Owls and Kestrel on Display in School
Paul with Indian Eagle Owl, Jasmine
On Friday 21st October, Paul Golledge our Site Manager , came to show us some of his birds of prey. It was a marvellous experience enjoyed by both pupils and staff and was indeed very informative .
Here is what he said:
”I had the pleasure of bringing some of my Birds into School to show to the young people and their carers. I gave a little talk on how they live and hunt in the wild and use their special abilities to do this effectively: Hearing, silent flight etc.
Jasmine is an Indian Eagle Owl, she is 23 years old and has lived with me from just 8 weeks old. She has large amber eyes. In the wild they mainly hunt during dawn and dust, which is known as ‘crepuscular’. They live in rough rocky outcrops in the Bengal area of India and feed on rodents and small mammals.
Nutmeg is a female Tawny Owl and is 2 years old. Tawny Owls are the most common of our owls in the UK which make the classic ‘twit-twoo’ calls. They are sometimes heard around the School site at night. They live in woodlands and are difficult to spot with their camouflaged colouring. They are a nocturnal bird hunting for rodents during dead of night.
Tintin is a female European Kestrel and is 4 years old. Kestrels are a small falcon and are often seen hovering above roadside verges looking for their prey. They hunt during the day for small mammals and rodents and live in more open countryside in areas of rough grassland.”
Paul is chairman of the South Gloucestershire group of the Hawk and Owl Trust – a charity dedicated to conserving wild birds of prey and their habitats www.hawkandowl.org
I am also a partner in Owl Occasions, which provide talks, displays and bird of prey/owl experiences etc. www.owloccasions.co.uk
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