Neighborhood birds are singing enthusiastically in anticipation of spring. BMW welcomed intern Allison who flew in from Wisconsin with a minor delay in Chicago due to weather-related issues. She wasted no time in getting to work! Allison’s goals include learning as much as she can in order to one day open a rehabilitation facility.
There was one admission this past week, Rock Dove 26-017 with a fractured humerus. Although the fracture could not be repaired, the performance of a complete exam allowed confirmation of our initial assessment that the bird was badly injured and euthanasia was the humane option. In addition to showing the bird’s entire body, the x-ray below shows the contents of the crop, the wing fracture, swelling on the left side, the bird’s gizzard full of grit and an egg that was about to be laid!
Thank you to all who support Blue Mountain Wildlife with your kind words and deeds and generous donations. We make an awesome team!!!
Rainy, the newest member of the Education Team, thinks its spring and has scraped a depression in the ground for her nest. She is a Gyrfalcon/Peregrine Falcon hybrid, so nesting on the ground is natural. There aren’t many trees in the arctic where Gyrfalcons nest. Peregrine Falcons nest on rocky cliff ledges.
The nest is visible just above her right wing. She is mantling to protect her breakfast, a coturnix quail. Sharing food is not something Rainy does willingly!!!
Red-tailed Hawk 26-016 was found near Union in eastern Oregon. X-rays taken during her exam showed wing and leg fractures from being shot. The metal fragments are difficult see, but the shattered bones are consistent with damage caused by a projectile. The damage could not be repaired and the hawk was euthanized.
On Friday we welcomed intern Sara. She is from Happy Valley, OR. Her goals include a career in wildlife care and rehabilitation. We anticipate the arrival of intern Allison sometime today, Sunday. She flew from Wisconsin to Chicago on Saturday, but her flight to Portland was delayed. She has now landed in Portland and, with luck, will be in Pendleton later today.
The past week brought three small raptors to the clinic. Due to their diminutive size, people sometimes think they are babies. If a bird is fully feathered, it is also fully grown. If it is a fledgling, it’s tail feathers will be shorter than adult tail feathers and it may not fly or land well. Both take practice!
Merlin 26-011 weighed 169 grams at admission and was fully feathered. An average weight is 213 grams or 7.6 ounces. The small falcon was 20% underweight. It had collided with something, fracturing its right humerus and dislocating the right elbow. The injuries could not be repaired and the bird was euthanized.
Northern Pygmy Owl 26-012 weighed 51 grams (less than 2 ounces) at admission and was a fully feathered adult. An average adult weight is 62 grams so this tiny raptor was nearly 20% underweight. An x-ray showed its left humerus was fractured. Again, the damage could not be repaired.
Western Screech Owl 26-013 weighed 182 grams at admission. Screech Owl weights can vary. We have admitted 250 gram owls. Perhaps this was a male owl (male raptors tend to be smaller than female raptors). Sadly, he had collided with something hard enough to dislocate his left shoulder. The joint displacement and swelling was so severe the left wing could not be fully extended when positioning for the x-ray. There was little hope he would ever fly again.
The first photo below shows the displacement and swelling of the shoulder. The second photo compares the right and left scapulas. The orientation of the right scapula is normal. The left scapula is displaced. The large white mass in the lower abdomen is a pellet that is almost ready to be cast (regurgitated). All raptors expel the non-digestible parts of their meal in this manner. A useful way to reduce the amount of energy needed to fly.
It was a sad week, but we know spring and a new hospital are on the way. Thank you for your support on this journey.
Finally site prep for the new clinic has begun! We are dotting the “i’s” and crossing the “t’s” in preparation for delivery of the new clinic. This is such an exciting time for BMW!
There were no admissions this past week, but we kept busy interviewing interns who will be here during the busy summer baby season. The interns are college students with plans to become veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators or environmental educators. They will gain valuable experience during their internships, and BMW will gain insight and knowledge from them.
Blue Mountain Wildlife was honored to receive a $25,000 anonymous donation which will be used to further BMW’s mission to care for native wildlife. Specifically, the funds will be used to stock the freezers with mice for feeding baby raptors which will be arriving soon and to help furnish the new (larger) clinic. We are very grateful for this amazing gift!
We have passed the mid-point of winter. The days are noticeably longer. Spring will soon be here! Although our winter has been mild, I’m looking forward to that last average frost date in April when I will no longer need to be so careful about draining hoses.
There were two admissions this past week. American Crow 26-009 had a broken leg and pox lesions. The prognosis for recovery was poor, and the bird was euthanized.
Ring-billed Gull 26-010 was struck by a vehicle resulting in too many fractures to count. Again, euthanasia was the humane option.
