The second full week in Pendleton is Round-Up Week. There were parades, two days of professional bull riding, four days of rodeo and much more. The population of Pendleton more than doubles. I have a standing order for 8 tickets. Tricia and intern Kara, along with 5 out-of-town guests, enjoyed the Saturday rodeo. Bull Riding has always been my favorite event because the bull often wins. Watching the clowns make sure the rider gets away from the bull unharmed can be pretty exciting too. The clowns definitely earn their wages.

The competition was fierce in the barrel racing. There was lots of teamwork on display between horse and rider.

While there was excitement in town, it remained fairly quiet at BMW. We admitted the last two Barn Owls from the nest in the chimney in La Grande. I was hoping they would follow their parents example and be able to climb out of the chimney, but that was not the case. They are now in a hack box with their 6 siblings. The door will be opened in a few days and the owls will begin practicing their flight and hunting skills. Mice will be placed each night on the same feeding platforms that are subsidizing the young Swainson’s Hawks during the day.

An adult Western Screech Owl was admitted on Sunday. It was likely struck by a vehicle during the night. It appears to have a head injury. It is receiving supportive care until it is in a more stable condition and we can do a thorough physical exam under anesthesia.

Blue Mountain Wildlife (BMW) utilizes a method of raising young raptors called hacking.   Hacking mimics the care young raptors receive from their parents. Healthy nestlings are placed in a hack box once they are old enough to thermoregulate and pick up food on their own, but before they are fully feathered and able to fly. The hack box can take many shapes, but two important characteristics are it provides the nestlings with a view of the release site, and it has a chute through which food can be presented in such a way that the human providing the food is not visible to the young birds.

This past spring and summer BMW has hacked young Great Horned Owls, Western Screech Owls, Barn Owls, American Kestrels and Swainson’s Hawks. In past years we have also hacked young Red-tailed Hawks. Below is a photo of two hack boxes that were intended for hacking Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks. The one on the right has been modified to simulate a cavity nest of a Barn Owl. A wooden ladder was added to enable the fledgling owls to climb back into the nest box and roost during the day. On Tuesday, when the high is predicted to be a balmy 86 degrees, we will place  6 young Barn Owls in the box. The second photo is of a Swainson’s Hawk on a feeding platform. The platforms can be viewed from the hack boxes.

The Golden Eagle from Ironside is making good progress. He is flying and spending time on perches rather than on the ground. He made it to a high perch for the first time today. Once he is consistently flying between high perches we will know he is ready for release.

The young Golden Eagle admitted in August was returned to its family this past week and an adult Golden eagle was admitted. It was brought to BMW after being struck by a vehicle near Iron Side, Oregon. Iron Side is 160 miles south of Pendleton in a location that some might describe as the middle of nowhere, but it is great country for a Golden Eagle. The eagle had a measurable level of lead in his blood likely from scavenging carrion that had been shot with lead ammunition. The lead was removed with chelation and the eagle has been moved to a large flight pen. We are optimistic he will be ready to go back home in a fairly short period of time.

Great Horned Owl 24-342 was not as lucky with his encounter with a car. His right shoulder was dislocated and right leg was broken. The injuries were too extensive to repair.

Osprey 24-344 was found on the ground, unable to fly near Umatilla. Volunteer Dean captured and transported the bird to Pendleton. An exam revealed a coracoid fracture and some asymmetry in the hips. Alignment was fairly good in the fracture so the wing has been immobilized and the bird given cage rest. It will be a month or so before we know if we might be successful. Now the challenge is to get the bird to eat. Osprey can be challenging to get to eat in captivity.

A call came in regarding some owls nesting in a chimney. There was an insert in the fireplace and the owls were on top of the insert. The only access was on the roof of the house through the chimney. Tricia and I drove to La Grande and spent a couple of hours attempting to remove the owls. We netted two, but knew there were at least two or three more we couldn’t get. The occupant of the house was able to remove 4 more owlets later that day and will bring them to Pendleton. All 6 owlets will be placed in a hack box and allowed to fledge from there. We raised 56 barn owls earlier in the year using this method.

Birds did not fare well this week after encountering cars, power lines, windows or, in the case of an Osprey, baling twine. Five of the eleven admissions had a humerus fracture. 

Great Horned Owl 24-330 was likely struck by a vehicle, fracturing the left humerus near the elbow and damaging the left wrist and shoulder as well. The damage was too extensive to repair and the owl was euthanized.

Prairie Falcon 24-331 was struck by a vehicle near Baker City, fracturing both the radius and ulna in the left wing. 

Great Horned Owl 24-333 was electrocuted near Milton-Freewater causing injuries that were not repairable. Barn Owl 24-334 was also found near Milton-Freewater with a right humerus fracture and shoulder damage that could not be repaired.

Common Nighthawk 24-335  could have hit a power line or been struck by a vehicle. Its left wing could not be repaired the bird was euthanized.

Hummingbird 24-337 struck a window fracturing its right coracoid, another non-repairable injury.

And Osprey 24-339 was  found hanging from a nest platform, tangled in baling twine that had been incorporated into its nest. Please properly dispose of baling twine.

Fortunately there were multiple releases this week…

Two California Quail

Three American Robins

A Short-eared Owl who had been found hanging in a barbed-wire fence in May…

And Red-tailed Hawk 24-213 was returned to Ladd Marsh…

It was an unusual week at BMW in that no raptors were admitted, although arrangements are being made to transport a young Swainson’s Hawk from Baker City to Pendleton today or tomorrow. Five more Swainson’s were released from hack boxes this past week for a total of eight in the last two weeks.

The fledgling Golden Eagle is looking and acting like a healthy eagle. She will be returned to her
family on Tuesday.

A Belted Kingfisher was admitted with a fractured ulna. It is thought to have struck a window.  We have immobilized the wing and are providing cage rest so the wing can heal.