Farewell Brittany
We bid farewell to intern Brittany who has been working at the Pendleton Center for 8 weeks. The first 4 weeks she worked with fellow intern Jordan. The past week she and Jean have been sharing the workload, which is significant this time of year. Jean will be able to teach her newly learned skills to Shakira, who will arrive on Monday. The interns contribute dozens of hours of staff time each week, starting at 7:00 or 8:00 each morning, stopping when the work is done, often 9:00 or 10:00 at night. We are grateful they have chosen to spend part of their summer at BMW. Best of luck to you Brittany, as you prepare your application to veterinary school!
2015 Could Be A Record Setting Year
It has been an incredibly busy year. The number of admissions as of May 24 are more than double those in 2014 (which admittedly did start out to be a relatively slow year). In 2011, when we raised 423 Barn Owls, intakes totaled 913. The baby Barn Owl total this year is 151 and will likely not exceed 175 by the end of the season. It is possible that total admissions could exceed 913 which would make 2015 a record setting year!
Red-tailed Hawk from Prosser
An injured Red-tailed Hawk was taken to Prosser Animal Hospital on May 18 and transported to Pendleton the following day. The hawk was thought to have been hit by a car. On intake he was unable to stand, with a puncture wound and swelling above his right ear. There has been gradual improvement. He is now able to stand, but appears to be blind and possibly deaf. Hopefully x-rays will provide more information regarding the extent of his injuries.
Adult Osprey
On Thursday an injured Osprey was found in Yakima. A physical exam revealed multiple fractures in its left shoulder and a possible fracture in the right scapula (shoulder blade). X-rays will be taken after the holiday weekend to more fully evaluate the bird’s condition. Below, Jean recovers the Osprey from anesthesia. Even though the bird appears to have damage in both shoulders, we only immobilized the left wing to make it easier for him to balance. Osprey are much more agile in the air than on the ground.
Little Brown Bat
Friday, a small bat was found on a porch in Pendleton. He had a tear in one wing, but did not appear to have any other injuries. He weighed a healthy 7.2 grams (1/4 ounce). He was released after dark the same day.
Thank You Volunteers!!!
We are again deeply indebted to the many volunteers who transported 29 birds (and 1 intern!) from all over southeastern and south central Washington and the Pendleton area to the Tri- Cities and Pendleton Centers. You are awesome!
