We started the week by returning Great Horned Owlet 24-030 to its family. First Tricia and Harini banded the owlet.

There was at least one more owlet in the original nest, but it was too high to access. Tricia and the homeowner installed a new nest under mom’s watchful eye. 

Intern Harini carried the owlet up the ladder…

Tricia placed it in the nest…

You have to look closely, but the young GHOW is in its new home and enjoying the view!

6 nestling Ban Owls became homeless when the house their parents had nested in was torn down. There was nowhere to install a nest box so the young owls will be placed in a nest box at BMW’s Pendleton center and allowed to fledge from there. There is a nesting Barn Owl nearby who will very likely adopt them. We will continue to feed the owls after they fledge until they are proficient hunters and no longer return for food.  

Next came a Golden Crowned Kinglet that was stunned after hitting a window. Fortunately the tiny bird recovered quickly and was released the same day…

On Friday we hosted kindergarten through third graders from Imbler, OR. They dissected owl pellets.

Played the Migration Game, avoiding windows, toxic water, power lines, wind turbines and cars… 

and learned about birds of prey.

A haystack was moved near Milton-Freewater and four more nestling Barn Owls arrived on Sunday. They were examined, given fluids and marked with livestock marking paint so we can monitor them. Once they are eating on their own they will join the 6 nestlings that arrived earlier in the week. 

Sunday afternoon Tricia traveled to La Grande to get a nestling Great Horned Owl that had fallen from its nest. The nest was too high to access so she brought the owlet to Pendleton. It appears to be uninjured. We may be able to place it in the nest box with the owlet that was returned to its family earlier in the week. That is definitely an option we will consider…