We are now entering the busiest time of year for many of the bird sanctuaries and wildlife rescue centres throughout the UK. My evenings and weekends are becoming increasingly busy with calls for help now not only from the general public, but also from such rescue centres who are desperate for assistance with their new admittances; coming across instances and injuries not seen before, and I am always grateful to our Three Owls founder (Mrs Eileen Watkinson MBE), who took the time and trouble to instil her years of knowledge into me, which I have been able to expand and draw upon over the last 41 years.

If, when you ring up you get the answerphone, please do leave a message or send an email, and we will respond as soon as possible. In the meantime do have a read on this website - we have built it up over many years and is now a mine of information which in many instances will provide the assistance you require; without the need to remove the bird from the area where you have found it. We do not have a Facebook page, nor on Instagram, or Twitter; Although these portals can help people, equally I have seen so much damage caused to organisations with online spats, that it is not something I wish Three Owls to enter into - quite apart from the fact I don't have the time to police it all! We will stick to the phone, email and text. It is also still lovely to receive the written letters and cards through the post too - sometimes original methods can be good too!

Please be aware that there is as much mis-information on the Internet as there is quality help, so please do check before feeding birds items which may disable or kill them. Equally, medical advice is best gained from a proper organisation rather than an unknown source.

Sometimes the rescues need rescuing too, and occasionally they become so good at rehabilitation that it outstrips releasability at that site. We have worked with many such rescues in relocation of birds and wildlife not only to our own reserves for remote releases, but have been equally grateful to the different local rescues in the North of England for combining their facilities to share the workload. Only yesterday we relocated two imprinted carrion crows and three tawny owlets from local rescues to our most northern reserves where the staff at Knoxwood will care for them until their eventual release onto our two reserves there. This followed on from another similar trip earlier in the month with two barn owls and two tawny owlets. Our four reserves at Rochdale and Southport are used very frequently for multiple releases. It is important that that such co-operation between the rescues countywide, continues for the benefit of all our wild birds and animals.

Thank you so much to each and every one of you for continued support; it is VERY much appreciated and both saves and enhances wild birds lives' each and every day.

Nigel