It was an unusually busy week, not due to intakes—there were no new intakes—but because of contacting and coordinating with DNR, FWS, transporters, and colleagues regarding the fledgling eagle. FWS granted permission to hold the eagle for another couple of weeks, as needed, depending on his progress. DNR had already indicated this was their preference, pending FWS approval. Colleagues had to be notified and new contacts consulted. More food had to be ordered… And God love my transporters, who were basically on standby until we got all our I’s dotted and T’s crossed and determined they weren’t required just yet.
So the eagle fledgling needs to gain a bit more weight before he’s considered releasable. He also will have a follow-up vet visit this week, per FWS request. He needs to also attempt higher perches and may still need transfer for flight conditioning if he makes no attempt to reach those higher perches. Thus far he’s mainly been interested in staying very close to his food, so we’re basically playing his game by his rules right now. So…I guess…stay tuned for further developments!
So the eagle fledgling needs to gain a bit more weight before he’s considered releasable. He also will have a follow-up vet visit this week, per FWS request. He needs to also attempt higher perches and may still need transfer for flight conditioning if he makes no attempt to reach those higher perches. Thus far he’s mainly been interested in staying very close to his food, so we’re basically playing his game by his rules right now. So…I guess…stay tuned for further developments!
The nestling red tail is growing like a weed, more than doubling her (yeah, with those gunboats for feet, I’m pretty sure we have a female) weight since intake: from 350g on May 10 to 860g this morning. She’s alert, vocal, eats like there’s no tomorrow, and loves her “companion” mirror, cuddling next to it to sleep and sitting opposite it to eat. And, of course, she’s immensely photogenic…
Yes, the mirror is cracked; happened well over 7 years ago, so we're good!
The barred twins remain in the mini-pen and will likely be there for another few weeks.
The great horned really needs to be in the main flight but will have to remain inside till the eagle is released—which is DNR’s goal, by the way: to release him locally.
The barbed wire screech is healing nicely but not wanting to use his wing, so there may be soft tissue damage. We’ll give him more time; it’s only been a week.
And we’re still in hurry-up-and-wait mode on the screech headed to Blue Ridge Raptors to begin his new life as an ed bird.
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