LWR had a fair amount of activity over the past two weeks: intakes, transfers, releases, and more.
First, the nonreleasable red tail is now at her new home at Elachee Nature Center.
With her at her new home, the MIKIs were moved from the mini-pen into the main flight, where they remained for about a week before being released early last week. (Be sure your sound is on for the first MIKI release; he was quite vocal!)
First, the nonreleasable red tail is now at her new home at Elachee Nature Center.
With her at her new home, the MIKIs were moved from the mini-pen into the main flight, where they remained for about a week before being released early last week. (Be sure your sound is on for the first MIKI release; he was quite vocal!)
Late last week, an adult great horned came in from Johnson County after being pulled from a car grille. Sadly, there was nothing that could be done for this bird. In addition to the left wing being fractured, the pelvis was shattered and the bird had no neural response in either leg—and apparently no circulation, as both legs were ice cold. He was humanely euthanized.
A barred owl found in the road in a neighborhood in Camden County was luckier. Aside from a little blood in his right eye and some head trauma, he had no other injuries. He’s eating well and the eye is nearly clear, so he’ll go first into the mini-pen for a few days and then into the main flight before release.
And a local falconer was called to a warehouse in Laurens County to trap a juvenile great horned that had been in the building for, according to what owners told the falconer, a month. Falconers trap the birds they train as their falconry birds, so they have the proper equipment for this sort of rescue. However, the falconer reported that he was actually able to walk right up to the owl and toss a shirt over it—no trap needed. The bird had been eating; he reported seeing a few piles of feathers. But it was rail-thin.
When he brought me the bird, we both had high hopes that several weeks with a steady food source would have this youngster fattened up and ready for release. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case. The poor fellow didn’t last 30 minutes after intake. One of the hardest but most essential lessons wildlife rehabbers must learn—and quickly—is that we can’t save them all. Doesn’t really lessen the sting of losing one, especially a young one, though.
When he brought me the bird, we both had high hopes that several weeks with a steady food source would have this youngster fattened up and ready for release. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case. The poor fellow didn’t last 30 minutes after intake. One of the hardest but most essential lessons wildlife rehabbers must learn—and quickly—is that we can’t save them all. Doesn’t really lessen the sting of losing one, especially a young one, though.
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