We test all birds that are high risk species for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Those who are showing symptoms for HPAI are euthanized immediately to protect our resident education birds and other patients. That was the case for Great Horned Owl 26-415 and Canada Goose 26-418. The owl was found in Union, OR. The goose came from nearby La Grande, OR. We should receive the test results in the coming week.

Good progress continues in the clinic. A pegboard has been added to one of the work stations in the exam room and two cupboards are now in the Raptor Room. It is nice to have extra storage space.

One of the last babies of the year has been moved to the songbird pen. Cedar Waxwing 26-391 will be ready for release on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in about a week.

Releases are always a high point. This week Oregon State Police Trooper James released Red-tailed Hawk 26-414 near Prairie City. Trooper James had rescued the hawk and transported her to Pendleton in August. Mike Bohanen of the Grant County Bird Club transported the hawk to the release site. Trooper Tirico took the photo of the release. As is so often the case, it takes a village to succeed.

Winnie really gets into her work when it comes to assembling tables and cabinets for the new clinic.

This week she will assemble a second cabinet similar to the one below. It will replace the blue shelves to the left of the table. Together they will provide space for lab equipment and supplies. 

Tricia is organizing the Songbird Room.

Sunday morning we were greeted by a gorgeous rainbow!

Veterinary Technician student Brooke helped band a Swainson’s Hawk, then she and Tricia placed the hawk in a hack box. 

Two Swainson’s who had been released earlier in the month soared overhead.

Those were some of the high points this past week. There were trauma cases that could not be helped other than to provide humane euthanasia. 

Swainson’s Hawk 26-398 had an old fracture of the right humerus.

Barn Owl 26-399 had a left coracoid fracture. The swelling in the shoulder made it difficult to get good positioning. The x-ray below is an H-view. We used a partial roll of vet wrap under the bird. It is a view we often use to evaluate an injury in the shoulder girdle.

There is asymmetry in the shoulders of Common Nighthawk 26-400. Nighthawks are arial insectivores. The bird weighed just 25 grams, more than 50% below a normal weight of 62 grams. We suspect it was starving after being injured in a collision. We are generally unsuccessful in saving birds that are more than 40% underweight.

Black-headed Grosbeak 26-401 had fractures in the left radius and ulna.

American Kestrel 26-402 had his left wing sheared off. Its hard to imagine how this injury occurred.

On occasion we admit mammals. Friday, Tricia coordinated with ODFW at Ladd Marsh and released two young Striped Skunks. They immediately began exploring their new home.

This past week we were privileged to watch two of the Swainson’s Hawks released from a hack box soar effortlessly above the wildlife center. BMW Treasurer Kirsti took the photo below.

Then Kirsti spotted Short-eared Owl Sally in her favorite location…

Next came a coping session with Golden Eagle LB, a beak and talon trim…

Then Tricia showed the interns Ava and Brooke how to position a bird for an x-ray…

We bid a fond farewell to intern Ava as she heads back to Idaho for school. She worked hard for 6 weeks and was an excellent role model for incoming intern Brooke.

We bid a fond farewell to intern Sophie. She will continue her studies at Northern Arizona College with the goal of becoming a wildlife veterinarian. We wish her well and know she will benefit wildlife for many years to come.

We had a busy week with lots of trauma cases. Fortunately there were successes too. Tricia and the interns took a road trip to release birds: a Mourning Dove, an American Robin and an American Crow. Ava released the Robin. 

Sophie released the Crow. It’s feathers were in poor condition at the time of admission, the result of a poor diet from the well-meaning individual who found it on the ground. Initially we thought it would need to molt before being able to fly well enough to be released. Once it was at a normal weight, it was moved outside to a flight pen. Its flight improved dramatically and Sophie released it where it had been found.

An injured Hoary Bat was found in the Pendleton Safeway parking lot. Sadly there was too much damage to the bat’s right wing to repair and it was humanely euthanized. At 25 grams (about 1 ounce), it was one of the largest bats we have admitted.

The new clinic keeps getting better.   The wet table in the exam room has hot and cold running water and there is a working sink in the break room.