And again, and again. Tuesday it was to the top of the mountain in the Big Horn National Forest to meet Bruce Scigliano, WGF warden and the long-eared owl in a previous post. Then to Tensleep to meet Charlene and her husband from north of Gillette with an adult female kestrel. Today it was back to Thermopolis to meet Dave with a baby redtail found on the ground at a uranium mine on a sheep ranch near Douglas.
The long-ear is doing fine. Not so with the last two. The kestrel's right wing radius and ulna were shattered, five breaks and not repairable so she was humanely euthanized. Today also bad news. Something got ahold of the baby redtail and destroyed both wings near his elbows. The muscles were shredded, bones were showing, there was not enough skin to cover them and there were large holes between the leading edge tendon and the elbow joint. He was also euthanized. I have not a clue as to the animal/bird who could have done this. He was found near a hog fence, perhaps he got caught in it and destroyed his wings fighting to get free. We'll never know.
I am so sad when these things happen altho I know that life is hard for young and old birds alike.
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