Bird wise it was another quiet week at BMW. The Pendleton center admitted a Lincoln Sparrow that had likely been struck by a vehicle and died two days after admission. A necropsy revealed brain damage from the vehicle strike and a keel fracture from a previous injury. A Dark-eyed Junco was also admitted. We suspect it struck a window. It had multiple ruptured air sacs and a badly damaged right shoulder. Its injuries were too extensive to repair and it was euthanized. 

A Barred Owl was admitted to the Benton City center after being struck by a vehicle. It appears to have been stunned and not sustained any major injuries. We are hoping it will soon be ready for release.

Oregon State Police picked up an injured Great Horned Owl on Saturday near Vale that had likely been struck by a vehicle. Good friends of BMW,  Joe and Cordi Atkinson, kept it safe overnight and then met Tricia in Ontario so she could transport the owl to Pendleton. An examination found extensive injuries on the owl’s left side, including a shattered humerus and a femur fracture. The damage could not be repaired and the owl was humanely euthanized.

New Admissions Center Update

We are making good progress on the new Admissions Center. Volunteers Adrian and Tyler traveled from Ellensburg this past weekend to install vinyl flooring and base trim in all three sheds. Below is the first shed: Intake

Shed 2: Putting finishing touches on Examination

We left a heater running over night in each shed to give the adhesive time to harden without freezing first! 

Adrian and Tyler didn’t spend the entire weekend laying vinyl flooring. Adrian captured these photos of Tyler feeding education birds Swainson’s Hawk Teddy and Golden Eagle LB…

Thank you Tyler and Adrian for all your help this week!!!

First the Robin flew into a window in an attempt to escape a hawk. Then it fell into an open container of motor oil. After multiple baths in diluted Dawn Dish Soap to remove most of the oil, you can see it really does have a red breast. We will let the Robin recuperate in an incubator over night, and then finish removing the oil tomorrow (Monday).

Please, never leave open containers of liquid uncovered. You never know what type of wildlife or pet will get into it. Open containers of antifreeze are also hazardous. Many animals like its sweet taste, but even a small amount can be fatal when swallowed.

Hunt Lead Free

Whitman College student Alex Muller has been volunteering at Blue Mountain Wildlife this past term. Below is a poster he created for his thesis project. Thank you for sharing your poster Alex!

We are still having gorgeous fall days with highs in the 60’s and no frosts to date. We were pleased to welcome guests from Umpqua Wildlife who brought a Great Horned Owl that needed a space to over-winter while she grows back feathers on her right wing.

We don’t know how her feathers were broken, but radiographs showed bone damage to the very tip of her right wing. 

She is now outside in a large flight pen where she can get out of the weather and feel safe. We will have to wait and see if she will be able to grow new feathers.

In the meantime, Tricia and I are enjoying produce from our gardens….

I can’t remember the last time we had just one admission in a week, but that was the occasion last week. An adult Merlin was found along a road near Milton-Freewater with an injured left wing. The small falcon had been struck by a vehicle and was unable to fly. An exam and x-rays revealed his left coracoid was separated at the sternum, his left radius and ulna were dislocated at the elbow and his left humerus was rotated at the shoulder. The injuries were too extensive to repair and he was euthanized.

Sora 22-383 Released

Two weeks after admission with what appeared to be a back injury, the Sora was released to continue its southern migration. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Soras are common and the most abundant rail species in North America. Their reliance on dwindling wetland habitat due to urban and agricultural development may be cause for concern in the future. Their habit of migrating at night and frequently colliding with lighted towers could also potentially affect the population. We wish 22-383 a safe journey! 

We rarely admit Great Gray Owls. They live in the forest and don’t often encounter humans. Unfortunately this young female was struck by a vehicle near Joseph, OR resulting in multiple fractures in her right wing. It was heart-breaking to realize that euthanasia was the most humane option.

Sora Update

The Sora’s progress has far exceeded our expectations. For seven days the Sora was unable to stand and was not eating. Samantha placed a spread of seed, various sizes of meal worms and blood worms to no avail. Then, on day eight, it stood up and started walking and eating mealworms. The Sora was probably on its way to Mexico or Central America when it was injured.   They are not cold tolerant birds. We do not have time to get it ready to continue migrating before temperatures drop. It will have to spend the winter inside and be released in the spring to continue its northern migration.