Rab, our man on enclosures and maintenance has made and erected over 30 bird boxes of different styles in February. Several Owl boxes, often used initially by Jackdaws, some Woodpecker and Starling boxes and some various Tit boxes with holes suitable for Blue Tits and Coal Tits, a bit bigger for Great Tits and several open fronted boxes for Robins and Blackbirds. We also erected three more House Sparrow box terraces. Each terrace contains three divisions and the holes are bigger than for Great Tits, but smaller than for Starlings and above all, Woodpeckers who attack young birds if they can get to them.
Four tiny Senegalese Pigmy Goats have been born. One was so small and frail that Lulu and Pixie, our Keepers, have taken it away from its mother to look after it. This gives the mother a real chance to take care of its sibling. When born, these kids are very tiny and can almost fit in a pint glass.
Pygmy Goats, unlike most of our animals, are not rare, but we keep them with our Wallabies, of which we have two species. The goats, especially our Billy, tend to keep foxes away. Much as we love them, foxes have been known to take young Wallabies. The goats are particularly important at the moment as our baby Parma Wallaby has come out of its mothers pouch for the first time.
Talks about our Cornwall Nature Conservancy
On the 6th February we visited St Genny’s Women’s Institute in Crackington Haven, to give a talk on conservation. We were very warmly welcomed. Our talk centred on the many endangered species both here and abroad and our aims within the Conservancy both to expand our breeding programme and hopefully, our membership. We took many photos to illustrate the work we do. They were particularly interested in learning about young animals.
We hope to be seeing them again soon as they intend to arrange a visit to us, hopefully later in the Spring, when we hope to have many babies to show them.