The Week in Review
Of 14 new admissions this past week, 11 were nestlings. If you find baby birds out of their nest, please call before assuming they need to be rescued. 541-278-0215.
Barn Owls 21-142, 21-143 & 21-144
Most baby Barn Owls go directly to the Benton City Center to be placed in a hack box (nest box). These three seemed very subdued on admission and are spending a few days at the Pendleton Center receiving a little extra TLC. They are already a lot feistier. Barn Owls are cavity nesters, often nesting under the tarps covering hay stacks or in the spaces between the bales. Hopefully the owls are spotted when the tarp is taken off the stack and they can be safely removed before the hav is moved. Sometimes they are not noticed until the hay has been mechanically loaded onto a trailer. Occasionally, they are transported hundreds of miles in a load of hay and can spend many days hidden in the stack before being discovered. In the latter two scenarios there is a greater chance the owls are injured or become dehydrated. We were not able to get any background information on these owls, but their journey must have been somewhat traumatic. They are improving and should be ready to transfer to the hack site soon.
Red-tailed Hawk 21-146
This two week old hawk fell from his nest. Fortunately he was not injured, but the nest was too high to be safely accessed. As soon as he is eating on his own he will be placed in a hack box and so he can fledge at the appropriate time.
Western Screech Owls 21-148 & 21-149
These two young screech owls were found by two different people in a school yard. The location of the nest was unknown. Adrian snapped a photo of one youngster taking a nap. They are perched on top of the artificial nest cavity we provided for them. Kids always think they know more than adults!
