Except for Great Horned Owl 24-375, who managed to get tangled up with a ramp into a chicken coop (truth is stranger than fiction!), car and window collisions caused the injuries to birds who were admitted this past week. The owl doesn’t appear to have any broken bones, but he does have a droopy right wing that has been immobilized with a bandaged. After a week of cage rest he is getting feisty! We will give him one more week of rest and then see how the wing is doing.

Two Golden-crowned Kinglets flew into a window at Blue Mountain Community College. One tiny bird recovered quickly from the collision and was released in a nearby clump of trees. The other sustained multiple fractures and was euthanized.

Northern Saw-whet Owl 24-380 was found on a mountain road above Weston. It’s right radius, ulna and scapula were all fractured. We presume the cause was collision with a vehicle. The little owl was never going to fly again. Euthanasia was the most humane option.

Barred Owl 24-372, admitted just 8 days ago with a broken rib and swollen shoulder is also getting feisty. He made an escape attempt and ended up on top of the x-ray machine when a clean towel was being placed under his perch. He will be going outside to a flight pen this coming week!

BMW was a quiet place the month of October with just 4 admissions. Sunday, yesterday as of this writing, there were three admissions plus a visit from a dear friend that I had not seen for more than 20 years. After examining a Barred Owl and Golden Eagle, Dea and I had a wonderful visit. Then it was time to feed the Education Birds and Barn Owls (the last clutch of owls are still returning to the hack box for food). 

Tricia and I had just finished dinner when the doorbell rang and we admitted a Red-tailed hawk. It appears to have a head injury. We administered fluids and pain meds and will do a more thorough exam today.

The Barred Owl has a broken rib and damage in the right shoulder. The wing has been immobilized with a body wrap to allow the injuries to heal. We rarely admit Barred Owls. This bird was found near Arrowhead Travel Plaza east of Pendleton and is presumed to have been struck by a vehicle. 

The Golden Eagle had an old compound fracture of the right humerus close to the elbow. There was nothing we could do but provide a humane euthanasia. 

Hopefully the rest of the week will be relatively uneventful.

Sage gives a hoot about your safety! With Halloween just around the corner, Sage has some sage advice to ensure the safety of Trick or Treaters. 

• Wear costumes that are made of flame resistant fabric
• Wear bright, reflective costumes or add strips of reflective tape
• Wear makeup and hats rather than costume masks that can obscure your vision
• Test the makeup you plan to use 24-48 hours in advance for signs of irritation on your skin

Have a safe and happy Halloween

A huge thank you to volunteers who helped with the camera project this past week.  Ken was here all week doing prep work for the new camera system. When completed next year, we will be able to remotely view video footage or live streaming of the Education Birds, rehabilitating birds in the flight pens and activity in the clinic. The possibilities are endless for what we will be able to accomplish with the recorded footage. Thank you to Ken, Kirsti, Burt, Inna, Nancy and Rick. There will be more opportunities to help with this project next year. Thank you again to everyone! And thank you to everyone who supports BMW’s education and rehabilitation programs. We couldn’t do what we do with out your help!

It was a week with no new admissions, so I will share some of the amazing photos Kirsti captured of Golden Eagle 24-362 who is making an amazing recovery from a scapula fracture, the result of beng struck by a vehicle. 

There were just two admissions this past week, Little Brown Bat 24-367 and Western Grebe 24-368. Although the bat had no fractures, he was unable to fly due to internal injuries. It is challenging to evaluate x-rays of a 5 gram bat (that is less than one-quarter of an ounce), but when we compared his x-ray to the x-ray of Little Brown Bat 24-327 who had two broken wings, but no internal damage, it was apparent that 24-367 did have internal injuries. The prognosis for recovery seemed poor and the bat was euthanized.

The prognosis for the Grebe was much better. It had been found on the ground in Wallowa. Grebes sometimes land on surfaces they think are water, but turn out to be wet pavement or some other solid surface. They need to be able to run across water in order to get airborne. The Grebe appeared to be uninjured and was released at McKay Wildlife Refuge where there are other Grebes.

The Camera Project

BMW treasurer Kirsti and husband Ken have been here working on the Camera Project. Kirsti is heading back to Portland today, Sunday. Ken could use more help on Monday or Tuesday. Thank you to Burt who’ll be here on Wednesday! Kirsti will be back Thursday evening! If you are able to help please call the clinic: 541-278-0215. Thank you in advance!

Kirsti took the photos below during a break from helping Ken. 

Ferruginous Hawk 24-192 fell from this nest as a downy baby, breaking his left leg. He is now flying in the large flight pen…

Bald Eagle 24-265 was admitted as a fledgling along with her brother. Both birds were emaciated. They are recovering nicely and should be ready for release in November. Big sister poses and then takes flight…

Lynn explaining to the Ferruginous Hawk “That’s not the way things are done around here.”