The week started with winter weather, and has ended with spring-like temperatures. There were just two admissions. First was a starving Great Horned Owl. The exam revealed an old shoulder injury which prevented the owl from flying. There was nothing we could do to correct the damage in the shoulder and the owl’s emaciation was so advanced we cold not have successfully treated it.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew into a window dislocating its left shoulder, elbow and wrist and fracturing its radius and ulna. The damage was not repairable and the hawk was euthanized.

Thank you to all who have made a year-end donation to Blue Mountain Wildlife. Your gifts will help us meet the opportunities and challenges of 2025. If you have not yet made a year-end donation, please consider donating through the Valley Giving Guide and have your donation qualify for matching funds. Thank you again for your generous support!

Red-tailed Hawk 24-393 was found east of Pendleton on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. It had multiple fractures on the left side of its body from being struck by a vehicle. The left wing, the left leg and left side of the pelvis were all damaged. As so often seems to be the case, euthanasia was the only humane option.

Save The Date: January 11, 2024, 11:00 am Annual Membership Meeting

Mark your calendar for our annual membership meeting. We will look back on the accomplishments and challenges of 2024 and look ahead to the opportunities the new year may bring.

Thank you to all who have made a year-end donation to Blue Mountain Wildlife. Your generosity will allow us to start the new year off equipped to help wildlife in need. If you have not yet made a year-end gift to BMW, please consider donating through the Valley Giving Guide and have your donation qualify for matching funds. Thank you again for your generous support.

Barred Owl 24-372 was admitted November 3, 2024 with a right shoulder injury and a broken rib. After 2 1/2 weeks of cage rest the owl was moved to the large flight pen. He(?) was soon making multiple flights the length of the pen. We released him on the Umatilla Indian Reservation at Wetlands Park a few miles from where he had been found.

In the flight pen prior to release…

The owl release…

Back where he belongs…

Two Bald Eagles, admitted as starving fledglings in July, were released this week on a cool blustery day at McNary Beach Park where they had been found. The male eagle was released first. His sister soon followed:

The only other admission this week was a Great Horned Owl that had been struck by a train. It had multiple fractures in the right wing and shoulder. Euthanasia was the only humane option.

The Barred Owl admitted with a broken rib and a shoulder injury has been moved to the large flight pen and is flying well. The plan is to release him in the coming week.

This week Golden Eagle 24-362 was returned to his home territory near Richland, OR and released after spending two and one-half months at BMW recovering from a fractured scapula.

Once the scapula was healed, the eagle was moved to a flight pen.

When ready for release, a metal band was placed on his right leg.

Then there was a long drive and the release!

We returned to BMW to find a Red-tailed Hawk. A woman had called about an injured “eagle” in her driveway near Boardman just as we were leaving to release the eagle. Volunteer Dan was able to capture the hawk and transport it to Pendleton. Dan has traveled countless miles to rescue wildlife. Thank you Dan!

My initial thought when looking at the hawk was that he had been electrocuted. Radiographs made it apparent that he had been shot. The fractures were not repairable. If allowed to heal, the hawk would have been left with a chronically arthritic elbow and unable to fly. Euthanasia was a kinder gift to offer the bird.

We were pleased to welcome families from the Wagon Wheel Co-op on Friday. They learned about BMW’s Education Birds and then dissected owl pellets. 

A heart-felt thank you to The Roundhouse Foundation for a three-year grant to support the camera expansion project. The grant will allow additional cameras to be placed in the Education Building mews, as well as the rehabilitation pens and in the clinic. We are very grateful to The Foundation for their generous support of Blue Mountain Wildlife and rural Oregon. Roundhouse Foundation supports creative solutions to the unique challenges associated with rural culture and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.