Raptors in general

[PaulR]

Hi This is the first post I have put on this forum. I have been involved with raptors for about fifteen years mainly in the rescue sense although I do have a Bengal Eagle Owl, a European Eagle Owl and a Common Buzzard. I have been a member and membership secretary of The Raptor Trust here in Norfolk for about fifteen years. In Norfolk we take in injured birds of prey and orphaned youngsters with the aim of releasing them back into the wild. We have close links with the police, RSPCA and the RSPB and have several vets who look after our needs. We have a web site at www.theraptortrust.co.uk or www.raptortrust.org.uk which explains what we do. We are desperate for people to join as members or help us in any way they can to keep it all going as we also rely on flying displays at shows such as The Norfolk Show, The Suffolk Show to help with finance.
I have six aviaries in my garden for rehabilitation purposes along with my three birds. In my workshop I have a hospital room for birds and also for freezers with food for the birds.
Does anyone have any info on the bird flu and what is likely to happen regards birds of prey?
I hope this gives you some insite into my involvement with birds of prey

[Barbary Boy]

welcome paulr whats the most unusual raptor youve had in?

[Talon]

welcome paulr .ur doing a great job there m8 good luck.

[PaulR]

Hi All It is absolutely ages since I have had a minute to reply or write on the forum. Barbary Boy asked what was the most unusual raptor we have had in, well, it was a honey buzzard that was off one of the oil rigs in the North Sea. We often get calls from Bristows or Sterling helicopters who will fly the birds into Norwich Airport for us to pick up.
If anyone is interested in our work we desperately need members to bolster our supporters base and help with the finances that we need to get the birds treated. As you all know vet bills can be expensive for specialist treatment. The Raptor Trust has a web site at www.raptortrust.org
Regards PaulR

[Hawkmaster]

Welcome to the forum Paul,

If you participated more in the forum and read the medical section you will find out more about the bird flu and your own posts on opinions and knowledge may bolster and encourage your sites viewing potential?

You may also want to checkout other members in your area, which comes under the main Introductions Section:
http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=14

HTH?
Paul

[StormRider]

hello mate and welcome.
Not being funny or anything but the website you are linking is based in the USA. Whats the crack with that?
STU

[BlackShaheen1]

not being funny what do the rspca or the police or the rspb know about birds of pray and with all of them makeing money off the backs of prosicutions .why do they need anyons help it realy ****es me off as they all would spend there money on takeing someone to court for a fast buck than spend the money on education .ie if someone was looking after a bop but letting live in small acomodation they would spend thousands takeing that person threw the courts insted of a couple of hundred to help build new averis .sorry for sounding off but i to have been involved in rescues and have seen i lack of understanding from all of the above...

[Barbary Boy]

Hi All It is absolutely ages since I have had a minute to reply or write on the forum. Barbary Boy asked what was the most unusual raptor we have had in, well, it was a honey buzzard that was off one of the oil rigs in the North Sea. We often get calls from Bristows or Sterling helicopters who will fly the birds into Norwich Airport for us to pick up.
If anyone is interested in our work we desperately need members to bolster our supporters base and help with the finances that we need to get the birds treated. As you all know vet bills can be expensive for specialist treatment. The Raptor Trust has a web site at www.raptortrust.org
Regards PaulR
if you ever get any white gyrs in off the oil rigs im your man and will donate £5.00 to your cause for every one?

[Kentish Falconry]

if you ever get any white gyrs in off the oil rigs im your man and will donate £5.00 to your cause for every one?

Not one to miss a bargain are you Keith? I'll up it to £10 each
Terry:twisted:

[StormRider]

not being funny what do the rspca or the police or the rspb know about birds of pray and with all of them makeing money off the backs of prosicutions .why do they need anyons help it realy ****es me off as they all would spend there money on takeing someone to court for a fast buck than spend the money on education .ie if someone was looking after a bop but letting live in small acomodation they would spend thousands taking that person threw the courts insted of a couple of hundred to help build new averis .sorry for sounding off but i to have been involved in rescues and have seen i lack of understanding from all of the above...
You cant seriously believe all that ****. The RSPCA, Police and any one else who contact us for help, do it from the perspective that they do not know about birds of prey. Is that not the whole point. If you're ill you go to the doctors. If someone steals your car you go to the Police.
As far as providing an aviary and other stuff to a person who has cocked up is ludicrious. We already have a society where a registered drug addict can get drugs off the NHS, a registered alcoholic can get £27 worth of alcohol free from the NHS every day. Im sorry but people who **** about need to be dealt with properly. You might aswell buy them the bird to kill also. We can all then pay for the vets fees and disposal costs.
Bloody hell man.
STU

[Talon]

(quote)a registered alcoholic can get £27 worth of alcohol free from the NHS every day.

right thats it im turning alcoholic....free booze for life:partyman: :drinkers:
any one want too join me its free...

[BlackShaheen1]

You cant seriously believe all that ****. The RSPCA, Police and any one else who contact us for help, do it from the perspective that they do not know about birds of prey. Is that not the whole point. If you're ill you go to the doctors. If someone steals your car you go to the Police.
As far as providing an aviary and other stuff to a person who has cocked up is ludicrious. We already have a society where a registered drug addict can get drugs off the NHS, a registered alcoholic can get £27 worth of alcohol free from the NHS every day. Im sorry but people who **** about need to be dealt with properly. You might aswell buy them the bird to kill also. We can all then pay for the vets fees and disposal costs.
Bloody hell man.
STU
thanks for agreeing with me .stormrider like i said more money should put towards education .as you must have seen being a reabilitator like myself.often things. can be avoided with a little understanding .i personly would give my time and £27 pound a week to someone who has a passion for birds of pray for help and education if the outcome would be justified .than to a smack head that in the end would still go out and do what ever for there next fix.but like you say thats the society we live in .cheers .....

[PaulR]

Hi All

Just caught up with the replies to my info about The Raptor Trust.

There is basically about 8 voluteers in the Trust who do all the rehabilitation work after a visit to our vets. We are a registered charity that benefits nothing from government or all the mass of funds that that the other animal welfare groups seem to enjoy. All our funds come from our supporters who pay £15 or £10 per year to help us. We do school talks for a small fee and flying displays at shows and that is it. How we have survived since 1983 is down to the hard work of all concerned with the Trust.

The American site is nothing to do with us and should not come up, I will get this checked out.

As for comments about the RSPCA, RSPB and the police I fully agree with all the comments made but here in Norfolk when the public cannot find our contact numbers they go to one of them for help which they do not get for obvious reasons, but they do pass everyone onto us and we will deal with the bird concerned. So although there is a distict lack of expertise they do at least bother to give out our numbers.

Regards to all

Paul R

[Kentish Falconry]

not being funny what do the rspca or the police or the rspb know about birds of pray and with all of them makeing money off the backs of prosicutions .why do they need anyons help it realy ****es me off as they all would spend there money on takeing someone to court for a fast buck than spend the money on education .ie if someone was looking after a bop but letting live in small acomodation they would spend thousands takeing that person threw the courts insted of a couple of hundred to help build new averis .sorry for sounding off but i to have been involved in rescues and have seen i lack of understanding from all of the above...

BS1 All I can do is agree with you on this one especially in this area RSPCA, RSPB and Local Police are a total waste of time when you loose or have stolen a bird of prey. The last time we had a problem it took 6 weeks before they even contacted me.
Terry

[StormRider]

I am in total agreement that the RSPCA , Police , etc are a waste of time. My mate has recently had a couple of birds stolen which we did get back eventually. The Police provided no help in the investigation even though they were informed. One of the reasons behind this may be down to lack of knowledge and fear of prosecuting something they know nothing about.
I think that what I have said may have been interpreted incorrectly. My point was to state that the Police, etc do contact individuals like ourselves because they do not know what to do. I personally prefer that they do contact us so the bird gets the proper care and attention. Saying that, I have setup a few workshops with the various agencies so as to provide a bit of education based on the type of contact they might have with a bird of prey during their travels.
Please bare in mind that I am an ex copper, and I have no faith in the way the Police work either. (That could be another thread).
Just out of interest Black Shaheen: Out of all the birds brought to you by the Police and the RSPCA, have you ever had a follow up call even just to check out how the bird is doing? I can honestly say that I personally have not, which does disappoint me sometimes.

STU

[StormRider]

BS1 All I can do is agree with you on this one especially in this area RSPCA, RSPB and Local Police are a total waste of time when you loose or have stolen a bird of prey. The last time we had a problem it took 6 weeks before they even contacted me.
Terry

I know where you're coming from Terry. My mate had his SFHH stolen on a Saturday. All was reported to the Police. There were footprints and fingerprints left in various places and no effort was made to even record them. I contacted the local papers to ask if they could print something, but without putting my mates name and address in the article. The following week the Police also put an article in the paper but this time provided my mates address, which was printed in that article. That Thursday night a further attempt was made by the thieves to take his F Pere/Saker.
Approximately 1 week later I got info about the possible whereabouts of
the birds and rang the cops to tell them that I would meet them at the location. They didnt turn up. We couldnt wait any longer so we just went banging on doors ourselves, kicked off a bit and got the birds back. Later on I sent a letter in to the cops covering everything we had done and the fact that the birds were now recovered. I expected atleast a phonecall to say that they would take actiuon, but no phonecall came. Approximately 3 weeks later my mate gets a phonecall from the Police stating that they were doing follow up checks. They stated that they had not heard anything about possible suspects or the whereabouts of the birds. They were a little embarresed to say the least when he told them that we already had the birds back and thet they should have been aware of the fact. Considering that even letters had ben sent to them to explain.
To be honest, even if the Police had of got involved at some stage I dont think that a conviction would have stood up due the the balls up that the cops made anyway. Im really suprised they caught those 50 million bank robbers so quickly.
STU

[Kentish Falconry]

I am in total agreement that the RSPCA , Police , etc are a waste of time. My mate has recently had a couple of birds stolen which we did get back eventually. The Police provided no help in the investigation even though they were informed. One of the reasons behind this may be down to lack of knowledge and fear of prosecuting something they know nothing about.
I think that what I have said may have been interpreted incorrectly. My point was to state that the Police, etc do contact individuals like ourselves because they do not know what to do. I personally prefer that they do contact us so the bird gets the proper care and attention. Saying that, I have setup a few workshops with the various agencies so as to provide a bit of education based on the type of contact they might have with a bird of prey during their travels.
Please bare in mind that I am an ex copper, and I have no faith in the way the Police work either. (That could be another thread).
Just out of interest Black Shaheen: Out of all the birds brought to you by the Police and the RSPCA, have you ever had a follow up call even just to check out how the bird is doing? I can honestly say that I personally have not, which does disappoint me sometimes.

STU

Hi Stu..... In all the years I have done rescue work I have never had a follow up call from any of the agencies mentioned after rescuing a bird.
In the old LRK days we had a visit from the RSPCA by an Inspector who told me he was the expert in bird recovery for the RSPCA he asked if he could see my chambers as they wanted to appoint me as the Local contact for rescued Birds he walked along a block of chambers housing Falcons. At the end of the visit he told me my chambers were not suitable as I did not provide nest box's for my birds and that open ledges were not suitable for Falcons and Hawks and that I should remove the ledges and replace them with Tea Chests so that the birds could hide in them, and he reconed he was the expert so god help us if we ever get one that isn't an expert.
Terry

[BlackShaheen1]

I am in total agreement that the RSPCA , Police , etc are a waste of time. My mate has recently had a couple of birds stolen which we did get back eventually. The Police provided no help in the investigation even though they were informed. One of the reasons behind this may be down to lack of knowledge and fear of prosecuting something they know nothing about.
I think that what I have said may have been interpreted incorrectly. My point was to state that the Police, etc do contact individuals like ourselves because they do not know what to do. I personally prefer that they do contact us so the bird gets the proper care and attention. Saying that, I have setup a few workshops with the various agencies so as to provide a bit of education based on the type of contact they might have with a bird of prey during their travels.
Please bare in mind that I am an ex copper, and I have no faith in the way the Police work either. (That could be another thread).
Just out of interest Black Shaheen: Out of all the birds brought to you by the Police and the RSPCA, have you ever had a follow up call even just to check out how the bird is doing? I can honestly say that I personally have not, which does disappoint me sometimes.

STU
your quite rite there no folow on calls .no if on buts .and they all drove in to the sunset in ther 15 grand sperkeling clean vans to their 100 grand houses and thier 30 grand a year jobs (have you ever seen an rspca officer in a dirty uniform ) dreaming of there next conviction of some little old lady whos dog is to fat

[Puzo]

and they all drove in to the sunset in ther 15 grand sperkeling clean vans to their 100 grand houses and thier 30 grand a year jobs (have you ever seen an rspca officer in a dirty uniform ) dreaming of there next conviction of some little old lady whos dog is to fat[/quote]

The local RSPCA inspector for Carlisle had a brand new 5 bedroom house in one of the poshest areas, 2 cars & "sparkling clean" van. As it says on the collection box "we receive no state aid" we can only speculate on where the money to pay for all this comes from. Old ladies with too maney cats perhaps?