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Wulf’s Blog

Saturday January 28th 2012

We continued with re perching the aviaries this week. We made lot of progress. However, in spite of all the branches we managed to haul from the Old Wood, we might still be stretched to have enough to do every single aviary, but we can only use whatever is available, and in whatever amount. I have included some pictures I took this morning, to show you what the Main Display is looking like at the moment, what with branches everywhere, also included is a picture of the Pharaoh Eagle Owl’s aviary as it is now it is kitted out.

I learned something new this week. I was led to believe that in the case of incubation, the female owl does all the work. I was watching the Ashy-faced Owls on camera, and observed what I thought must be the female sat tight on her eggs; she stood up, only for the ‘male’ to roll the eggs under him, and squat down on them in that unmistakable fashion which denotes incubation. I was thinking; has the male been replaced by a female? I enquired with David the collection manager, and found out that the male hadn’t been replaced unbeknown to me; he hadn’t come across this behaviour either. However, the other keepers had actually witnessed this behaviour with another pair of Ashy-faced Owls, so this isn’t a fluke.

This is often how it goes with ‘research’. The image of people in laboratories with white coats and all that isn’t how it always is. Sometimes it comes from a more ‘grass roots’ level, from people such as keepers at the World Owl Trust. I have also included a link to an article I wrote a few years ago, which kind of back this up - read on here

See you next week

Wulf
Head Keeper

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Out side the bottom gate Picture courtesy Wulf Ingham

Bottom path next to the Laybourne Avairy Picture courtesy Wulf Ingham

The Pharaoh Eagle Owl aviary after it has been re-kitted out Picture courtesy Wulf Ingham

World Owl Trust Registered Charity Number: 1107529 Limited Company Number: 5296745

The World Owl Trust is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). The Trust relies on a dedicated membership, visitors, donations and legacies.