The Week In Review
The babies keep coming. The Pendleton Center admitted 3 Northern Harriers (ground nesting hawks), 4 baby Skunks and a Hummingbird. The Harriers were inadvertently “rescued” by well-meaning folks who thought they were being attacked by a hawk, no doubt one of the parents. It took 2 1/2 days to organize a return trip to La Grande for the Harriers and recruit a new volunteer, Tom, to keep eye on the youngsters until the parents realized they were back.
The Harriers were color-coded so we could tell them apart in the clinic, and banded before their trip home. They are well-suited to hiding in tall grass.
Four Baby Skunks
These young skunks were orphaned when their mother was struck by a car and killed. They are eating solid food and soon will be moved outside to grow a little bigger and learn to forage for food before being released.
A Very Young Hummingbird
At three grams, this nestling Hummingbird is almost full-grown. It is the youngest hummingbird we have admitted... still begging to be fed. Adult hummingbirds eat a very low protein diet, getting most of their calories from the nectar of flowers. They also eat tiny flying insects which are what they feed their fast-growing babies. We are feeding this guy tiny mealworms and blood worms.
BMW Volunteers to the Rescue Again
Yakima volunteers Kathy, Bill and Ken responded when a Raccoon was struck by a vehicle and killed while trying to cross I-82 near Yakima. Her 3 kits were stranded in the freeway median under an overpass with cars zipping by on either side at 70 miles per hour. A Washington State Patrol trooper stopped, but said he could not stop traffic for raccoons. Kathy and Ken caught the first kit, then Bill arrived with a large salmon net and quickly caught the other two. The kits were not very grateful, but I’m sure they owe their lives to Kathy, Bill and Ken. They took them to BMW’s Tri-Cities center where they were examined and found to be in good condition. They will coordinate with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife once the kits are ready to be released. Thank you for a job well done!!!
