Probably the shortest time a hawk has been at IBR was today when SPARKY arrived around 10:30 this morning from Gillette. Gwyn McKee, a consultant biologist, drove this baby swainson's hawk over after discovering his parent dead from electrocution. Unfortunately the nest was on top of a power pole. Because this was the only chick in the nest it was decided, for his survival, he would be removed.
After making the over three hour trip, and settling SPARKY into a cage, Gwyn had an amazing thought. She knew of another swainson's nest also with one chick, not that far from this babies dangerous home. She made numerous calls to have someone check to see if that baby was still in his nest but it took a while to get an answer.
The results were that this baby swainson's made a trip back to near Gillette to be fostered into the second nest. I'm awaiting news as to how that went. It's in a Russian olive tree, not the most hospitable location, so I suggested whoever does the placement take along some wire cutters to clip the big thorns to make it safer for the chicks when they decide to branch.
Don't you just love it when it works!
Yup, I also just love it when it works!
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