Summer continues and the temperatures are climbing. Today’s high is 101 degrees. Wind is predicted for Monday, coolng temperatures down to the mid-90’s by week’s end. There were 31 admissions this past week, 7 raptors and an assortment of 24 songbirds, corvids, and 1 hatchling California quail.

Northern Harrier 25-358 is a long shot for successful rehab, but we wanted to giver her a chance. She was struck by a vehicle near Ontario, OR. She has a dislocated left shoulder, fractured left ulna, and damage in the wrist and hip. 

Nearly one month ago Mule Deer fawn 25-289 was admitted after her mother was struck by a vehicle and killed. She has nearly tripled her weight on a mixture of goat milk and lamb milk replacer. We are having a difficult time getting her to eat browse so have “borrowed” Snickers, a young goat to be a role model for her.

This will be a very short newsletter, as staff and interns are busy examining new birds, feeding baby birds and cleaning cages, all never ending jobs!

Admissions at BMW are up by 41%  compared to this time last year, from 252 in 2024 to 356 in 2025. The species admitted are typical. There were 10 raptors: 1 Swainson’s Hawk, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 3 Cooper’s Hawks, 2 American Kestrels and 3 Barn Owls. Songbirds admitted included a Brewers Blackbird, Barn Swallow, House Finch, American Robin and a small flycatcher. There was also 1 Common Raven. 

Below is a photo of two fledgling American Kestrels. They will be banded and join the 12 Kestrels outside who will soon be released at their hack site. We will continue feeding them until they have become proficient at flying and hunting, and naturally disperse. We are enjoying the nightly Barn Owl show. Most of 70 baby Barn Owls are now flying. They have been released from their hack boxes and are returning each night for food. Within the next two months they will refine their rodent catching skills and disperse.

Red-tailed Hawk 25-311 was found at a construction site near Boardman. The hawk had collided with something, fracturing his left humerus and damaging the left hip. Euthanasia was the only humane option.

After a finder called and reported a Great Blue Heron was tangled in fishing tackle along the Umatilla River, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists captured the Heron and brought him to the clinic. We removed the fishing line and noted swelling and bruising at the elbow. Radiographs showed the Heron had an arthritic right hip. It must have been quite painful for the bird to walk, making it difficult to forage for food and explaining why he was so thin. Again, euthanasia was the most humane option.

Fledgling Cooper’s Hawk 25-322 was also unlucky. His left tibiotarsus was fractured. The fracture could not be adequately stabilized and the hawk was euthanized

Fortunately there were some positive moments this past week. Twelve young American Kestrels and a Great Horned Owl were banded and moved to their respective hack sites this week in preparation for their release.

On Monday, Winnie released female Swainson’s Hawk 25-301 south of Madras, near where she had been found. As soon as the hawk was up in the air she was joined by two other hawks who were no doubt her offspring. It was a wonderful family family reunion!

No Sooner was the adult Swainson’s Hawk reunited with her family than a nestling Swainson’s was admitted. It was only two or three days old and had multiple black fly larvae in each ear. Tricia spent three days removing the larvae. The little guy is feeling much better!

It has been a challenging week with baby Season shifting into high gear. Most of the nestlings admitted were too badly injured to save after falling from their nests. Two of the five eggs admitted with the Say’s Phoebe last week have hatched. The two hatchlings each weigh about 2 grams. Very tiny birds in a tiny nest!

A fledgling American Crow who was found on the ground at Heritage Station in Pendleton in early June, has gained weight, learned how to fly and to forage for food. It will be returned to its family this coming week. Crows, members of the corvid family, are intelligent birds and very good scavengers. They will pick up discarded food, like french fries, and feed it to their babies. The fast growing young birds can quickly become malnourished. Properly discard left over food, unless you have an extra mouse or grasshopper to share!   

A fledgling Long-eared Owl was stunned and his siblings killed when their nest tree was blown down. We are hoping to find another Long-eared Owl family to foster him into. He is eating whole mice on his own and learning to fly.

An adult Swainson’s Hawk was found in the middle of the road near Madras, OR. The finders picked up the bird and continued on their way to Washington, stopping along the way to leave the hawk at an Oregon rehabilitation center. The hawk must have been stunned from being struck by a vehicle as we could find no injuries. We did find a brood patch, indicating she was likely out hunting for food to feed her young, when she was struck. She passed her flight test with flying colors, so the plan is to return her to the Madras area on Monday.

News flash! Just as the newsletter was “going to press,” a third Says Phoebe egg hatched!

If you want to reduce flying insects in an outside area, please make sure you use a device that is meant to be used outdoors. Flypaper is meant to be used indoors. If hung outdoors it may also catch small birds. That is what happened to the flycatcher below who has no tail feathers. It lost all its tail feathers when they came in contact with flypaper that had been hung outside. It cannot fly properly without tail feathers. We will need to keep the little bird until it regrows the tail feathers which will take 2 or 3 weeks.

We welcomed intern Sadie this past week. She is a pre-veterinary student from Colorado. She and intern Thomas have quickly become a great team. They are keeping busy with new admissions, treatments…

And baby feedings…

Although the young Great Horned Owls at the hack site are flying well, they still remember to show up dinner…

Thank you to all who have donated needed supplies or funds to purchase mice. They are appreciated very much. We are still feeding nearly 400 mice each day.

Below is a photo of Rainy, a gyrfalcon/peregrine falcon hybrid and the newest member of the Education Team, enjoying her dinner of quail…