New aviary is a big hit with wild birds
Faced with an increasing demand for wild bird care facilities, the NDAA recently decided to finance the building of a two-flight aviary to be based at our treasurer’s home, and run by her daughter, Karen, who is also an NDAA trustee.
Karen has a natural empathy for all animals but, due to poor health, can now only manage to deal with small creatures such as birds. Over the years, Karen has successfully raised and released many birds but was never sure how they fared long-term if they did not stay in the vicinity of their house. Using the new aviary to its full extent this summer, Karen sees many of the birds that were released months ago. One regular visitor is a jackdaw that, originally handreared in 2001, still makes daily visits with its partner and offspring! It no longer takes food from Karen’s hand, but is still happy for the family and their dogs to approach to within a few feet.
A natural flair for project management
During the design and build of the aviary, Jane and Karen showed a natural flair for project management that matches their affinity for animal welfare. The new aviary, constructed of aluminium panelling for better durability in Exmoor’s wet conditions, is approximately 9’6” (2.9m) wide and split into two widths each 12’ (1.8m) long with a 3’ (1m) wide security walkway across the front.
With last winter’s endless wet weather, building work didn’t start until February. Colin Needs from Dulverton, who helped with the shelving in our Braunton shop and who often helps Jane and Karen, assisted with this task. Jewson waived delivery costs for the blocks and Colin’s builder cousin kindly did the block work. It was decided to concrete the whole base and also provide a 5’ (1.5m) covered area at the back where the perches would be situated. After a great team effort, building was completed just in time for the fledging season and the aviary was immediately put to use with some pigeons that had been indoors all winter.
Birds are delivered to Karen at all hours
Birds for the aviary, judged by Diana to have a good chance of survival, are delivered to Karen at all hours by Diana or Mick Lewis. If birds need intensive care treatment Karen has two units at her home; they’re then moved into indoor cages before, once they’re feeding themselves, moving outside to Jane and Karen’s back porch to get used to day and night temperatures. Once they have acclimatised, they’re then released into the aviary to gain strength from flying. Many spend several days on the floor where they are kept well sheltered under cover on a straw bed until they can fly up to the perches.
Jane and Karen also put a lovely selection of natural branches in the aviary and bark chippings on the floor to provide scratching and pecking areas. The aviary has ensured that we no longer have to hurry to West Hatch or Secret World (both trips being time-consuming and expensive), but can treat the birds ourselves and in many cases organise their release in a safe and suitable habitat. Some birds stay only a few days while others are with us for many weeks before indicating that they are strong enough to cope with the outside world. Since it was launched, a variety of species have benefitted from the aviary system: blackbirds, wrens, sparrows, collared doves, woodpigeons, feral pigeons, tits, robins, jackdaws, finches, woodpeckers; even ducklings and moorhens.
We don’t try to cope with seagulls or herons here
The aviary is for the use of country birds; we don’t try to cope with seagulls or herons, which go straight to West Hatch. Our most recent success was the rearing of two young owls, one of which had undergone major surgery to re-attach its eyelid. Karen looked after them in the intensive care units and then cages for about five weeks until they progressed into the aviary – and met each other for the first time! After two months together they went to Secret World to learn how to hunt. The two of them (believed to be a male and a female pair) have subsequently been offered a new home on a fabulous secluded property with 150 acres of forestry and scrub. It’s a wonderful outcome for such beautiful creatures.
A 30 per cent cut in mortality rates
With Karen on hand to feed the birds at all hours, the mortality rate has fallen considerably to approximately 30 per cent – a very pleasing result that alone proves the worth of the new aviary. We are also much more confident that many of the birds released survive as they often stay near the house before leaving after a few days – no doubt to return home.
