Chris Wilson Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 The 3 eagle owls have settled in, pics at ftp://ftp.chriswilson.tv/eagle_owls Don't look if headless rabbits bother you though.... They have their eye on next doors cats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Wow, they are beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Access denied: Too many users Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Nice. They actually seem to be doing something other than sitting on a perch too, which is odd for an owl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 The one on the floor is 40 ish years old and totally blind through cataracts, but she manages OK, is a good weight and seems happy enough, they were anxious for me to take her as they thought she'd die if left alone, she's the mother of the female on the perch, who is about a year old, so even at around 40 she is capable of breeding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermonkey Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Wow, they are beautiful! I'll second that fantastic creatures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSupra Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Yeah they're gorgeous Chris, look forward to seeing them all next time I'm over your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supRo Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Beautiful creatures Chris. I had one perched on my arm just two weeks ago! This was at the Shuttleworth Bird collection in Bedfordhire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian W Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 they're gorgeous Chris, can't help feeling sorry for them though......should really be out in 'the wild' (though I understand they couldn't really be released now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 They are going in a new 75 foot by 20 foot outdoor aviary soon, so they can fly around a good deal. I don't think people in the UK would be too impressed with an eagle owl in their tree, should they escape, but I share your concern and attempt to give our birds as natural an existence as practical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian W Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 but I share your concern and attempt to give our birds as natural an existence as practical. glad to hear it Chris, although not too chuffed i wasn't given 'the tour' after my drive down from Inverness! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 glad to hear it Chris, although not too chuffed i wasn't given 'the tour' after my drive down from Inverness! Didn't you put 50p in the slot by the turnstile? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 Sorry about that, I am always loath to offer people a look round as most car nuts don't seem to also be very interested in birds and wallabies I used to get the impression some people were just being polite, but would rather be on their way Not anyone on here, as far as I recall, other customers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian W Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Didn't you put 50p in the slot by the turnstile? i'd have been more than happy to, he must have just recently increased the charge and i couldn't stretch to the £1 Sorry about that, I am always loath to offer people a look round as most car nuts don't seem to also be very interested in birds and wallabies I used to get the impression some people were just being polite, but would rather be on their way Not anyone on here, as far as I recall, other customers! that's fine......i'll just have to see them next time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonW Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Sorry about that, I am always loath to offer people a look round as most car nuts don't seem to also be very interested in birds and wallabies I used to get the impression some people were just being polite, but would rather be on their way Not anyone on here, as far as I recall, other customers! Last year me and some friends spotted a couple of wallabies in the wild in a woods in Berks. Are they fairly common in the UK? Zoo escapees I imagine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supragal Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 FYI if I'm ever there I demand a tour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 Last year me and some friends spotted a couple of wallabies in the wild in a woods in Berks. Are they fairly common in the UK? Zoo escapees I imagine There was, for many years, a wild colony in Derbyshire, above Buxton. They were escapees from a hall there, where the owner had kept a small exotic animal collection, and they established a successful breeding colony. They were last seen about 25 years ago. No doubt other colonies exist, they are adaptive and resourceful, and very hardy. There are more big cats around than you'd probably believe, most are zoo escapees, a few may be remnants from the DWA (Dangerous Wild Animals) act was brought in, forcing people to "get rid of" a vast range of exotica that had, until then, kept with inpunity. Even today, in N Ireland, whe there is no such act implemented, people keep bizarre, dangerous and totally unsuitable things in and around their homes, tigers, other big cats, crocs, alligators, you name it! Yesterdays local paper, the Shropshire Star, had an article about 2 "huge" birds found roaming in someones back garden. They were described as ostriches, maybe emus, and the finder was keeping them on his field for curiosities sake. They were in fact rheas, and unlikely to stay long as it appeared he had them behind about 3 foot 6 inch high sheep netting, which, once something startles or interests them, will be little in the way of a barrier, so they will no doubt amaze someone else by tipping up elsewhere Wallabies are easy and trouble free pets, easily tamed, to almost dog like affection, hardy and quite simple to breed, and are quite common in the UK. I'm not saying you could keep one in a suburban back garden, but 3/4 of an acre of well fenced (six foot weldmesh) land would comfortably run about 4 or 5 wallabies. They can survive minus 20 to equatorial heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cable Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Wow, very nice. Was fortunate to see some of these at an owl sanctuary down in Cornwall this year, various beautiful birds there and I even got a vulcher on my arm What type of eagle owl are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest blueangel Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I was brought up with more parrots in the house and gardens than i care to remember, My dad is a bit of a fanaticle bird watcher so we also had numerous owls , snowwy owls were the nicest we had but the european eagle owls were great too as the size of them males them more impressive. Did you know that apart from eagle owls being a native bird of great britain there are actually a few breeding pairs still but their location is totally secret. 1 pair used to be somewhere in yorkshire but unfortunatly they were shot by a stupid farmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Wow. I've learned something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burna Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Sorry about that, I am always loath to offer people a look round as most car nuts don't seem to also be very interested in birds and wallabies I used to get the impression some people were just being polite, but would rather be on their way Not anyone on here, as far as I recall, other customers! I've been waiting for you to offer a tour everytime I've been to see you Chris I always thought it would be a bit cheeky if I asked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psymon Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Stunning birds, one of my Favs's anyway. glad to see the are well cared for.... Awesome:d :d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 Wow, very nice. Was fortunate to see some of these at an owl sanctuary down in Cornwall this year, various beautiful birds there and I even got a vulcher on my arm What type of eagle owl are they? They are Eurasian Eagle Owls (Bubo Bubo). There's a bit of info on them here: http://www.raptorfoundation.org.uk/eurasianeagleowl.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 I've been waiting for you to offer a tour everytime I've been to see you Chris I always thought it would be a bit cheeky if I asked Anyone is welcome to have a nosey round, I am ashamed of the emu compound as they have walked the perimeter and packed the soil so it won't drain properly. I have tried some bore holes witha Bobcat and a 12 inch soil auger, and it's helped, but I need to put some field drains in and some stone, but it's a job for the spring when our high water table subsides. I am quite pleased with the pheasant aviary, the (temporary) owl aviary, and I have high hopes for the new one in build, but these things are costly and VERY labour intensive so it's a few weeks off yet. I would like to get some malibu storks, some ground hornbills and some lemurs, but I am now getting into the more expensive stuff here If anyones interested I will take photos of the new aviary in build. I have pics of the old one somewhere...Maybe I should create a "virtual tour"? I once toyed with having a live video camera uploading to my web pages, but the technolgy is a bit beyond me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Maybe I should create a "virtual tour"? I once toyed with having a live video camera uploading to my web pages, but the technolgy is a bit beyond me. The technology was ok, I think it was more the still crazy prices for the remote-movable-camera-see-in-the-dark-harddrive-recording-power-over-ethernet whizzyness that was the issue. Like these Axis cameras that we use at work. Still big £££'s. I'm sure we could rig up a static one up a tree with night vision for less though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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