Severely wounded

My newest patient was found by Chris and Ati during a bike ride on Heart Mountain yesterday. HEMINGWAY, and adult redtail, was found laying in a ditch unable to fly. When I met them at the corner of 294 and the Powell hiway I didn't believe he would live. He has suffered a severe blow to the right side of his head which unfortunately has caused damage to that eye. His left eye appears okay. There is also a small spot of skull showing on the top of his head.

He is now resting in a cage in my kitchen with a heating pad nearby. Altho he was standing at six o'clock this morning he isn't now. At this point I'm taking it one hour at a time. He's in good weight and I believe him to be well into his teens. His prognosis is very guarded but I have hopes he will survive.

This is the time of year when raptors are either sitting on eggs or in the process of spiffing up the nest in preparation of doing so. If HEMINGWAY has a mate we will have lost the babies but if, by some miracle he makes it back to the wild, they will probably find each other.

UPDATE: My old man has made some major improvement in the last 24 hours. He's standing most of the time, the eye ointment is helping him keep his right eye open and tonight he swallowed most of his mouse pieces when I put them in his mouth. He's still on pain meds and antibiotics but I believe he's strong enough to move to my cage room where he'll have a larger living space.