Sunday, February 13, 2011

Will it ever warm up?

I know that most of the country is freezing right now, but this is ridiculous. When you have animals to care for, meaning water needs to be running, not frozen, it's very difficult to do your job. We are suppose to be getting more snow and colder weather in the next few days, just about the time I will be taking Crash in to have his pins removed in his leg...great timing.

The little Sharp-shinned hawk had her pins removed last week, so she is out in a large mew, moving around and getting up on high perches, which is wonderful. She is also outside full-time now. We will be working with that wing, making sure it has it's full capabilities and then hopefully, she can be released sometime in March maybe.

Miss Moon was released this past Monday. Pam Riddle with the BLM assisted us getting her down to Moab and then onto Bill Sloan with the Parks Department. He was heading towards the area she needed to be released so he found her a nice spot and did the honors. I hope she finds her mate and all will get back to normal. We took a picture of her before I headed out to meet Pam in Green River. What a sweetie!

We've been called out several times the last week or so for downed eagles, that weren't really down. Connie went out and checked on two of them along with another volunteer of ours, but all eagles in the vicinity flew away, so they obviously were OK. You never know so it's best to check. This time of year, eagles tend to eat at road kill, putting them in extreme danger for being hit as well. They don't move off of the road kill easily, like a Crow would, but it takes some effort and large semi-trucks going by at high speeds create a wind force that can actually pull them into the truck as it's going by. It's a scary situation.

We moved Teasdale out into a large mew now. His wing is healed as it's going to get. Here in a few more days, I may chose to put him out into the large flight with the other two Great Horned owls. I sure hope he can pass the flight test in time as his personality is that of a bird that really needs to be free and away from people. He was so bored in his enclosure that he started destroying his surroundings. This is a perch that he ripped the carpeting from. These are such intelligent birds and in captivity, although it's for their own recuperation, they resist and want desperately to leave.

Crash is still being his normal self. Still not wanting to eat on his own. We are going to try giving him some large food that he should recognize and hopefully, he will want to tear at it and then eat. His leg has healed enough that this shouldn't be a problem at this point.

Migration should be started shortly, so keep your eyes and binoculars to the skies.

Debbie


Feathered brothers and sisters, you came to us broken and as you bled…….we saw you desperate, dehydrated, desiccated, diseased, distressed, emaciated, famished, frayed, frightened, helpless, hungry, ragged, ravenous, shaken, shocked, shot, sickly, stressed, stunned, tattered, thirsty, traumatized, torn, weary and wounded. Defiantly, you stood us off with your last breath as we tried to tend to you. We saw you come in as cute, naked, fuzzy, cuddly youth, as mischievous, defiant adolescents, as fierce, regal rulers of the sky and as cunning, maimed elders whose time on earth was almost done. You endeared yourselves to us, bit us, charmed us, footed us, delighted us, hissed at us, talked to us, mantled at us, and graced us with your presence.

Some of you mended and were able to go on your way, never looking back. Some of you were injured in ways that prevented you from going, so you stayed with us to teach us…….And we came to love you. Others were too far gone, and you went home - where you fly free from pain with the Great One. All of you have touched us, and we are changed because of you.

used with permission by Arlene Powers


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