A short guide to being an owl hero

My dad asked me an interesting question the other day;
"What would you do if somebody called you up saying that they had an injured owl? Would you know what to do?"

Now, obviously I hope none of you ever encounter an injured owl, but these things are good to share - so, just in case, here is my guide on how to be an owl hero. :)

1. Obviously, you must ascertain first whether the bird is actually injured or not. A good sign is that the owl makes no attempt to (or can't) run or fly away from you, and looks in a general poor and bedraggled state. These are signs of an owl that needs expert help and your job is to deliver it to safe hands.

2. Covering the bird with a blanket, coat or jumper will keep the bird warm and calm it by blacking out its vision. IMPORTANT: It is very easy to kill a bird by shock, or damage it further. Minimise contact as much as possible.

3. If you can, transfer the bird into a ventilated box with enough room for it to crawl around. Make sure it is comfortable - newspaper and old clothing to line the box will do, but don't use sawdust or anything in bits, and do not provide water. DO NOT attempt to touch, treat or feed the bird yourself. This is important because:

• You may further injure or stress the bird.
• With enough contact it may imprint on you - that is, it will begin to bond with you, effectively recognise you as its parent and will no longer be able to be released back into the wild. It needs to recognise that humans are the enemy and cannot do this when it sees us as a source of food and nurturing!

4. Get the poor thing to the nearest bird of prey centre AS SOON AS POSSIBLE- look in your local directory for numbers to call. Every minute is vital.

5. Wash yer hands afterwards. Those owls are dirty ;p

This method works for every bird out there too, but take care with birds of prey as they're potentially dangerous. Remember that if the bird isnt a bird of prey, then a BOP centre won't want to know about it - get it instead to an RSPCA or wildlife hospital unit, or even to a local vet.

A long winter

It's been so long. I could excuse myself with schoolwork and painting but in truth I've just slipped into a habit of not posting anything here, which is quite shameful.
So, to make up for the absence, I'd like to introduce you to a friend:

Photograph by Saidthefawn

Moss is a very smug looking snowy owl. For most of the year the climate is too warm for him to fly but he doesn't waste his time being forlorn about it. He likes to charm guests with his happy sounds and beautiful white feathers.

"Time for a first post!"

And a rushed first post at that. There are so many things I want to put in this blog - ideas, thoughts, inspiration. I want to make a magpie's nest of pretty things that I come across and I'm anxious to get them all in before I forget. The making of this blog is long overdue and I am a very disorganised individual who forgot to make a list. So, without further ado, my first find...

Kathryn Spence

Her dusty scrap fabric animals are enchanting. Like me, she has a fondness for nature and conservation and birds in particular, so I feel a certain identification with her. I am particularly fond of her owls. What characters!

Currently, I am busily revising between sips of hot tea and trips to stoke the wood burning stove next door. Like many fellow Britons, I am thoroughly snowed in at the moment. The local council have closed my college due to it as of yesterday, which of course I don't mind. Only next week I have exams and I am busy putting pen to paper for them.

Snow is my favourite weather - I can hear children and adults alike playing in it outside. For a while we can forget our responsibilities for the task of making angels and putting scarves and hats on our snowmen.