Not the best of weeks

Rehabbers have mixed feelings about winter; on the one hand, it’s our slower season, time to relax a bit and recharge. On the other hand, the vast majority of our winter intakes either are DOA or require euthanasia, making it a frequently horrific time.

LWR’s first intake of the year was, not surprisingly, a barred owl. Unfortunately, he had a nasty open wing fracture that required euthanasia.

He was followed within a couple of days by a gorgeous mature red tail who had an open fracture at the elbow and a closed shoulder fracture. He also required euthanasia.

The head trauma barred from last week was well and truly permanently blind. He couldn’t see to find a perch and couldn’t locate his food outside the confines of his box. So he required euthanasia.

And the proverbial cherry on top was the great horned owl who came in Christmas Day, whose eye worsened rather than improving, so he also required euthanasia.

And then, starting this week off on the wrong note, an adult brown-headed cowbird came in late this afternoon; his leg was broken right in the joint, so yet another euthanasia to start this week...

Let me assure you, euthanasia NEVER gets easier. If anything, it gets harder. There are times, yes, when the bird is so far gone it’s a foregone conclusion. But when the bird is alert, aggressive and healthy apart from a life-ending fracture, you find yourself apologizing repeatedly to the poor creature as you put it down. It hurts like hell, even though you know it’s the right thing, the humane thing, to do.

All wasn’t gloom and doom, though, thank goodness.

The adult Cooper’s hawk, most likely male based on size, who came in with wounds along the right side of his body and upper thigh is—so far—doing well and has a healthy appetite. Nothing appears broken but he came in late Friday so he hasn’t seen a vet yet and may not need to; I’ll make that decision this week. Coops are high-strung, stressy birds, so I hold my breath every time I feed him or handle him to medicate him but as I said, so far, so good...

The barred recovering from a broken foot should be good to unwrap this week. I’ll check with Smalley’s to see if we need follow-up X-rays or if I can just unwrap it here at home.

The red tail removed from the chicken coop is rarin’ to go but it’s been too windy to release him just yet. This week is looking good.

And the red tail struggling to regain full use of his wing after the healed elbow fracture continues to surprise me—just when I think I need to start steeling myself for euthanasia, he shows improvement in his flight skills. I’m honestly beginning to suspect I’m being played here—he knows a good thing when he’s got it: steady meals, shelter...

Here’s hoping the rest of this week is less deadly. After last week and today, I could definitely use a break from euthanasias.