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Tom
and Carolyn Screech started treating sick owls at their sanctuary
back in 1990.
Their
association with owls started long before that.
"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," remembers Carolyn.
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| Stephanie
is an African Spotted Eagle Owl |
"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."
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| Charlie,
a European Eagle Owl is a resident at Screech |
The
centre offers many things for the vistor to do during their trip.
You
can see the hand-tame owls at close proximity under staff supervision
and be informed by unique guided tours from qualified staff.
You
can also adopt your favourite owl for a year. Details of this scheme
can be found on the Screech Owl Sanctuary website. Visit
the website.
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| Little
Gizmo, an Indian Scops Owl relaxes in the sunshine |
Owls
are often described as nocturnal birds of prey, and can be found
on every continent in the world except Antarctica, and they have
been developing for approximately 100 million years.
The
many owl species throughout the world have adapted to living in
a variety of habitats such as forests, deserts, grasslands, mountains
and even towns or cities.
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| Yuri,
the Great Grey Owl is a visitor to the sanctuary |
Unfortunately
not all the species can adapt to the changes we are making to the
environment and many are declining in numbers.
All
owls have forward facing fixed eyes, and they use head movements
in order to see and focus on objects.
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| Indra
is an inquisitive Indian Eagle Owl |
This
simple structure leaves greater room within the eye socket for ocular
improvements, strengthening clarity and definition of distance vision.
The
hearing of an owl is also very acute, and in most owl species one
of the ears is positioned slightly higher than the other.
In
the meantime the Screech Owl Sanctuary continues to look after owls
from Cornwall and all over the UK.
For
more information please contact the Sanctuary on 01726 860182 or
visit the website
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