We have had several days of extreme heat. It’s been extremely dry, with no rain in sight and baby birds that are extremely small, 2 gram hummingbirds, and very large, a 2,000 gram Raven. The hummingbirds are in an incubator in the main clinic. 

The Raven appears to be healthy, but because it is a high risk species for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, it is in the quarantine building. We will be able to test it for influenza on Monday, and should have the results back by Wednesday. If the results are negative, as we expect,  the Raven can then be moved into the main clinic.

Hack Site Updates

Five Western Screech Owls (WESO’s) have been released at the WESO hawk site. Tricia spotted two in the tree housing the hack box when she dropped off some mice a couple days ago. We use trail cams to monitor the WESO’s and will keep supplying them with mice as long as they are coming back for food. Once they have perfected their hunting skills, they will prefer freshly caught mice to mice that have been previously frozen.

Six Great Horned Owls (GHOW’s) have been released at the GHOW hack site. They are also still returning for food, along with some resident owls that have figured out where to get a free meal! 

Walla Walla Science Camp

Campers attending the science camp toured the center this past week and dissected owl pellets. The pellet below contained bones from at least four rodents. It was cast by a well-fed Barn Owl!