Most of you will already know that as an organisation, Friends of Tring Reservoirs are not equipped to deal with sick or injured wild birds or animals.
If you do see or find an injured bird or animal that needs help, please call either:
St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital on 01844 292292, who operate a 24-hour emergency telephone line;
or
If a swan is involved, you can call Swan Lifeline on 01753 859397.
One member has suggested we all add these numbers to our mobile phones, so that they are to hand in case we might need one, which we think is a very good idea. If you want to see their websites click the following links : St Tiggywinkles or Swan Lifeline
Under the Law, any individual is permitted to take in and keep most injured wild birds and animals for the purpose of looking after them and releasing them as soon as they are fit, or in order to pass them on to someone properly qualified to look after them. However, the Wildlife and Countryside Act prohibits anyone from keeping certain species, which includes all of our rare breeding species, unless they are specifically registerd to do so - the above rescue organisations are registered.
If you do decide to get involved yourself, please take great care and make sure you do not put yourself at risk of injury - if in any doubt watch and wait for the experts to arrive.
Please remember that the Red Kite is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and has full legal protection. It is an offence to intentionally disturb nesting kites. Red kites are extremely sensitive to human activity close to the nesting area during the nesting season, and can abandon their nest and chicks at the slightest disturbance. Surveying, wing-tagging, ringing, and monitoring of nests is done by experienced fieldworkers under licence from the relevant organisations.
Should you be unfortunate to discover a dead Red Kite, then assuming it is within the Chilterns area, please contact Helen Olive on 07795 428806 or Nigel Snell on 01491 571687, both of redkites.net. If neither is available, please call the Chilterns Conservation Board on 01844 355504 for further advice and/or contacts.