HawkTalk Issue 89 Winter 2021

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HAWKTALK WINTER 2021 ISSUE 89

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