Feathered friends pay a flying visit to Newmarket care home

 

A local care home pulled out all the stops for an im-peck-able surprise.

Residents at Care UK’s Kentford Manor, on Jeddah Way, had a hoot of an afternoon when they welcomed some very special feathered friends in preparation for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

Birds of prey, including a tawny owl, long-eared owl, and a peregrine falcon, were among the surprise winged guests. Everyone learned about each bird’s characteristics, as well as their food preferences, and how they hunt their prey in the wild. Residents also had the opportunity to hold them on their arms, which was a brand new experience for some

The friendly and relaxed creatures were brought into Kentford Manor by an experienced, professional falconer from Bird on the Hand, who has a passion for birds of prey, conservation, and education. 

Residents are gearing up to take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, the world’s largest garden wildlife survey, where they’ll count the birds that they spot in the home’s garden within a one hour period. 

Commenting on the birds of prey visit, 103 year old resident, Elizabeth Milner, said “Fletcher was the name of the Tawny owl, I loved his big eyes, I could have kept it!

Kat Rayment, General Manager at Kentford Manor, said: “We loved welcoming the impressive birds of prey into the home – the residents were truly in awe of them. Everyone had a fantastic day and the smiles on the residents’ faces were lovely to see. 

“Here at Kentford Manor, we are always hosting new and exciting activities for residents. Animal therapy has proven to be incredibly beneficial for older people, as it can prompt social interaction, increase physical activity, and be very calming; and this event was perfect for just doing that. 

“I’d like to thank everyone who was involved in making today was very memorable for everyone.” 

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Kentford Manor incorporates plenty of space for hobby and leisure activities, and provides full-time residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care. The building has been configured into a number of suites to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.