Mid-July already?

Mid-July means baby season is beginning to wind down—but we still have to get through August!

This month also marks the overlap between late red shoulder nests and Mississippi kite (MIKI) nests, so when LWR received a call about a small hawk who was grounded in a less-than-safe location, it took actually seeing the bird to determine whether we had a MIKI or a red shoulder…and while I’m sure it’s not a MIKI, its silence makes me question my identification of the bird as a brancher red shoulder. I mean, red shoulders are notoriously mouthy and this fellow hasn’t uttered a peep…but he definitely knows how to eat!      
    
As colleague Steve Hicks is fond of saying, we know his last name is Hawk; we’re just not sure about his first name yet.

The eagle went to Smalley’s for follow-up x-rays and for vet Peggy Hobby to wrap his wing to see if maybe it will heal with no lasting droop. We’re not sure. There’s clearly a fracture that shows no signs of healing after app. 3 weeks (the bird was admitted to UGA’s wildlife clinic on June 21 and came to LWR on July 4), but now the debate is whether it’s actually the furcula (clavicle) or scapula (shoulder blade) that’s broken. The fracture looks the same in UGA’s and Smalley’s x-rays, taken nearly 3 weeks apart, and an avian vet used by CNC has said both sets of rads are inconclusive.  He could also have nerve or tendon damage that would prevent healing for flight. At any rate, he’s tolerating the wrap quite well, mainly, I suspect, because it relieves the pressure of that hanging wing. Now we wait and see…

While I was at Smalley’s with the eagle, an injured barred owl was brought in. X-rays showed a fractured ulna, which had knocked the radius out of joint. Given that the damage was quite literally right at the elbow joint, Peggy and I agreed the chance of the fracture healing for flight was nonexistent and that euthanasia was the kindest option.

After finding a couple of feathers in the sharpie’s box, I decided he needed release ASAP to avoid feather picking or other damage that would keep him in rehab longer than necessary. Sharpies are accipiters, which means they’re high-strung, stressy little raptors and release as soon as practical is best for them. He shot out of the box before I could hit record and disappeared straight into the thick woods, so I’d say he was quite ready to skedaddle!

The barnie needs to be flight conditioned so she can leave, as well.

The juvie red tail remains in the mini-pen and can locate his food no matter where it’s hidden—precursor to passing a live prey test. He’s also started mantling over his food: turning his back to me and defensively spreading his wings over his food. I tried all last week to snag a photo of that, with no luck. Maybe this week…

And the second-year red tail continues to recover from his coracoid fracture. In another week or so he should be good to flight-test.