The Week in Review
There were nine new admissions this past week which made it a typical week for this time of year.
Wood Duck 22-114
Wood Ducks are unusual birds for BMW’s Pendleton center. We admit far more raptors than water fowl. Wood Ducks are cavity nesters. This duck went down a chimney near Hermiston and then couldn’t get out. Volunteers Burt and Denise picked up the duck and met Virginia who transported it to Pendleton. We could find no injuries, so after a dose of IV fluids and ivermectin (to treat for internal parasites), the duck was released on Board Member Carl Scheeler’s pond. It was likely back in Hermiston by mid-afternoon.
Red Mite Infestation
American Kestrel 22-113 was extremely emaciated when admitted and died in less than 24 hours. During a necropsy, Samantha found tiny mites on the bird’s feathers. We are not sure if the might infestation caused the Kestrel’s emaciation, or she somehow became debilitated and the mites took advantage. The photo above shows a mite through the microscope lens. We think they are Red Mites.
Thank You Volunteers!
With a tiny staff of one part-time and three full-time people, BMW could not do a fraction of what we accomplish without the help of many volunteers. I’m particularly grateful for the volunteers who transport migratory birds from throughout a very large service area that includes eastern Oregon and eastern Washington. We met under cloudy skies on Saturday at McNary Wildlife Refuge to share lunch and visit in person!
