Releases outnumbered admissions this week. Two young Barn Swallows were released.
First one…
Then the second swallow flew free…
And they found new friends right away…
Four Lesser Goldfinches were also released…
Its hard to catch 9 gram (1/3 of an ounce) birds coming out of a box in focus!
Three New Admissions
An American Robin and Eurasion Collared Dove both had coracoid fractures. Below is the radiograph of the Robin. Coracoid fractures rarely heal well-enough for a bird to be releasable. Both the Robin and Dove were euthanized.
A Townsend’s Warbler was also admitted. It’s left scapula was dislocated and the right eye ruptured. It died within 24 hours of admission…
Hopefully new admissions will fare better in the coming week.
Winnie traveled to Hermiston to return a young American Kestrel to her family. She had fledged on Main Street. Mackenzie Park, about a block away, is a much safer location! She went home with some new bling, a band on her right leg.
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Songbird releases included two American Robins, a Say’s Phoebe, a Western Kingbird and a Casin’s Finch. Tricia traveled to Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area near La Grande and released a Red-tailed Hawk and the four young Striped Skunks whose mother was struck by a vehicle and killed.
She had quite the rodeo corralling the four skunks in two kennels. Then there was the rather odiferous drive to Ladd Marsh. When she opened the kennel doors, two skunks immediately came out, one from each kennel.
Soon number number three followed.
Finally number four emerged. They were so busy exploring their new surroundings, they didn’t even notice Tricia.
The Red-tailed Hawk wasted no time in leaving…
The American White Pelican that Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife requested Blue Mountain Wildlife rehabilitate was released on Thursday at Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge.
The week started with the admission of an American White Pelican found near Dayville, OR. At 5.31 kg (11.7 pounds) it weighs more than most eagles. The pelican is a young bird, full grown and should be able to fly. We are not sure how it was injured. It had a large tear in the skin of its left foot. It was quarantined in the new Intake Center and tested for avian influenza.
When the test results were negative, the bird was brought into the main clinic for a more thorough exam and radiographs. We have a special cone for anesthetizing pelicans. It is made from a Tupperware pasta container and a two-cup Tupperware measuring cup taped together. It is the perfect length! It took seven x-rays to get the pelican’s entire body, legs and wings. We found no fractures during the physical exam or radiographs.
The skin tear was partially closed with staples to keep the underlying tissue from drying out while the wound heals.
The Pelican was moved out to the large flight pen until the staples can be removed.
More Barn Swallows
Five more Barn Swallows were admitted this past week, including three nestlings. With luck we are just about at the end of baby season.
Bald Eagle 23-024 Released
Five months after being admitted with acute lead poisoning, the eagle was released…
There were just eight birds admitted this past week, most were vehicle strikes. Tara transported two birds. On Wednesday, Tricia and I released two chipmunks near Jubilee Lake. Can you find them?
Neither could we! They disappeared quickly into the forest.
After the Chipmunk release, we traveled to La Grande and met Tara. She had picked up a fledgling Swainson’s Hawk in Vale. The radiograph below shows a badly damaged left humerus. The proximal (closest to the shoulder) humerus is shattered. Sadly, the damage could not be repaired.
A high point of the week was another fledgling Swainson’s Hawk that was hit by a car. It had a significant head injury and does not seem able to see out of its right eye, but after three days of fluids and anti-inflammatories, it has a healthy appetite. We will schedule an appointment at Pendleton Veterinary Clinic in the coming week to have the eye evaluated.
ODFW delivered a Red-tailed Hawk from Heppner that the finder suspected had been shot. A radiograph determined that it was more likely struck by a vehicle, but again, the damage was too extensive to repair.
On Friday, Tricia met Tara in La Grande again to get an injured Great Horned Owl that Tara had picked up. It had been struck by a vehicle, sustaining multiple injuries: the left humerus and right radius were fractured, the left hip was either dislocated or fractured and there was no feeling in the left foot. Because Great Horned Owls are high risk species for avian influenza (although the owl displayed no signs of influenza) its examination took place in the Intake Center where we do not have x-ray equipment. Red-tailed Hawks are also high risk species for avian influenza. We followed strict protocol while x-raying the hawk after it had been euthanized to determine that it had not been shot.
The Goldfinches admitted last week haven’t figured out how to eat on their own yet, but they are starting to fly!
