OWLS

I've had two owls brought to me over the last couple of weeks. The first was found in the post-lady's yard in Wells, with an injured wing. After calling the refuge, she had Don, our postman (who happens to come out of Wells) transport the owl to me in his mail truck. Upon examining the owl, a Short-eared Owl nonetheless, I found it to have a complex fracture of the distal humerus/joint, automatically deeming it nonreleasable. Rod helped me wrap up the wing until we could transport the bird.

I spent a morning calling around the west (NV, CA, ID, UT) trying to find an organization/individual to take it for educational purposes. I learned a lot. I learned that in the west rehabbers are generally looked down upon by state wildlife agencies. They are seen as a "thorn in their side", and the agencies generally wish they didn't exist. I was told it therefore is very hard to place an animal for education purposes, as they make the permits very difficult to get, preferring them to just be euthanized.

I spoke with Martin Tyner of the Southwest Wildlife Foundation, who told me he was the first licensed falconer to fly a Golden Eagle. I spoke with Utah's Hogle Zoo, Zoo Boise, the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, MO, the The Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, and The Great Salt Lake Nature Center, among others. Finally I received promising news from Dalyn Erickson at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah. She referred me to the Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake City. They were interested!

Unfortunately - after I took the owl to Jo Dean, our local raptor rehab expert, it died while she was examining it.

Last week our neighbors in the north end of the valley, Marlow and Stephanie Dahl, called to say they had a young owl missing a wing on the ground, and that they'd found two other owl carcasses nearby. I went to investigate... and found a fledgling Great-Horned Owl in pretty sad shape. It was missing its left foot and its right wing - what in the world could have caused that? Two owls watched the drama play out from the tree overhead - presumably they'd been bringing it food, as it obviously could not hunt but had been eating (it expelled a pellet in the carrier on the way home). It was alert and active, albeit slightly thin. After speaking with Jo, she said it sounded like electrocution; however, after she actually saw the bird, she didn't think so - we cannot imagine what happened to this young bird.

Anyway, Jo is optimistic about its health, and as long as I can find someone willing to take it she'll transfer it. So - off to work I go! If anyone knows of anyone licensed and interested in a GHOW, let me know! :)