beginingsowl

WHY REHABILITATION?

By Carolyn Screech


This article shows a brief profile of the Screech Owl Sanctuary over a period of years, and how it all began.

My first close encounter with an owl came during the spring of 1966 when I was eight years old and we lived in an old farmhouse in the heart of the china clay country. One evening when out with my father on the farm, I spotted a fluffy grey ball lying on the ground outside the barn. My vivid memory was to stare at this red-rimmed bleary-eyed creature not having a clue what it was. And as only a child would think I decided to give it a quick poke to see how it would react, and when the creature didn't attempt to bite me, I thought it would be safe to pick it up but very quickly threw it in my father's direction when its sharp talons pierced my fingers.

The following morning a second strange creature was found near the barn, and joined its twin in the picnic baskets beside the Aga in our kitchen.

During the days that followed this exciting discovery my father made inquiries about our supposedly orphaned creatures to a local vet, and some known bird keepers in the area.

He managed to establish the twin creatures were owls, but thought at that time to be barn owls as logically thinking they were found outside the barn. Oscar and Iscar as they were named appeared to thrive, and in later weeks progressed to perching on two chair backs in the slated floor parlour. I seem to remember them eating a recommended diet of various raw meats including liver, and I often think back to these primitive days and wonder how they had survived. The twins regularly accompanied the family on outings and became well known visitors to the local grocery shop, imagine the reaction of the environmental health officers today of a pair of owls in the grocery shop, how times changed!

On the negative side thirty years ago Cornwall was not renowned for its scientific innovations, and little or no advice on practical care could be offered for owl species. Even today our county is still very much out on a limb when it comes to research and technology, but at least people are now prepared to cross over the water to gain this knowledge and information.

After the very unconventional release of our twin creatures back to the farmyard as they had become somewhat fretful of life in the parlour, I can only assume that at least one of these owls survived after release, as it was often seen at dusk in the orchard.

This experience paved the way for my life long passion, and later played a very important part in my destiny and working life.

My path changed during the preceding years, and at 18 years old began nurse training. I met and married a man named Tom Screech, and returned to my passion in the form of a captive collection of owls initially as a hobby, and spent many hours of study during these years trying to offer the best possible care and housing for the owls, although written text on care at this time was limited.

The collection began to expand rapidly after an elderly breeder passed on his dwindled collection of birds to us in preparation for his retirement. Part of this menagerie consisted of a disabled buzzard, and a barn owl, which had lost half a wing in a road accident.

At this stage in time it became apparent we had outgrown our large allotment garden, and moved to a two and a half acre small holding which was where the Screech owl sanctuary officially began in 1990 and remained until 1994 when we relocated to a much larger and more practical site, which is our current location in Mid Cornwall.