To begin with, the kestrel FINALLY got his turn in the raptor flight, where he needed to stay for a week or two to rebuild his flight muscles, right? “Nooooo,” sez Mr. Kestrel. He slammed himself into the roof hard enough to knock loose the hardware cloth and took off. This is what we call a “self-release.” I would’ve preferred he utilized the raptor flight at least a week, but hey, if he can fly well enough to hit with the speed to rip the hardware cloth loose, he can fly well enough… (The damage has since been repaired.)
X-rays, however, showed a coracoid fracture—similar to a collarbone fracture in humans. These fractures don’t always show on x-rays so I was honestly rather pleased that this one did. There’s no way to wrap a coracoid fracture, so we just confine the bird to limit movement and hope it heals for proper flight. They usually do, so Mr. Oriole will spend the next month or so at the LWR B&B while he heals.
No new photos of the flyers this week; they’ve got just another few weeks before their release and they seem to know it, as they’re getting increasingly camera-shy!
Finally, a reminder that next weekend, Feb. 16-19, is the Great Backyard Bird Count. It’s free, easy, and fun—and there are mobile apps for both Android devices and iPhones, or you can keep your own list. You can participate every day or for just 15 minutes—this is truly the most flexible of the official bird counts out there. For info on getting started, click on this link: http://gbbc.birdcount.org/get-started/.