Great Horned Owls
Of the nine new admissions this Week of Thanksgiving, five were owls: 2 Great Horned Owls, 2 Northern Saw-whet Owls and a Western Screech Owl. The first Great Horned Owl had a shattered pelvis from being struck by a vehicle. The damage was too extensive to be repaired and the bird was euthanized.
The second Great Horned Owl’s story is all too familiar. He had multiple wing fractures from being shot. The injuries were at least two weeks old, so in addition to being quite thin, the owl’s fractures were healing with poor alignment. He also was euthanized.
Northern Saw-whet Owls
The Saw-whet Owls are fairing somewhat better. The first little owl has an eye injury from a collision with an unknown object. It is not known yet if the eye will be functional, but he is eating well and getting feistier by the day.
The second Saw-whet Owl also collided with something. He is able to fly, but can only get about 2 feet off the ground. There do not appear to be any broken bones. Hopefully, with supportive care and cage rest he will make a complete recovery. He also has a good appetite!
Western Screech Owl
The Screech Owl had a harrowing experience Sunday evening. She, literally, nearly went up in flames. The spark arester on a Pendleton chimney was damaged in a recent wind storm making the chimney accessible to the Owl. She became trapped in the fire box. When the home owners returned at the end of the holiday, they started a fire in the fire place. The owl quickly flew out of the fire place, but not before some of her feathers were burned. She lost most of the secondary flight feathers on her left wing. I’m sure there is some irritation to her eyes and perhaps her lungs, but, hopefully, she also will make a complete recovery.
Thank You Volunteers
It was a busy week for volunteers, both in the clinic and on the road. Birds were transported from Yakima, Quincy, Othello, Dayton, Wallula and the Tri-Cities in Washington, and Pendleton. Thank You to Mark, Katie and Steve in Yakima, Mark in Quincy, Dan, Claudia, Laurel, Michele, Suzanne and Toni in the Tri-Cities and Jerri in Pendleton. Bob made multiple trips to Umatilla to meet the volunteers since the tribal bus was on a shortened holiday schedule.
Thank You Members
Thank you members and friends of Blue Mountain Wildlife for your support throughout this year. You have helped us make a difference in the lives of the wild and human residents of our region.
