Tag: wildlife

Help hedgehogs this winter

Hedgehog 1The Scottish SPCA is asking members of the public to call its animal helpline if they find a hedgehog this winter.

Staff at the charity’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre at Fishcross in Clackmannanshire are currently caring for over 50 hedgehogs, the majority of which are too small and weak to survive outside during the cold weather.

Centre Manager Colin Seddon said, “Hedgehogs should be hibernating bynow but there will be some out there who won’t survive without help. We would be particularly concerned for a hedgehog seen outside during the day and would urge anyone who finds one to call us.

“Most of the hedgehogs in our care haven’t been able to store up the necessary body fat to go into hibernation or are from late litters. Many were half their ideal weight when they were rescued.

“Hedgehogs will be out foraging for food such as earthworms, beetles, slugs, snails, insects, fruit and carrion but they’ll be finding it very difficult at this time of year.

“Anyone trying to contain a hedgehog should pick it up using gardening gloves or a thick towel and place it in a secure box. It can then be left with fresh water and tinned cat food, ideally chicken flavoured, until we arrive.

“Our rescued hedgehogs will be released once they have reached a suitable weight of over 600g and the weather has warmed up to a consistent night time temperature of over four degrees centigrade.”

Anyone who finds a hedgehog this winter is being asked to call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.

Keep animals safe this winter

The Scottish SPCA is urging people to help animals stay safe this winter

Scottish SPCAPic Peter DevlinScotland’s animal welfare charity has issued advice to pet owners, farmers and wildlife enthusiasts as the temperature falls.

Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said, “Freezing weather can be very dangerous for domestic pets, equines, farm animals and wildlife.

“Dog owners should keep their pets on the lead near frozen waterways and people must never go after their dog if it walks out onto the ice. Each year we hear of incidents where people have tried to rescue their pet from a frozen river or lake, often with tragic consequences, and we want both animals and their owners stay safe.

“We would always recommend owners wash their dogs’ feet after they have been walking on gritted roads as salt can be an irritant to the paws and can upset the digestive system if ingested.

“Those with cats should make adequate provisions for them by ensuring they have access to somewhere warm when the temperature drops and all pets kept outdoors will need extra food, bedding and access to unfrozen drinking water. In the worst winter weather, owners of rabbits, guinea pigs and other animals kept in outdoor hutches should move them inside where possible.

“Antifreeze is one of the most common causes of cat poisoning, particularly in the winter months, and can result in a horrific death. We would urge anyone servicing their car to take extra care and ensure any spillages are cleaned up and disposed of properly as it could save an animal’s life.

“Treacherous conditions makes it hard for farmers to monitor their livestock but, again, it is vital they have access to unfrozen drinking water and food.”

Anyone who finds an animal in distress over the winter period is being encouraged to contact the charity for help and advice.

Chief Supt Flynn added, “Last year we dealt with a large number of wildlife casualties such as underweight hedgehogs found struggling to survive and orphaned or injured seal pups.

“Wildlife lovers can feed birds to help them through the winter as their natural food sources will be scarce at this time of year.

“Anyone who spots a distressed animal should call our Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.”

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Fowl! Abandoned birds need new homes

Abandoned cockerels need new homes

CockerelsThe Scottish SPCA is appealing to find loving new homes for a number of cockerels in their care. Scotland’s animal welfare charity has seen a rise in the number of cockerels being abandoned.

The most recent incident saw four Transylvanian cockerels dumped in woodland in Biggar, South Lanarkshire.  The Scottish SPCA’s Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre currently have 11 cockerels looking for new homes.

Assistant centre manager Kenny Sharpe said, “The majority cockerels come into our care after being abandoned.

“People often buy chicks thinking they are hens and unfortunately when they realise they are cockerels they often dump the birds as they don’t lay eggs and can be quite noisy.

“Cockerels are very territorial birds, so ideally we are looking to rehome them singly or in small groups to a home with a number of hens.

“The birds would also need access to a secure run or a fully enclosed garden.
“We’d encourage anyone who thinks they can give any of these birds a fresh start to contact us for further information.”

Anyone who can offer any of the cockerels a new home is being urged to contact the Scottish SPCA’s Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.

Cockerels 2

Pictures: SSPCA

First seal pup of the season rescued

A newborn grey seal pup has been rescued by the Scottish SPCA after he fell
into the sea at North Queensferry – and staff expect that young ‘Tiller’ will be the first of many during this pupping season.

Less than a week old and still fully furred, the male grey seal pup was spotted lying on rocks by men working on the new Forth Road crossing. As the men approached the pup he fell off the rocks and into the water.

Grey seal pups cannot swim well until they have lost all their fur so the workmen fished the pup out of the water and called the Scottish SPCA for help. Animal rescue officer Joanna McDaid took the seal to the charity’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre at Fishcross, Alloa, where he is now receiving treatment and care.

Staff have named him Tiller.

Centre manager Colin Seddon said, “Tiller is our first grey seal pup of the season and he’s quite unusual in that he was found in an area that is not a known pupping ground. He could have been washed off the established pupping ground at nearby  Inchkeith Island or his mother may have been young and inexperienced.

“It sounds as though he took fright when he was approached and slid off the rocks and into the water which is bad news for a newborn seal pup as their thick fur coats act like a sponge and absorb water so he’s unlikely to have survived on his own for long.

“Thankfully, the men scooped him out of the sea and called us for help. Tiller arrived weighing a healthy 13.5kg for a newborn pup and he’s continued to make good progress in our care. Normally the weight would dip but Tiller has remained steady and has even put on a few pounds recently so we’re feeling positive about his rehabilitation.

“He’s being tube-fed fish soup at the moment and that will continue for the next few weeks until he’s old enough and strong enough to feed himself. He’s currently our only grey seal pup but we’ve no doubt he’ll be joined by many more in the coming weeks and months.”

The SSPCA is urging members of the public to contact its animal helpline if they see a distressed seal pup lying on the shore this winter, adding that they could be doing more harm than good by approaching or picking it up.

Colin continued, “We often receive seal pups that are healthy but have been abandoned by their mothers because someone has disturbed them.

“The mother seal will leave her pup on land while she is out hunting in the water so it’s quite natural to see seal pups lying on the shore line for several hours at a time.

“Our message to the public is, if you see a seal pup and you are concerned for it’s welfare then call our animal helpline for advice or assistance on 03000 999 999 before approaching it.”

Tiller will be cared for at the Scottish SPCA’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre until he is fully fit, feeding himself and at the right weight to be released.

Tiller
Tiller

Armchair view of Botanic Gardens’ sparrowhawks

Birdwatchers can get close up and personal with a beautiful bird of prey – without having to leave the comfort of their armchairs

A webcam was mounted in a sparrowhawk nest within the Botanic Gardens on 29 May, and since then there’s been live online video of activity at the nest. This is the third year in succession with live video coming from a sparrowhawk nest in the Garden.

Research is showing that the Garden is a key breeding site for these magnificent birds – the regular successful breeding in the Garden is a reflection of a healthy songbird population in this part of Edinburgh as these small birds make up the key prey items of sparrowhawks.

The project is the result of a partnership involving the Garden, RSPB Scotland, Lothian and Borders Raptor Study Group and the Scottish Seabird Centre. RBGE is particularly delighted to see the return of the sparrowhawk in this the Year of Natural Scotland, a celebration of our country’s wildlife and natural assets.

To see the local sparrowhawks in action go to

www.rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/edinburgh/sparrowhawk-nestcam

RBGE

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All’s well after flying Pie’s cross border drama!

'Pie'

Magpie boards London to Edinburgh train!

An injured magpie found by a holidaymaker and smuggled aboard a London to Edinburgh train has been released back into the wild by the Scottish SPCA.

An elderly woman discovered the fledgling being attacked by crows when she was visiting family in the Kilburn area of London and took him in as he was too young to feed himself. The bird lover was still concerned for the magpie when she was due to return to Scotland and decided to take him on the train in her handbag.

She later contacted Scotland’s animal welfare charity and the bird was taken to its National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Clackmannanshire. The Edinburgh woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “The
magpie was very traumatised when I found him. I knew he was too young to feed himself so I took him in and began hand-feeding him. I even nicknamed him ‘Pie’. When I was due to leave he still wasn’t self-feeding, so I cleared out my handbag and popped him inside.

“I don’t think anyone on the train realised I had a baby magpie with me. My family have always looked after birds and I initially thought Pie wouldn’t survive, which was really upsetting. People have always said I’m eccentric and I’m sure they’d think that even more so if they knew about this! I’m so happy to hear he’s been released and I’m very grateful to the Scottish SPCA for helping him, they’ve done a fantastic job.”

SSPCA Centre manager Colin Seddon said: “Usually we advise people to leave fledglings alone, but in this case the magpie was being attacked by other birds and had sustained injuries. We’d recommend anyone who finds a bird in need of help to contact an animal rescue organisation such as ourselves for advice and assistance. While it was certainly unusual to take the magpie on the train, this lady had taken very good care of him and it’s clear she must care a great deal about birds. The magpie made a fantastic recovery and it was wonderful to release him back into the wild fit and healthy after his rather long journey.”

Will Pie choose to stay in Scotland or will he head back down south? Will the referendum issue affect his decision? Sadly, we’ll never know!

Anyone who discovers an injured or distressed animal should call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.

Magpie being released by Lorraine Gow, Head of Birds

Pictures courtesy of SSPCA

MP calls for action to halt bee decline

Local MP Mark Lazarowicz is calling for a precautionary moratorium on three pesticides – imidacloprid, clothianidin and TMX – linked to the decline of the UK’s bee populations. The North and Leith MP is a longstanding member of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee and its new hard-hitting report on Pollinators and Pesticides is published today.

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Mark Lazarowicz (pictured above) said: “As part of our inquiry into insects and insecticides we looked at the sharp decline in the number of bees in the UK and there’s growing concern that the use of certain chemicals might be to blame. Bees matter to both gardeners and farmers because of their role in pollinating fruit and vegetables as well as flowers. They are fundamental to our ecology and economy. The scientific evidence points to the need for a precautionary moratorium to be introduced. DEFRA should listen to it and act.”

Two-thirds of wild insect pollinator species – such as bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, carrion flies, beetles, midges and moths – have suffered population declines in the UK. Managed honeybees have also experienced unusually high mortality rates, decreased fertility, increased susceptibility to disease and the loss of hives. Similar trends have been observed in the US and other European countries.

Disease, habitat loss and climate change can all affect insect populations, but a growing body of peer-reviewed research suggests that the use of one group of insecticides is having an especially damaging impact on pollinators — neonicotinoids. Applied to seeds, these systemic pesticides are widely used in the UK on oilseed rape, cereals, maize, sugar beet and crops grown in glasshouses.

Authorities in France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia have already suspended the use of some neonicotinoids in certain circumstances. The European Commission has also proposed an EU-wide moratorium on the use of imidacloprid, clothianidin and TMX on crops attractive to bees, following a recent risk warning from the European Food Safety Authority. The UK has refused to take domestic action or to support the EU proposal.

Many of the UK’s largest garden retailers, including B&Q, Wickes and Homebase, have voluntarily withdrawn non-professional plant protection products that contain neonicotinoids. The report recommends a full ban on the sale of neonicotinoids for public domestic use in order to create an urban safe haven for pollinators.

Pesticide manufacturers often claim that studies linking their products to bee decline are flawed or inconclusive and that other factors are primarily to blame, such as the Varroa mite. But although the agrochemical industry has produced many studies on the environmental effect of pesticides, it keeps most of its data secret on grounds of commercial confidentiality.

The report warns that this lack of transparency is preventing a fuller understanding of the problem. The MPs call on the industry to place the results of its trials and studies in the public domain so that they can be subjected to open academic scrutiny. Defra should help companies establish which genuinely commercially sensitive details need to be redacted to make this possible.

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Hedgehogs need help this winter …

The Scottish SPCA is urging members of the public to call its animal helpline if they find a hedgehog this winter.

Staff at the charity’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre at Fishcross, near Alloa, are currently caring for 75 hedgehogs, almost twice the amount cared for during the same period last year, and the majority of which are too small and weak to survive outside during the cold weather.

Centre Manager Colin Seddon said, “Hedgehogs should be hibernating by now but there will be some out there who won’t survive without help. Most of the hedgehogs in our care have either been caught out by the long wet spell of weather and haven’t been able to store up the necessary body fat to go into hibernation or are from late litters, which is common.

“These youngsters will be out foraging for food such as earthworms, beetles, slugs, snails, insects, fruit and carrion but they’ll be finding it very difficult at this time of year. Many of them arrived weighing between 300g and 400g, almost half their ideal weight. We would be particularly concerned if a hedgehog is out during the day and would urge anyone who finds one to call us so we can come and collect it. They should try to contain it by picking it up using gardening gloves or a thick towel and placing it in a secure box. It can then be left with fresh water and tinned cat food until we arrive.

“Hedgehogs will struggle as the temperatures drop, so if anyone spots one during the freezing winter weather they should call us immediately. Our rehabilitated hedgehogs will be released once they achieve a suitable weight of over 600g and when the weather warms up to a consistent night time temperature of over four degrees centigrade.”

Anyone who finds a hedgehog this winter is urged to call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.

Watch the birdies at Botanics!

Fancy a bird’s eye view of some young birds of prey? You can now get up close and personal with a family of sparrowhawks at the Botanic Gardens!

In partnership with RSPB Scotland, Lothian and Borders Raptor Study Group and the Scottish Seabird Centre a live ‘nestcam’ has been trained on the nest of a sparrowhawk in the Garden.

The Garden has been a key breeding site for these magnificent birds for many years and research on sparrowhawks across the City is indicating that it is one of the most productive breeding territories due to the healthy population of songbirds that make up the prey of sparrowhawks.

Live images of the sparrowhawk family can be seen at the viewpoint in the John Hope Gateway from 10am to 6pm, with interpretation of activity at the nest provided by RSPB staff and volunteers from Wednesday to Sunday 1-4pm.

RBGE