Don’t be a twit with owl chicks (From Blackburn Citizen)

Don’t be a twit with owl chicks

6:50pm Monday 21st May 2007 in News By Samantha Shale

ANIMAL lovers are being urged to leave chicks where they find them by a couple who care for birds of prey.

Conservationists Phil and Judith Brown, from Sunnyhurst, Darwen, made the plea after they were handed a five to six-week-old tawny owl which had been found in Priory Drive by a walker.

The walker thought the bird had lost its parents so handed it to police who passed it on to Judith, 66, and Phil, 44.

But Judith said that it was the wrong thing to do.

She said: "We have been brought a young tawny owl which had climbed out of the nest.

"It's probably finding how life works and on its own it would have wriggled back up a tree and found its way back up to its parents.

"We are going to take it back to where it was found and wait for two or three hours to see if there is any evidence of its parents around there.

"If not, it will stay with us and we may be able to release it, but we have got to have permission to do that."

The couple are eager to get the message across as it is the breeding season and other birds are as likely to have their young leave or fall out of the nest.

The couple have been caring for birds of prey for more than two years since Phil looked after a friend's birds of prey and decided he wanted to have some of his own.

They now have seven rescued Bengal eagle owls, two Europeans eagle owls, one red-tailed buzzard and three barn owls, none of which can be released into the wild.

One of the European owls was left behind in the shed of a house in Grimsby and was only found when the council went to clear out the property.

Once a bird has been rescued it is difficult to release it as it becomes dependent on humans for food.

Judith said if an uninjured chick is found on the ground it should always be left as it will either make its way back home or its parents will find it.

Phil said people should leave the bird unless it was in danger from predators.

He said: "If it's in danger put it as high up a tree as you can because the chances are the mother and father will be around somewhere."

"They will start making noises and hopefully attract the parents." Judith added: "People bring them in thinking they are doing the right thing but they aren't."