Laurens Wildlife Rescue - This week in wildlife

Laurens Wildlife Rescue

Quiet week, hurricane threat notwithstanding

10/11/2026

Pretty much everybody in the South was obsessively watching the weather forecasts last week, and while some areas got slammed, we dodged a bullet. Our area was predicted to have heavy winds and rain and potential lingering power outages, so I prepared accordingly but thank God, we got little of the predicted nastiness—we’re all still suffering from PTSD from Helene two years ago.

Possibly good news on the barred owl who has soft tissue damage: there are a couple of raptor educators who might be interested in him, so fingers crossed on that.

The barnie needs to be in the main flight, however, so we’re gonna switch them around, placing her there and the barred in the mini-pen for the time being. This really should’ve been done this past week, but prepping for potential fallout from the hurricane took precedence.

The sole new intake was—you guessed it—another barred, this one with wrist and shoulder fractures on the left wing. He was humanely euthanized.

And that’s it for this week, y’all. Quiet weeks are always welcome!

Fatal couple of weeks

10/4/2026

As y’all know—or should by now, anyway—wildlife rehab consists of a whole lot of death, interspersed with the too-few celebrations of release. That’s one of the reasons rehabbers get so excited over a release. It’s not just that we’re putting wildlife back into nature, where it belongs; it’s also that we finally, FINALLY get to see a return on our efforts that doesn’t involve death-in-care, DOA, or euthanasia.

I mean, we cope: we knew going into rehab that we’d likely see at least as many deaths as releases, so it’s not like we expected some Disneyfied utopia where we had wildlife playing all around us in a circle while singing “Kumbaya.” For most of us that coping takes the form of a dark, twisted, totally inappropriate sense of humor, along with a heavy dose of snark and sarcasm. But we cope, calling it clinical detachment.

Sometimes, though, maintaining that clinical detachment can be a challenge. Case in point: the past couple of weeks.

Starting with the two new intakes during that period, a barred owl from Emanuel County came in with a head injury, a gash to the back of his head. The finder witnessed him get sucked under a vehicle. Apparently there’s severe brain trauma in addition to the gash, as he’s still not doing well and it’s not looking promising for him.

A second barred came in from Jeff Davis County a few days later; the finders also saw him get whacked by a vehicle. Making it worse, he was one of a mated pair they’d welcomed into their back yard two years ago. Both his wings were broken at the shoulder, badly broken. The only humane option was euthanasia.

Adding to the growing litany of woe, the great horned whose pupils were dilated and didn’t respond to light showed no improvement; he was, in fact, totally blind and required euthanasia.

And the little male barnie who showed no outward signs of injury and survived too long to have internal injuries succumbed to capture myopathy—in other words, he died of sheer stress from being a captive. It’s not as uncommon as you’d think, and of all the owl species, barnies, being the odd ones, are—of course—among the most likely to exhibit it. (For hawks, Coops are notorious for this.)

The barred who seemed to be doing well in the main flight was putting on a great show. When I attempted to release him, he fluttered to the ground. “But you said he was moving around well in the flight,” you protest. Yep, that’s what I thought and what I indicated in the last update. In fact, he was laddering up to the roost perch. Shoo him off there and he goes straight to the ground. Pick him up and gently toss him, and he flutters straight down.

In other words, his days are now numbered; if he can’t fly, he can’t be released, and barreds are so common that they just can’t be placed in educational facilities. The majority already have a full complement of barreds. I’m trying to give him a little more time, but I’m not optimistic at this point.

The sole bright spot over the past two horrific weeks has been the female barnie, who continues to provide beautiful threat displays in the mini-pen as she awaits her turn in the main flight.

I try to provide y’all with upbeat updates when possible, or at least remain clinically detached in the telling, but the reality of wildlife rehab isn’t always upbeat and above all else, I want to be perfectly honest about what we face daily as rehabbers…even when it’s not pretty.

Busier than usual early fall week

9/20/2026

Yeah, I know it isn’t officially fall till the 22nd, but we’ve always judged its arrival by when the goldenrod and spider lilies start blooming—and both are blooming, so there ya have it. It’s early fall, and LWR had four new intakes last week, more of a baby season scenario than post-baby season.

The first was a barred who came in from Bibb on Monday with a broken leg and, apparently, internal injuries, as he didn’t survive long enough to get rads of the leg.

The second was a great horned from Macon County, who showed signs of mild upper spinal trauma on intake, along with optic nerve damage. Both pupils were and remain completely dilated. He can use his wings now, but that’s no good if he can’t see. We’re giving him a few more days, but I’m not hopeful on those eyes.

The third was a barnie from Laurens/Bleckley. The finder was en route to Bleckley and wasn’t sure whether she’d crossed the county line yet or not. He’s got some head trauma going on but is slowly becoming more alert and aggressive—always a good sign. See his white chest? The females have a more yellow chest.

And the final intake for last week was another great horned. His left wing was shattered, with multiple open fractures, and his right eye was trashed. The dimples and wrinkles y’all see in the eye photo below are where the eye was collapsing because the vitreous humor was leaking out. He obviously required euthanasia.

The barred in the main flight is showing marked improvement and can now reach the high “roosting” perch. Maybe in another week or so he can be released. Fingers crossed…

The barnie in the mini-pen will then need to go in the main flight for a couple of weeks. She’s moving about the mini-pen nicely. I’ve tried to get a photo of her standing upright so y’all can see the difference in her chest feathers and the male’s, but the second she hears me approaching the mini-pen she goes into toe-dusting mode. Maybe I’ll get lucky at some point and snag that shot; she’s really regal and gorgeous when she’s briefly standing tall as I walk up.

There will be no update next Sunday, Sept. 27.

MIKIs made migration!

9/13/2026

As y’all know, the deadline for MIKIs making migration is mid- to late September. Most of us aim at mid-September to get our rehab birds on their way, and I honestly was beginning to worry about these last two MIKIs, but yesterday the migration switch apparently flipped and both took off!

And the second barred owl, the one who came in last Sunday, was also released. I didn’t have time to hit record before he took off, but I did manage a post-release photo.

The “older” barred, who came in before the released one, is in the main flight now and showing signs of soft tissue damage. She had no fractures but is favoring her left wing and not flying well yet. We’ll see how this plays out; soft tissue damage can often heal for flight, but there’s also always the risk that it won’t.

And the barnie recovering from a coracoid fracture is now in the mini-pen, where she puts on lovely threat displays and toe dusts every time she’s fed. But still not a peep from her, which is really strange. Of course, barnies are just weird birds anyway. Gorgeous, voracious predators, but weird nonetheless!

September begins with a barred influx

9/6/2026

Well…technically, two barred intakes last week doesn’t really constitute an influx, I suppose, but who’s arguing semantics at this point?

The first came in on Wednesday, from Washington County. The finders had watched it sit under a bush all day and when it didn’t seem eager to move along near sunset, they contacted LWR. The next morning they brought the owl, who just seemed a bit concussed—no fractures anywhere. She has since bounced back and is alert and vocal and should be releasable once we have three consecutive days of low-to-no rain chances.

The second came in this afternoon, from Wayne County. He had been clipped by a truck straddling him, trying to miss him, as he sat in the middle of the road. Aside from a dilated pupil in the left eye, he also shows no fractures. However, he’s definitely had his bell rung; he’s much more obviously concussed than Wednesday’s barred.

The barnie continues to mend from her coracoid fracture and is getting aggressive, which is a good sign. She’s also still totally silent, which is weird. Not a hiss, not a scream—nothing. Makes me a little paranoid. Y’all watch—I’ll get comfortable not wearing earplugs because she’s so quiet, and then she’ll cut loose with a scream that’ll liquefy my brain…

And the MIKIs are still with us. Both were offered their freedom last week and both refused to leave. Apparently the migratory instinct hasn’t fully kicked in for them yet. But they have seemed more antsy the past couple of days, so maybe they’re finally getting with the program. We’ll see… Just look at the size difference between the little runt male and the female, though!

Quiet week

8/30/2026

With no releases and only one new intake, last week was a fairly quiet one. No complaints here; as we slowly move into fall, those quiet weeks are nice!

The sole intake was a young female barnie, one of the smallest females I think I’ve ever seen. If not for her chest coloration, I’d’ve sworn she was a male. A Dublin PD officer who lives in Bleckley County found her in the road on his way home from working night shift. She has no fractures but the officer reported that she could gain no lift when she attempted to fly—a classic sign of a coracoid fracture. A few weeks’ R&R at the LWR B&B should give her time to heal from that.

A week of high predicted rain chances precluded any attempts at MIKI releases, so both MIKIs are still awaiting their freedom. This week is looking good for releases, so we’ll see if the female can “get gone” so the remaining little male can go into the mini-pen and prepare for his release.

And that gorgeous juvie female red tail is now with a local falconer. She reacted well to him, was amazingly well-behaved for her first time on the glove, and willingly stepped back onto the perch in his transport box, so we both have high hopes for her. I’ve been promised a chance to watch her hunt once she’s trained. I’m looking forward to that and will definitely provide photos and/or videos here—but it will be a while down the road. Proper training takes time and patience, but when she’s released from falconry in a couple of years this apex predator will be a proper huntress! I can report that her weight, per the falconer, is 1324g (app. 2.9 pounds)—and that’s with her being a bit on the thin side, as it’s been so hot she’s not been eating as much. She’s a big young gal!

One MIKI released, two to go!

8/23/2026

As y’all know, MIKIs begin migrating soon, so the pressure is on to get these juvies ready to go. Needless to say, then, I was delighted that this little guy was demonstrably ready to go. MIKIs always get released over the hay field, as it faces due south, which is the direction MIKIs invariably head upon release—and once he figured out he was free, just look at him go!

MIKI 2 then went into the mini-pen, where she’s already getting antsy—that migratory instinct kicking in.

MIKI 3 is finally self-feeding; I was beginning to wonder if he’d been dropped on his head while in the egg…

Our only intake for the past two weeks was another juvie MIKI who had an open fracture and required euthanasia.

And of course, Her Majesty the juvie red tail remains as breathtaking as ever. I’ve just run out of superlatives to describe this gorgeous gal!

Releases!

8/9/2026

Last week saw several releases and only one new intake—who was also one of the releases.

First, the screeches finally gained their freedom. One was sittin’ on ready; the other took a minute to fully grasp the notion.

The sole new intake for the week was a barred owl from Effingham County. He’d had his bell rung and was just mildly concussed; within 72 hours he was ready to go, as well.

The red shoulder’s eye completely collapsed and deflated, and he required euthanasia.

The two older MIKIs are ready for the mini-pen as soon as they decide to self-feed. The male attempts it; the female hasn’t yet.

And the nestling MIKI was outraged, I tell you, OUTRAGED that I dared move him into a bigger box.

Although, honestly, with these three it’s hard to tell what’s true outrage and what’s melodrama. To hear them tell it—very loudly—they haven’t eaten since they hatched and I’m starving them to death if I’m even a millisecond too slow with their food…

And of course, we have that gorgeous female red tail. Lord, that gal’s just sheer feathered perfection, that’s all there is to it.

There will be no update next Sunday, August 16.

Raining MIKIs

8/2/2026

With three MIKI intakes last week, LWR was briefly at 4 MIKIs, before one was released. Yep, y’all read that right: for only the second time in LWR’s 20-year history, we had an adult MIKI come in that was releasable!

Before I forget, though, we ended the summer fundraiser $165 short of our $2500 goal—not bad. Many thanks to those who donated.

Now, let’s get back to those MIKI intakes.

The first came from Baldwin County and was spotted in a field and observed all day before the finders decided to take it in for the night. They followed proper procedure: watch to see if the parents return; if not, move the bird to safety at nightfall. This young one shouldn’t have actually been out of the nest yet—close but not quite fledge-ready.

The second, an adult, came in from Laurens via DNR. This bird was well-fleshed, with no fractures, and just seemed a little stunned. After 48 hours of R&R, he was alert and seemed ready to leave our fine establishment, so this morning he was offered freedom. After a brief pause to get his bearings, he took off and was last spotted happily hunting dragonflies over the hay field. As the raptor flies, he was about 15 minutes from the location where he was found, so by now he’s probably back home. Y’all just don’t know how good it feels to have an adult MIKI come in that can be released!

The third came from an area falconer, who said a friend in Peach County found it in the road. Again, this was a pre-fledge bird. She (she’s about the same age but a little larger than the Baldwin bird) is now housed with the Baldwin bird, and he’s decided to be quite vocal now during feedings to make sure he gets his fair share.

The nestling MIKI continues to grow. He’s way too young to go in with the “Bobbsey twins.” (And no, I’m not actually old enough to know anything about the Bobbsey twins except that my paternal grandmother always used that expression!)

The red shoulder’s eye has taken a turn for the worse; as the blood was reabsorbed, he began closing it again, and it’s not looking great. We’ll see how this week plays out.

The screeches are still awaiting release. Last week had fairly high rain chances every few days—none of which panned out—and this week is showing a similar forecast, so again, we’ll see…

And that gorgeous female red tail is enjoying herself immensely while she debates learning to hunt her food. I’m convinced she thinks she’s royalty (well, okay, she IS a red tail, so technically, in my book, she IS royalty) and expects to be waited on wing and talon. Red tails are the most self-assured, confident birds—just SO regal—and she’s no exception!

Final week for fundraiser

7/26/2026

The LWR summer fundraiser ends Friday, July 31. We’re at $2280, with just $220 to go to meet our goal of $2500. Heartfelt thanks to those who’ve donated; to those who’re waiting—y’all have the remainder of this week to take action!

LWR had only one intake this week, a nestling Mississippi kite from Ware County. The nest couldn’t be located, so this fierce little bundle of down ended up with us. Despite his small size, he’s very aware he and I ain’t alike, i.e., he knows he’s a MIKI and I’m not. And he’s a footy little rascal already, too! After several weeks of adult MIKIs that were fatally injured, it’s a nice change to have an uninjured youngster with a healthy appetite—he downs nearly three small mice at each feeding and ends up with a crop bigger than his head!

The red shoulder’s eye is looking much better but it’s still filled with blood. That will reabsorb, but it’s often a glacially slow process.

The screeches are getting ready for release. Actually, had the weather guessers not lied all last week about our rain chances, they’d’ve been released last week. Maybe this week…

And, of course, that gorgeous female red tail continues to strike poses worthy of a model. That gal is just stunning! Now if we can just work on the live prey bit… Baby steps, and I don’t mind; she’s a sheer pleasure to work with.

Remember the fundraiser ends Friday, so this is y’all’s last chance to donate.