A trip to Whipsnade 11th October 2008
CZJimmy has already posted a detailed report of the park but he did not see the birds, so I'll post a few lines about them.
Whipsnade is currentkly re-organizing the bird collection. The first exhibits which can be seen are a few aviaries in the walk through woodland walk. Here are kept ural owl, hawk owl and raven, plus one empty aviary. Next to the walk is a small aviary housing a pair of snowy owls.
The bird garden which used to be the Children's Zoo many years ago has a huge aviary which held military macaws until recently. The macaws have gone to London. In the avary now is a pair of Edwards Pheasants, a pair of Chestnut-backed Thrushes and a pair of Blue-crowned Laughing Thrushes which it is believed have hatched a chick. The aviary was desgined to house a large group of parrots, so finding birds as small as thrushes is very difficult. I only managed to see the pheasants.
Opposite this aviary is a block of four flights, a female Hartleub's Turaco lives here, patiently awaiting a mate. Other birds housed here are more Blue-crowned Laughing Thrushes and a breeding pair of Azure-winged Magpies.
Furthur along the path one comes to an aviary set slightly back from the path. The Temminck's Tarictic Hornbills live here. A first UK breeding was achieved in 2006, but although the birds have nested again on several occasions no more chicks have been hatched. There is a pool in this area for common ducks, Ruddy Duck, Smew, Bahama Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, Ringed Teal and Hooded Merganser were observed.
If the path is followed around the conrer it leads to a range of aviaries hpousing birds used in the flying displays. A Red-crested Seriema is the first bird to be seen, and furthur along is a small group of Burrowing Owls bred in the park and a Black Vulture.
At the end of this path is an aviary for Southern Ground Hornbills, and opposite the aviaries is the birds of prey lawn, Harris' Hawk and other raptors are tethered here.
There is also an aviary housing a female Bald Eagle. This exhibit was constructed in the hope that the eagles would breed, but the male has since died. Behind this aviary is the offshow accommodation for the macaws used in the flying display.
By the entrance to the Bird gardens is a small pen with a breeding pair of Stanley Cranes. This was very untidy as the cranes were moulting. One chick has been raised this year, the other one was predated by a fox.
The only other exhibit in the garden is a smallish pool where penguin chicks taken for hand-rearing can be kept.
It has been proposed to close this part of the zoo to visitors and utilise the aviairs for off-show breeding. If this takes place, all the birds will be place don public exhibition elsewhere within the park.
Behind the Bird Garden is the offshow corncrake breeding centre, and some crane enclosures, also offshow. Red-crowned, Wattled and White-naped Cranes are bred here. Brolga also used to be kept here, I don't kniow if they still are, or if they have moved to London. The person who was going to show me around had to cut short the tour owing to an emergency veterinary call out on another part of the section.
There is an aviary alongside the Cafe by the Lake, this has breeding groups of Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets, and has just been refurbished. A pair of Peruvian Thick-knees and Oystercatchers also live here.
The next bird exhibit is just up the road and is a huge pool with a flock of many Bar-headed Geese, and also some Swan Geese. Most of the birds have been moved out of this enclosure and it is hoped the area will be re-developed as a pelican enclosure. This will house the pelicans from London. The pond needs to be cleaned and dredged and a reed bed will be a feature of the new exhibit.
Still on the same side of the road is the flamingo pool. One chick was reared in 2008.
A small group of Ostriches are kept in the old black rhino house, and a few Emus can be found at the end of the road leading past the hippo house.
The Discovery Centre has an aviary which houses a Toco Toucan.
Rather out of the way from the rest of the park is the penguin pool. I had a great view over the downs from here. Humboldt's and Long-crested Rockhopper Penguins breed here, and new arrivals are 0.3 Gentoo Penguins from Edinburgh. The newcomers are doing well at the moment and if they continue to thrive, 3.0 will be imported in two years time.
Common Peafowl are kept at liberty, alomng with Maras, Bennett's Wallabies and Chinese Water Deer. I almost fell over a Mara which had decided to pass behind me and as I turned around it was around a foot away and immediately froze. I backed off and it continued on its way.
The only other birds I saw were three domestic turkeys in the farm area.
Whipsnade is also home to may wild birds and Common Kestels, Ravens and Red Kites have all nested in the park this year. Unfortunately the kites did not rear any chicks.
I looked at Cheetah Rock, but I prefer Chester's enclosure. One of Whipsnade's cheetahs is leaving next week. There was also a Southern Cheetah sunbathing in the original cheetah enclosure close to the entrance.
I have been visitng Whipsnade annually since 1989 and this year was the first time I have been when the sun was shining.
CZJimmy has already posted a detailed report of the park but he did not see the birds, so I'll post a few lines about them.
Whipsnade is currentkly re-organizing the bird collection. The first exhibits which can be seen are a few aviaries in the walk through woodland walk. Here are kept ural owl, hawk owl and raven, plus one empty aviary. Next to the walk is a small aviary housing a pair of snowy owls.
The bird garden which used to be the Children's Zoo many years ago has a huge aviary which held military macaws until recently. The macaws have gone to London. In the avary now is a pair of Edwards Pheasants, a pair of Chestnut-backed Thrushes and a pair of Blue-crowned Laughing Thrushes which it is believed have hatched a chick. The aviary was desgined to house a large group of parrots, so finding birds as small as thrushes is very difficult. I only managed to see the pheasants.
Opposite this aviary is a block of four flights, a female Hartleub's Turaco lives here, patiently awaiting a mate. Other birds housed here are more Blue-crowned Laughing Thrushes and a breeding pair of Azure-winged Magpies.
Furthur along the path one comes to an aviary set slightly back from the path. The Temminck's Tarictic Hornbills live here. A first UK breeding was achieved in 2006, but although the birds have nested again on several occasions no more chicks have been hatched. There is a pool in this area for common ducks, Ruddy Duck, Smew, Bahama Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, Ringed Teal and Hooded Merganser were observed.
If the path is followed around the conrer it leads to a range of aviaries hpousing birds used in the flying displays. A Red-crested Seriema is the first bird to be seen, and furthur along is a small group of Burrowing Owls bred in the park and a Black Vulture.
At the end of this path is an aviary for Southern Ground Hornbills, and opposite the aviaries is the birds of prey lawn, Harris' Hawk and other raptors are tethered here.
There is also an aviary housing a female Bald Eagle. This exhibit was constructed in the hope that the eagles would breed, but the male has since died. Behind this aviary is the offshow accommodation for the macaws used in the flying display.
By the entrance to the Bird gardens is a small pen with a breeding pair of Stanley Cranes. This was very untidy as the cranes were moulting. One chick has been raised this year, the other one was predated by a fox.
The only other exhibit in the garden is a smallish pool where penguin chicks taken for hand-rearing can be kept.
It has been proposed to close this part of the zoo to visitors and utilise the aviairs for off-show breeding. If this takes place, all the birds will be place don public exhibition elsewhere within the park.
Behind the Bird Garden is the offshow corncrake breeding centre, and some crane enclosures, also offshow. Red-crowned, Wattled and White-naped Cranes are bred here. Brolga also used to be kept here, I don't kniow if they still are, or if they have moved to London. The person who was going to show me around had to cut short the tour owing to an emergency veterinary call out on another part of the section.
There is an aviary alongside the Cafe by the Lake, this has breeding groups of Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets, and has just been refurbished. A pair of Peruvian Thick-knees and Oystercatchers also live here.
The next bird exhibit is just up the road and is a huge pool with a flock of many Bar-headed Geese, and also some Swan Geese. Most of the birds have been moved out of this enclosure and it is hoped the area will be re-developed as a pelican enclosure. This will house the pelicans from London. The pond needs to be cleaned and dredged and a reed bed will be a feature of the new exhibit.
Still on the same side of the road is the flamingo pool. One chick was reared in 2008.
A small group of Ostriches are kept in the old black rhino house, and a few Emus can be found at the end of the road leading past the hippo house.
The Discovery Centre has an aviary which houses a Toco Toucan.
Rather out of the way from the rest of the park is the penguin pool. I had a great view over the downs from here. Humboldt's and Long-crested Rockhopper Penguins breed here, and new arrivals are 0.3 Gentoo Penguins from Edinburgh. The newcomers are doing well at the moment and if they continue to thrive, 3.0 will be imported in two years time.
Common Peafowl are kept at liberty, alomng with Maras, Bennett's Wallabies and Chinese Water Deer. I almost fell over a Mara which had decided to pass behind me and as I turned around it was around a foot away and immediately froze. I backed off and it continued on its way.
The only other birds I saw were three domestic turkeys in the farm area.
Whipsnade is also home to may wild birds and Common Kestels, Ravens and Red Kites have all nested in the park this year. Unfortunately the kites did not rear any chicks.
I looked at Cheetah Rock, but I prefer Chester's enclosure. One of Whipsnade's cheetahs is leaving next week. There was also a Southern Cheetah sunbathing in the original cheetah enclosure close to the entrance.
I have been visitng Whipsnade annually since 1989 and this year was the first time I have been when the sun was shining.
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