds have as few as 940. The species with the most feathers is thought to be the Tundra Swan which has 25,216. In many songbirds the weight of all feathers combined accounts for about 7 percent of total body weight, however, for some species it can be much greater; for example, one Bald Eagle weighing 4,082g had feathers that weighed 677g (that’s 17 percent!).

FLIGHT

CONTOUR

DOWN SEMIPLUMES FILOPLUMES BRISTLES

HOW ARE FEATHERS FORMED? Feathers are made from keratin, a structural protein also found in claws, fingernails, hair, hooves, horns and skin of other animals. On a typical contour feather, each feather vane is kept together as a single aerodynamic surface by having hundreds of interlocking parallel barbs. Each of these barbs is divided into tiny branches called barbules, each of which is further divided into dozens of tiny projections which, collectively, are called barbicels. The two edges of each barbule have different projections, those facing towards where the feather is attached to the wing have a small flange whilst those facing the feather tip have four or five small hooklets (hamuli). These two areas lock together, a bit like Velcro, to keep the surface of the feather neatly held as a solid surface. During preening birds are often attempting to re-join any of these barbules that have become separated. Although quite strong, the fine structure of feathers means that they are subject to abrasion and wear as a result of rubbing against other materials and individuals, and damage through exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Each of these can break barbicels, barbules, barbs and even the rachis (main shaft) which will affect how well the feather vane stays together. Because full-grown feathers are dead structures which are not continually renewed, they must be replaced totally to maintain good flight efficiency and insulation. This replacement happens during a process called moult which, in most birds, happens usually at the same time each year. During this process, newly growing feathers push out and replace old feathers to leave the bird with a set of fresh plumage. The timing, extent and duration of moult (the strategy) varies between different species and families of bird according to the environment they inhabit, their life history (how they live their lives) and how big they are. This is quite a big subject, and we will explore it in more detail, along with other characteristics of bird feathers, next time.

STRUCTURE OF A FEATHER (Kestrel wing feather)

Bristle feathers around eyes and beak of a Little Owl

ANTERIOR VANE

POSTERIOR VANE

WHAT TYPES OF FEATHER ARE THERE? With such a wide of variety of roles, there are six different types of feather to meet these requirements. The most familiar of these are the contour feathers, all of which have a vane (a flat area of interlocked barbs and barbules). Altogether the contour feathers form the outer layer across the body of a bird, and include the flight feathers of the wings, and the tail feathers. Down feathers lay beneath the contour feathers and help provide insulation. They do this by trapping air between the contour feathers and the skin. Down is also present as the first feather type of many birds after hatching. After these, the remaining feather types are likely to be less familiar to most people. First there are semiplumes which are similar to down and help provide insulation and buoyancy for waterbirds. Next come the filoplumes which are sparsely-distributed, longer, hair-like feathers which stick out through the contour feathers and are thought to help the bird assess flight speed. Lastly, there are bristles and powder down (or pluviplumes). Bristles have very few barbs and can serve as guard hairs (protecting the eyes and nostrils), as sensory organs (like a cat’s whiskers) or as a net to help direct prey items towards the beak, for example in swifts and nightjars. Powder down are feathers whose tips disintegrate into a fine powder to provide a waterproofing coating, such as in parrots and herons.

PERCENTAGE OF OVERALL WEIGHT MADE UP BY FEATHERS

RACHIS

PENNACEOUS BARB

WHAT ARE FEATHERS FOR? Birds are obviously heavily reliant on their feathers (which, altogether are called the plumage) which serve many functions. The lightweight and protective layer that feathers provide also helps in many other ways such as for visual display and signalling, protecting against the sun, providing waterproofing and insulation, keeping an individual camouflaged and, of course, to provide an aerodynamic shape to help (most) birds fly. Aside from these functions, feathers also help with more unusual roles in some species, such as to aid buoyancy in waterfowl, to produce sound for birds such as snipe, to deaden sound from owls or to transport water by sandgrouse.

PLUMULACEOUS BARB

CALAMUS

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HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

The role of a Director at the Trust “I was 14 years’ old when I first visited the Hawk Conservancy Trust, in 1989 and like so many people, I instantly fell in love with the place and it quickly become a big part of my life. I was thrilled nearly three decades later to get a chance to become a Director of the Trust and, four years ago, it’s proud Chairman. To serve this wonderful charity is simply a dream come true.

New partnership with Investec We are delighted to announce that Investec, an international specialist banking and wealth management group, has chosen to partner with us on a number of projects. Investec has supported conservation initiatives since 2012 and to have them join and support our conservation work is a real boost and will allow us to undertake projects that would not have been possible otherwise at this time. One of the aims of Investec’s conservation strategy is to protect Critically Endangered species and the environments they live in, which is a natural fit with our mission – the conservation of birds of prey and their habitats.

We are very fortunate to have an experienced and talented Board of Directors and we would like you to meet them. They bring a wealth of business experience and practical knowledge to the Trust (and are blooming lovely people as well). All of us are linked by a love and passion for the Trust to succeed. Having a well-diversified Board is essential for many reasons. Certainly right at the very top of this list would be our desire to fully adhere with the governance rules set out by the Charity Commission. As a responsible charity, our aim is always to comply with both the letter, and the spirit of the law. The Directors are also the guardians of the strategic direction of the Trust, as we look to fulfil our vital mission of conserving birds of prey and their habitat, right across the globe. The Board meets six times a year with Chief Executive Penny Smout and members of the senior management team. These meetings are hugely enjoyable and stimulating, as we review

the financial position of the Trust, the day - to - day health of the organisation, look to ensure we are fulfilling our mission statement and importantly, help Penny plan for the future. You will all be aware of the huge challenges the Trust has faced over this past 18 months, as we were forced to grapple with the effects of COVID-19. As we move rapidly towards the end of 2021, we hope that the worst effects of the pandemic, may now be behind us. Many challenges still await us, however, and I am sure we can all agree that the need for us to take care of the environment is more essential than ever. We are currently looking at recruiting new Directors to join the Board. If this role is of interest and you would like to discuss it further, perhaps over a cup of coffee, please do contact me at scott@hawkconservancy.org with an expression of interest and a brief resume. I look forward to hearing from you.” Scott Jones, Chairman

Poison Response training

Nature education workshop

Meet our Board of Directors! Here we’ve shared with you a brief insight to the wonderful individuals who comprise our Board of Directors. You can find out more about them at www.hawk-conservancy.org/about/our-team/.

Investec will be supporting a number of Trust projects both in the UK and overseas. Here in the UK, the support will extend to the rehabilitation of birds treated in the National Bird of Prey Hospital™. Investec will provide support for additional tagging equipment for birds treated, rehabilitated and released from the hospital. This will help us to better understand what happens to birds we have treated, after they have been released back into the wild. This research will inform and improve our rehabilitation and release methods. The new partnership will also enable us to introduce a completely new educational project. The Trust will provide workshops for children from inner-city schools who would not usually have the opportunity to spend a day immersed in nature at the Trust. While with us, they will learn about the importance of conserving our natural world and be given a hands-on introduction to practical wildlife research and conservation. As well as providing the opportunity to inspire a passion for birds of prey and other wildlife within a new generation, it will also help improve our understanding of the wellbeing and health benefits that engaging with nature brings. Finally, Investec will be supporting our conservation efforts in Southern Africa to try to protect vultures by working closely with the Trust and Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to provide Poison Response Kits and training to park rangers, local police and other authorities. We are excited at the prospects of this new partnership and hope it is the start of many great achievements together.

“ We are truly delighted to have embarked on this partnership with

Investec. It is an honour to be working alongside such a prestigious organisation

that has shown real leadership in sustainability and conservation.” Penny Smout, Chief Executive

This opportunity has arisen from a crossover between Scott Jones’ role as the Trust’s Chairman of the board of directors and his role as Divisional Director, Investec Wealth and Investment at Investec. As Scott became more familiar with the synergies between the Trust and Investec’s conservation activities, he recognised the opportunity for the two organisations to come together to work towards a shared goal. “ Today, I’m proud and thankful to be the Trust’s chairman. I also feel extremely privileged to work at Investec, an organisation that genuinely cares about conservation” Scott Jones, Chairman

Matthew Dryden is a doctor specialising in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and at Porton Down. Julia Hughes has retired from a career in Business Consulting in Financial Services, she is able to lend her skills of problem solving, and project and programme management. Gary Wyles is a trained engineer who has worked in sales and general management during his career in the field of manufacturing and automation. Gary has always had a passion for people development, business strategy and organisational development and, in 2017, setup his own company to focus on this aspect of his work.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Scott Jones is a Divisional Director of Investec Wealth and Investment, and splits his time between London and his home office of Bournemouth. Richard O’Hagan has been a lawyer since September 1990. He deals with all forms of dispute prevention and resolution work, including family, employment and business matters. He also sits on the boards of local small businesses and sports associations. Adam Johnson is a partner in Arundel Advisers, a strategic advisory firm, helping boards and senior management teams in retail, manufacturing and transport with a range of business issues.

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Hello HawkTalk ! I’m Katie and I’m going to take you through the A-Z of being the Hawk Conservancy Trust’s Conservation and Research Intern this summer, from small mammal surveys, to my favourite moments. What’s it like being a conservation intern?

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Katie Sell , conservation and research intern

Can you find my shadow? Match the shadows above to the birds below

AUGUST – I started my internship right at the start of August, having never been to the Trust before. BIODIVERSITY SURVEYS – One project I am working on, with Rilee the Science Communications Intern, is

JUMPING – When surveying small mammals I have to be careful they don’t jump out and escape before taking the measurements I need for my work.

African White-backed Vulture

Common Buzzard

Red Kite

A-Z investigating biodiversity in Reg’s Wildflower Meadow. This involves surveying the various plants and insects that we have here at the Trust, using transects and quadrats. CASTERS – One of the pieces of bait I use for small mammal surveys, they look a lot like maggots! DOGS – one of the best things in the office is the dogs! EXPLORE NATURE – The team have run some new sessions called ‘Explore Nature’ days which aim to engage teenagers from inner-city schools with nature. I was involved in helping run them and they included teaching about biodiversity, birds of prey and ideas to help nature. FUTURE – When my internship ends, I am hoping to find another internship, volunteering or a permanent placement, that involves conservation and research, particularly of predators. GAINED – My time here has allowed me to build trust and confidence in my abilities and allowed me to expand my knowledge, not just on birds of prey, but also on biodiversity as a whole. HIGHLIGHTS – One of my favourite moments of my internship has been witnessing two juvenile Tawny Owls being released back to the wild from the National Bird of Prey Hospital™. IDENTIFICATION – Improving my ID skills has been really important. KESTREL – One of the most frequent birds of prey I’m lucky to see when out surveying, and my favourite bird species. LIGHT TRAP – We use a light trap to attract moths overnight and identify them in the morning. MOTIVATION – My time at the Trust has renewed my motivation and confirmed that this is definitely the career for me! NATIONAL BIRD OF PREY HOSPITAL™ – One of my projects is looking at reasons why Common Buzzards are admitted to the hospital, and to see if this has changed seasonally and across the years. OWLS – The Woodland Owl display is my favourite display at the Trust, and I love any excuse to go and watch it. POINT COUNT – Bird surveys were done by point counts, which involved standing in one place for 15 minutes and noting down every species I spotted. QUADRATS – Equipment used for plant biodiversity surveys REG’S WILDFLOWER MEADOW – an amazing place where I have carried out biodiversity surveys. SMALL MAMMAL SURVEYS – I’m currently looking at the abundance of small mammals that we have around the Trust, to see what prey is available for raptors. This involves using BioEcoss tube traps, and recording the species, age, sex and weight of individuals I catch. TOUGH TIMES – It can be really hard to stay motivated to get up early (5:30am!) in the morning to go surveying, especially when it’s cold and wet. UNUSUAL – I once caught two mice in the same trap! VOLES – One of the most common animals to find in the traps. WET – Don’t put traps out in bad weather or you could catch a very soggy mouse! X-PERIENCE – This internship has been one of the best experiences, and I’m sad to see it end. YELLOW-NECKED MICE – One of my favourite species that I have caught whilst surveying. ZOOLOGY – I achieved my master’s degree in Zoology at the University of Sussex. 1. 2. 3. 4. Biodiversity surveys

Barn Owl

Colour me in!

Fun facts

Hobbies are fast enough to catch smaller birds and even dragonflies!

A Sparrowhawk’s eyes can change colour as they get older, going from yellow to dark orange and even red!

A Kestrel needs to eat 4-8 voles a day to stay fit and healthy!

Who ’ s got the biggest wings? Can you place the following British birds of prey in order based on the size of their wingspan, from smallest to largest … Peregrine Falcon, White-tailed Eagle, Merlin and Kestrel

25-30cm

32-35cm

39-50cm

70-90cm

Answers

Red Kite being treated in our hospital

Can you find my shadow?: A. Red Kite, B. Barn Owl, C. Common Buzzard, D. African White-backed Vulture Who ’ s got the biggest wings?: Merlin – 25-30cm, Kestrel – 32-35cm, Peregrine Falcon – 39-50cm, White-tailed Eagle – 70-90cm

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HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

Get ready for Christmas Give the gift of special memories and magical moments together This year, choose from unique gifts your friends and family will love and, by shopping with us, you’ll be supporting conservation at the same time! Our shop is jam-packed with a stunning selection of gifts and toys. Here are our top ten picks for you, though we have plenty more available in the Trust shop and on our website.

FULL-DAY EXPERIENCE VOUCHER

Valid to book A Day with Birds of Prey or Full-day Photography Experience

Experiences: From £69.50. We offer a range of experiences to suit anyone wishing to get closer to our birds and learn more about them. These intimate sessions are limited to small groups. Membership: Give a year full of wonderful days out – we’re sure you know how perfect a gift this could be! You can even spread the cost throughout the year, paying by monthly direct debit. Events: Adult £35 | Child £21. Choose from Owls by Moonlight or Sunset on the Savannah. These magical evening events include two spectacular flying displays and a delicious supper. Become a Guardian of the Meadow: £100 per plot. Protect the Trust and give Meadow Guardianship this year, perfect for those that love the Trust, wildlife and nature. Afternoon tea: £26.50 including admission. Treat a loved one to a special day out with a delicious afternoon tea with three types of cake, a selection of sandwiches, and tea or coffee. Christmas cards We’re delighted to launch a NEW range of Trust Christmas cards available from our shop and website. Featuring our beautiful birds in stunning winter landscapes, there are seven designs to choose from: £3.50 for each A5 design or £7.50 for a pack of six A6 cards. If you choose to send e-cards, we have a range of our own ones you can send. Simply donate what you would have ordinarily spent on cards to support us whilst sending your well wishes to loved ones. Win-win! Visit www.dontsendmeacard.com/ecard/SHk6 .

Meet the Burrowers VIP Encounter: £19.50. This 30-minute session is the perfect addition to a day at the Trust to make it more special. Admission to the Trust charged in addition. Adopt a bird of prey: from £55. The perfect gift for bird lovers, this is a great way to support a bird and contribute towards their care, as well as supporting our conservation work. Winter Woodland Lights:

from £17.95. Give your loved ones something to look forward to in January, bringing light, joy and nature to this wintery time of year. Stocking fillers: including Hawk Conservancy Trust Top Trumps, delightful animal cuddly toys (including cuddly Secretary Birds and owls!), our 2022 calendar, unique clothing, and pin badges of our birds.