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A FAMILY that has cared for 1000 wild birds over a period of seven years is taking a well-earned step back.
After five busy seasons the Ball family has taken the difficult decision to close for the foreseeable future.
They will still provide sanctuary for the 40 birds they currently house that cannot be released, but they will not be taking in new patients.
Sarah Ball said: “It all started when my daughter Elena, then aged 14, brought in a one-day-old sparrow she’d found on our drive.
“It was a tiny blind pink blob, but she was determined to save it, so we bought an incubator.
“Elena did all the work, and raised the bird herself.
“It became very tame, and lived for seven and a half years, flying freely in our house.”
The family’s next patients were two one-day-old ducklings that had been left behind when their mother led the rest of the brood to the river.
“We still have one of them,” said Sarah.
“Then there was Albie, the wood pigeon who we were able to set free.”
During lockdown Elena put out a Facebook page offering to take in other wild birds in the Wargrave area, and soon the family was inundated with requests for help.
During the pandemic people were outside more often and able to spot greater numbers of birds in trouble.
Sarah and Elena have been taking in around 200 birds a year; black birds, sparrows, finches, magpies, crows, doves and pigeons, restoring and releasing them whenever possible.
“Most of the birds we have now are feral pigeons that can’t fly or be released,” Sarah explained.
“Pigeons often get themselves into trouble, so we have around 40 of them.
“They adapt very well to captivity, and have a very good life with us, making friendships, pairing up and making nests together in our aviary.”
The family’s lounge has often been filled with carriers and cages of sick birds receiving a week of intensive care before gradually transitioning over two or three months to outdoor aviaries, and where possible, freedom.
With Elena now at university and studying to be a vet, Sarah currently looks after the birds.
“It has been quite overwhelming, and very intensive,” she said.
It can make going on holiday difficult to arrange, but there’s another exciting reason why Sarah wants to step back.
Her son Sammy, 19, is fast becoming a super athlete, and the family would like to be able to support his sporting events by travelling to competitions with him.
“He’s hoping to be selected for the Senior British team next year.” Sarah said.
In his first year in the Senior Section, the young athlete won the British Decathlon this season.
His most recent competition in France placed him second on the British ranking, and he is currently ranked 11th all time UK Senior Athlete.
“He trains full time, and we’re really excited to see where this takes him,” Sarah said.
“We’d like to be able to drop everything and go when competitions come up at short notice.
“Birds can be very dusty, too, which isn’t great for athletes.”
Although she is stepping back, Sarah is happy to advise anyone else in the borough who would like to start their own rescue centre.
“I can show them how to feed and care for the birds to help them get started,” she said.
As the rescue centre closes the family would like to thank their supporters.
“People who have brought birds to us have often made donations for their care, and drivers have kindly taken birds we can’t care for to specialist centres.
“And we’d also like to thank Henley Veterinary Centre, which has often looked at birds for us, and given advice and support.”
People finding an injured bird can take them to St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital (open 8am until 8pm, no appointment necessary, HART Wildlife Rescue, Wildlife Aid, Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue (which has limited capacity) and Harper Asprey (but this centre can rarely take pigeons.
For advice, people can call: 07909 555105.
For information, visit: www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk www.hartwildlife.org.uk www.wildlifeaid.org.uk www.oxfordshirewildliferescue.co.uk and www.hawr.co.uk
