Farewell Samantha
We bid a fond farewell to intern Samantha this week. She has worked some very long hours since her arrival in mid August. Fortunately business has slowed significantly. There were just four admissions this past week. We wish you the very best Samantha. Thank you for all your hard work.
Northern Flicker
Sadly, the first admission this past week was another gunshot victim, a Northern Flicker found in a Richland, WA front yard. The damage was too extensive and the bird was euthanized.
Barn Owl
This Barn Owl was found on a Boise Cascade woodpile near Wallula, WA. Its hard to know what it collided with, a power line, a vehicle or maybe a train. The damage to the shoulder and humerus was not repairable.
Northern Pygmy Owl
This 64 gram (just over 2 ounces) Northern Pygmy Owl was trapped in the middle of a fight between two tom cats. We could find just one tiny puncture wound which may or may not have been caused by a cat. There was bruising in the right shoulder. The owl may have collided with a window and then been discovered by the cats. Fortunately, the cats seemed more interested in fighting each other than tormenting the owl. Hopefully, with supportive care and tincture of time, he will make a full recovery.
Western Screech Owl
A call came in Sunday evening about a “baby owl” that had been found in a swimming pool. The swimming pool turned out to be a stock tank with 2 inches of water in it and the owl an adult Western Screech Owl. The owl had just been found, but had probably been in the tank since Saturday night when it was very windy. The finders reported that the owl fell forward when it tried to walk.
A physical exam found no new injuries, but did find old fractures in the left wing that were completely healed. A radiograph confirmed the finding. At 176 grams, the owl was a good weight, indicating the wing must be fully functional, allowing it to be an effective hunter. It is amazing that these fractures could heal with no stabilization. It is even more amazing that the owl could survive long enough for the fractures to heal.
