We have 18 willow and bamboo trees that will create a windbreak and provide perching opportunities for many birds. If you have two or three hours during the middle of one day this coming week, we would appreciate your help getting them into the ground. If you are able to help please call 541-278-0215 and let us know what time works for you. Thank You!

There also is a need for a pick-up truck that can be used to take one load to the Transfer Station for disposal. If that is something you can help with please call the number above.

There were 17 new admissions this past week, including 10 more Barn Owls. All have been banded. The door to the flight pen will be opened this week, allowing them to begin fledging.

Great Horned Owl 24-154 was struck by vehicle near La Grande and brought to the center. Her wing fractures were new injuries, but she had strange lesions surrounding both shoulders. The cause wasn’t apparent, but they had been present for some time and were likely responsible for the owl’s emaciated condition. S,adly all we could offer her was euthanasia.

Black-tailed Jack Rabbit 24-155’s back was broken when he was struck by a vehicle. The injury was not repairable and he was euthanized.

We were pleased to have three second grade classes from Central Elementary School in La Grande visit. They dissected owl pellets, played the migration game and learned about eagles, hawks, owls and Turkey Vultures!

We said goodby to intern Harini this week. She quickly became part of Team BMW during her 8-week internship. She even made time to complete a grant proposal to the Richard King Mellon Foundation to help fund a new hospital. She will enter Georgetown University in the fall as an environmental biology major. We wish you the very best Harini and are confident you are destined to accomplish great things! 

The admission this past week of 9 more Barn Owls from three hay stacks that were moved brought our 2024 total to 52 young owls. The former Vulture pen has been converted into a very large Barn Owl hack box were the owlets can be allowed to fledge. Food will be provided until they have perfected their flying skills and are proficient hunters. 

One Great Horned Owl fledgling was returned to his family after testing negative for avian influenza. Three have been moved to the GHOW hack site to prepare for release. Sadly they were brought to BMW because their parents were both shot and killed.

Another owlet is in quarantine until she can be tested for avian influenza on Monday.

Adult Cooper’s Hawk 24-136 was admitted with two fractures in the left ulna. There is also damage in the wrist and elbow. Although the prognosis is guarded, the hawk is eagerly eating his daily ration of quail so we will see if immobilization of the wing, anti-inflammatories and tincture of time will work. 

The high light of this past week was a spectacular display of the Northern Lights Friday night. The night sky was ablaze with color. 

Moving Gyrfalcon Persimmon and Great Horned Owl Sage into their permanent homes was a major accomplishment this week. All the Education Birds are now housed in the new Education Building. Each has spacious accommodations with their specific needs taken into consideration. Persimmon wasted no time in enjoying his breakfast of quail.

Osprey 24-078 was found on a road near La Grande and transported to Pendleton by ODFW. An exam and radiographs revealed a shattered clavicle. While our x-ray machine is a highly valued piece of equipment, it is installed in such a way that its orientation cannot be changed. Below are two radiographs of the Osprey. The first view is a dorsal-ventral view with the bird on his back on the table. The second view is an H-view with the bird elevated at a 45 degree angle to the table. 

The H-view makes it easier to visualize both the clavicle and the coracoid. It shows that there is a mid shaft fracture of the clavicle and the end that articulates with the coracoid is shattered. You can see part of the stainless steel bowl we used to position the osprey at the bottom edge of the x-ray. The damage to the shoulder was too extensive to repair and the bird was euthanized.

The tree housing 6 nestling American Kestrels blew down this past week. The tiny falcons are all uninjured and have quickly learned to eat off a plate.they will be moved to a hack box, allowing them to fledge at their normal times. It is typical to see raptor nestlings of different sizes. The female starts incubating her eggs as soon as the first one is laid. There are usually two or three days between each egg so the babies hatch out every two or three days. This gives the older siblings an advantage if there is not enough prey/food available. They will out compete the younger birds, but at least some of them will survive to fledge. These 6 babies are eating 14 mice per day!

American Kestrel Yoda likes her new home too. Below, she flies between intern Harini and Tricia…

More Northern Lights..

We had a busy week, admitting 13 more Barn Owls who were displaced when their homes/haystacks were moved to make room for the next cutting of hay. That brings our total to 27 barn owls to be hacked out. These owls can easily each consume six or more mice per night. Barn owls provide amazing, free!, rodent control to the agricultural community. Placing a few nest boxes near trees that are adjacent to open fields can encourage these cavity nesting predators to take up residency. 

We know that lead is a toxic material. We measure it in units of micrograms per deciliter of blood. A µg is equivalent to a millionth of a gram. A deciliter is a tenth of a liter of blood. Twenty µg/dl of lead is considered to be a toxic amount. At BMW we chelate to remove the lead when it is 10 µg/dl or higher. Bald Eagle 23-060 was admitted with a lead level of 217 µg/dl, a critically high amount of lead.

Fortunately he has responded well to chelation and is already eating food on his own. We chelate for 4 days and then stop three days and check the lead level. The eagle will likely need at least two more courses of chelation. Then he will be moved outside to a flight pen to begin reconditioning for release. That often takes months. The effects of lead are long-term and can permanently affect decision making and coordination, including the ability to find food and fly.

Rehabilitated Raptor Research Webinar

On May 7 there will be a webinar providing an overview of the research evaluating the post release success of rehabilitated raptors. In most species the data clearly demonstrates there are ecological benefits to their release. This is the first time anyone has taken a scientific look at the effects of raptor rehabilitation!

Common Poorwill 24-075

We received a call regarding an “owl” perched on a window sill behind a large display at a local business. I arrived to find a Common Poorwill, whose cryptic color looks very owl-like. There was only a few inches between the bird and the display. A long-handled net was needed to remove the bird. An exam found no injuries. After a quick test flight the small arial insectivore was released.

Four birds were admitted to the wildlife center this past week. The first was a Common Raven.The details of what happened to the bird were vague, but it had been fed by people since it was a tiny nestling, They said it could fly, but it didn’t like to. A physical exam and radiographs revealed the bird had metabolic bone disease due to a calcium deficient diet. The long bones in both wings showed signs of poorly healed fractures. We all need calcium in our diet in order to grow healthy bones and for metabolism. Euthanasia was the only humane option since metabolic bone disease is not reversible. 

Two shotgun pellets are also visible in the x-ray. It is illegal to shoot a Raven, but the damage caused by the pellets was minor compared to the damage caused by the poor diet. 

If you find a baby bird on the ground, please call the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center. Taking a migratory bird out of a nest is illegal as they are protected by state and federal law.

Great Horned Owl 24-053 fell out of its nest and impaled its wing on  a sharp stump at the base of the tree. The damage to the wing was too extensive to repair and the owlet was euthanized. Nestling Barn Owl 24-054 was found when hay was being loaded onto a truck. Unfortunately its siblings did not survive. This little guy is fine and now in a hack box with 11 other Barn Owls! 

Western Bluebird 24-055 was found in a road and was likely hit by a car. A radiograph showed it had a compound fracture in the right humerus and old, healed fractures in its right leg. What a tough little bird! Unfortunately the wing fracture could not be repaired and the bird was euthanized.