The new clinic has running water! The food prep table is now equipped with faucets that are hooked up to hot and cold water. The washing machine is hooked up to water and a drain. The dryer can be plugged in, but still needs a vent installed. The second cage room, the Raptor Room, is furnished and ready for recuperating patients.

We never know who the next patient will be. The past week brought 4 American Robins, 2 Barn Swallows, 1 Black-chinned Hummingbird, 1 California Gull, 1 Cooper’s Hawk, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Swainson’s Hawks and a Porcupine. We don’t admit many mammals so the Porcupine was an interesting challenge. He appeared to have been involved in some type of collision. His injuries were minor. After consulting with ODFW, the decision was made to release him behind the ODFW office along the Umatilla River, a quiet area that is not open to the public.

The door was opened on the Screech Owl hack box. After careful consideration 2 young owls flew higher up into the tree.

Two Cooper’s Hawks were also released from their hack box. One paused to survey his surroundings on top of a nearby barn.

Great Horned Owls are still taking advantage of their rat buffet. They have perfected their flight skills. Their hunting skills are a work in progress.

It took Tricia a while to spot the Short-eared Owl in the photo below. When she did, she took this photo. Can you find her?

Hint: look behind the log

A Notice for Members:

There will be a special meeting on Saturday, July 25 at 10 am.  This meeting is being called to discuss revisions to BMW’s articles of incorporation.  All members have the right to see and approve changes in the articles of incorporation.  Here is the zoom link for the meeting:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://whitman.zoom.us/j/94703429846?pwd=ulz87JudDnnQq4MlLI5CLcrH70tITk.1

Meeting ID: 947 0342 9846

Passcode: 687667

A week of injured birds was off-set by multiple human visitors. April and Sophie are teaching new intern Ava the routine, including the daily cleaning of bath pans.

Ken and Kirsti, board president and treasurer respectively, are spending a long weekend preparing hardware that will be needed when cameras are installed in the clinic and aviaries.

Board Secretary Alzada and husband Greg brought surplus desks from Blue Mountain Humane Society for the new offices and reception area.

The injured birds had broken bones. American Kestrel 26-291 had multiple fractures in his left wing.

Western Screech Owl 26-292 had a badly damaged right shoulder and broken right wing.

Western Screech Owl 26-293 had a right femur fracture.

American Robin 26-295 had multiple injuries on his left side of his body, including a broken leg and damage to his shoulder and wrist.

Swainson’s Hawk 26-298 had a healed fracture in his left leg. The bone was so poorly aligned that the hawk could not stand.

Releases are always a highlight. Five American Kestrels are now flying free. In the first photo below Tricia removes a window. Then the first Kestrel ventures out.

The next morning one of the kestrels was impatiently waiting for breakfast to be served! It won’t take the little falcons long to figure out how to catch their own food.

This week we said goodbye to intern Sarah. We wish her well as she continues her studies at Montana State University as a pre-veterinary student. The newest member of the BMW team is intern April, a student at the University of Idaho, who arrived last week. Her interests include the field of wildlife epidemiology. Intern Sophie, a graduate of Northern Arizona University Honors College, will arrive today. Sophie is pursuing a career as a wildlife veterinarian. What an amazing group of young women we are having the opportunity to work along side this summer!

Work is the operative word. There were 19 admissions during the past week. We saw emaciation, electrocution, gunshot injuries and injured baby birds. Three Says Phoebe nestlings were tangled in horse hair their parents had used as nest material. It cut off the blood supply and they each lost a foot or a leg. The only humane option was euthanasia.

Great Horned Owl 26-261 had been shot. The projectile had fractured several ribs. The owl couldn’t fly well enough to hunt and was starving. At 585 grams, it was at least 40% underweight, too emaciated for us to successfully treat.

Red-tailed Hawk 26-274 had a badly broken right wing. There were fractures in both the radius and ulna. The damage could not be repaired. 

Nestling Swainson’s Hawk 26-275 fell from a crowded nest in Baker County. It’s right elbow was swollen. An x-ray showed a fracture in the right radius and an abnormality in the right hip. X-rays of young birds are challenging to evaluate because the bones are not fully calcified. The hawk can sit upright and move both legs and feet. We are hopeful for a full recovery. In the mean time we will give fluids, pain meds and all the mice it will eat.

It was not all gloom and doom. Tricia and intern April traveled to McNary Wildlife Refuge and released Red-tailed Hawk 26-241. The hawk had been found in a waste water treatment pond covered in goo. A bath and a few days of rest were all that was needed to recover. The hawk took off as soon as April opened the box. Two other red-tails quickly appeared. I’d like to think it was a great family reunion.

The nightly Barn Owl Show has begun. In the photo below 4 young owls are waiting on top of a flight pen for dinner to be served. There are currently 38 Barn Owls flying each night and 8 more that will fledge soon. We will provide mice until they are self sufficient.