An Uncommon Visitor
One typically does not expect to see a Mountain Goat in the rolling hills of eastern Oregon, but there he was Saturday afternoon. Some years ago another Mountain Goat visited Pendleton. He was wearing a tracking collar and ended up in the Sisters area of central Oregon. We can only guess where this guy is headed.
Thank You BMW Supporters
Thank you to all who have renewed their BMW membership or sent a year-end donation. We have successfully navigated the craziest year any of us can recall. With your support we will continue caring for the wildlife of our region. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership or made a year-end contribution, please consider doing so now. Thank you in advance!
Thank You Partners for Wildlife
Partners for Wildlife, University of Minnesota, has awarded BMW a grant to purchase new equipment, reference books, diagnostic supplies and additional training to further improve the level of care we can provide to wildlife in our care. The new equipment includes two incubators, a refractometer (after 30 years the old one is ready for retirement), an ophthalmoscope and three trail cams to monitor hack boxes. We are very excited about the learning opportunities these grant funds will provide.
Red-tailed Hawk 20-608
A very unlucky Red-tailed Hawk was found in a field near La Grande, OR. ODFW transported the hawk to Pendleton. An exam revealed the hawk was emaciated, had wounds on the right wing and left foot consistent with electrocution and abnormalities in the right shoulder. A radiograph showed the right shoulder was significantly lower than the left shoulder. The hawk must have collided with something resulting in an injury making it impossible for her to fly.
Although it is hard to know for certain, the shoulder injury appears to be much older than the electrocution injuries. Perhaps the hawk injured her shoulder, spent several weeks on the ground, healed up sufficiently to begin flying, managing to get up to the top of a power pole, only to be electrocuted. That would indeed be unlucky.
The shoulder injury may prevent the hawk from flying well enough to be released. Of additional concern is her left leg and foot. If you look closely at the photo below you will notice the left foot is slightly swollen and there is a color difference between the feet. The electrical shock from touching two wires has compromised the circulation. The hawk still has full use of the foot so there is hope that the damage is not permanent. Time will tell. For now, she has an excellent appetite which is always a good sign. She is about to swallow that mouse in one gulp. We are slowly increasing the amount of food she gets each day so as not to overwhelm her gut in her emaciated state.
