But…there are currently two barred owls in the raptor flight, so she’s gotta wait juuust a bit longer. One has shown himself to be totally blind and will require euthanasia; he’s mainly there to keep the soon-to-be-released barred company. (I know, I know—they don’t really NEED company, but still…humor me, okay?)
Early in the week, this gorgeous adult male red-tail came in with an old leg fracture. It was so scabbed over I couldn’t tell if I was seeing blackened ends of dead bone or layers of scabs, but it definitely looked and smelled necrotic, and he kept that foot balled and showed no neural response. X-rays confirmed he had multiple old fractures on that leg, and the scabby one was open and the ends of the bone were indeed dead. The only humane option was euthanasia.
Meanwhile, the Great Backyard Bird Count is in full swing through tomorrow, and I hope some of y’all here in Georgia, especially, are taking advantage of the early spring weather to participate!