2020 was certainly a year like no other. Missing from the list above, as a direct result of the corona virus pandemic, are Number of Interns: 5 and Number of Education Programs: about 150. Many wildlife rehabilitation centers had record admissions in 2020. We were very busy, but the numbers weren’t record setting.
BMW’s admissions can be significantly impacted by the number of baby Barn Owls admitted. The baby owls become homeless when the hay stack they are living in is removed (sold). Since 2006 an average of 143 baby owls have been raised each year (more than 2100 in total!). That number has varied from 35 owls in 2019 when there was a hay shortage (so no stacks were available for nesting) and a high of 435 in 2018 when farmers sold hay early in the year and displaced many nesting owls. There were just 116 Barn Owls raised at the hack site in 2020.
Thanks to a $25,000 matching challenge in 2019 by BMW member Linda Wolcott and contributions from many more BMW members, we were able to build new housing for most of BMW’s education birds in 2020. We will celebrate that accomplishment on October 9 at our annual Open House. Hopefully COVID19 will be under control and it can be an “in person” event. In the mean time, wear your mask, stay home when possible and practice good social distancing when you need to be out and about. Below, Daryl and Darrel demonstrate!
In mid-february the Education Team traveled to McNary Wildlife Refuge for the Winter Birds celebration. We released a Red-tailed Hawk and presented two programs. That was our one and only public outing in 2020. The “before times” seem like such a distant memory...
