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Casper the Woodford Owl
The Owl Centre in Kington, Herefordshire, gives unequalled access to these beautiful nocturnal birds of prey.
Winter in England can be grim: cold, wet, and dark early.
Finding something to do outdoors with young people in inclement weather can be tricky. I was staying in Hereford late last winter and had friends coming to visit me. I wasn’t sure what they would be interested in, so I sent them a list of options and was thrilled when they decided on an afternoon at the Small Breeds Farm Park and Owl Centre in Kington, about forty minutes northeast of Hereford.
I love animals and animal sanctuaries (as regular visitors to these pages will know; e.g.: Potoroo Palace; Durrell Wildlife Park; The Two Tarongas; Gunung Leuser Orangutangs), so any excuse to visit a new one is fine by me. And of course, owls are special: they feature in the myths and legends of many cultures. Symbols of wisdom in the books I read as a child, they were omens of death to the Native Americans around me.
Predominantly nocturnal, owls are also elusive. I have only ever once seen one in the wild: a large powerful owl (Ninox strenua) had decided to perch just over the boardwalk where my husband and I walk daily. The experience left us hushed and awestruck.
There is, of course, the dilemma of keeping animals in captivity. Many of the owls at the centre are rescued animals, while others are hand reared. Certainly, having them under-cover on a rainy English afternoon made them accessible.
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Small Breeds Farm Park and Owl Centre
The winter sun was angling low in the sky and the shadows were already long by the time we arrived rather late in the afternoon.
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Sebastopol Geese
With their long, white, curly feathers, the geese scrabbling for food in the yard are an arresting sight. Sebastopol Geese are a heritage breed, thought to originate in Central Europe.
Casper the Woodford Owl
Casper, an African wood-owl (Strix woodfordii), was born and hand-reared here at the Owl Centre, …
Casper the Woodford Owl
… and now greets visitors as they enter the park.
Teatowel the Barn Owl
Barn owls (Tyto alba) are one of the most widespread of all birds. If “Midsomer Murders” is anything to go by, they are commonly seen and heard in the English woods.
Numpy the Milky Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s eagle-owl, also known as the milky eagle owl or giant eagle owl, (Bubo lacteus) is the largest of the African owls.
Petting Numpy
The signposting tells us who likes being petted; Numpy who was hatched here in 1996, is a fan of a neck scratch.
Numpy the Milky Eagle Owl
He truly is a glorious creature with his blue beak and fluffy ear-tufts.
Young Lad and the Baby Pygmy Goat
Children just love small animals! Only adults are allowed to handle the owls – I suppose small fingers would be awfully tempting – but the baby pigmy goats are fair game. There are plenty of volunteer staff around to make sure the animals are handled gently.
Goats-in-Waiting
They must have an endless supply of baby animals! The doe grazing while baby kids gambol was heavily pregnant, and due any day.
Baby Pygmy Goats
Billy Pygmy Goat
Midas, the Papa pygmy goat has a wonderful, classic beard.
Old English Goat
Who knew there were so many breeds? The old English billy, with his long face and long horns …
Golden Guernsey Goats
… has little appearance in common with the inquisitive golden Guernseys!
Golden Guernsey Goat
All the goats look forward to being hand-fed, but the Guernseys behave as if they’re truly going hungry – an impression belied by their full, round bellies!
Cashmere Goats
Girl with a Guinea Pig
In another area, very small animals like mice, and rabbits, and Guinea pigs run around their pens – or come out to delight the visiting children.
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a tree squirrel that was once common throughout Eurasia. In England they are now under threat from habitat loss and competition from introduced American grey squirrels.
Alpaca
Alpaca (Lama pacos) are still out in the wet paddocks …
Feeding the Alpaca
… waiting for a last feed in the late afternoon before the park closes for the day.
You can’t beat kids and baby animal –
It was a winter afternoon well spent!
Happy Rambling!
Photos: 07March2015
