More road time

Started out yesterday morning with friend Nathan Horton, at 9:00 driving to Riverton to see Jonathan Wood and his raptor show at the Fremont County Fair. I was also going to pick up a baby Northern Harrier from WGF Biologist Willow Steen who was stopping on her way to Dubois.
While I was waiting for her to arrive, the Riverton WGF Warden, Jessica Beecham, called me thinking she would have to drive to Thermop to hand off a baby Kestrel she'd picked up unable to fly. Surprise, I was right there in town so she brought him to me.

Then, because there is a new guy in Lander who is working to become a bird rehabilitator, and needed me to write a letter to our state office on his facility, I made a drive to Lander to check it out and back just in time to meet Willow.

Didn't get to see Jonathan's show after all. To make it more interesting, I got a call before I was back to Cody from Mark McCarty of the Two Dot Ranch, about 20 miles north of Cody. He had what he thought was a juvenile bald eagle unable to fly.

After getting the two babies settled I was off again and found another baby Golden Eagle, the same age as the four I already have. Only this one is in much worse shape. He either has a broken pelvis or back. He and the kestrel will go in tomorrow for xrays.

These photos show baby kestrel, FAIR, baby eagle, 2 DOT, and baby harrier, WILLOW. I'm about to run out of room at the inn.

UPDATE: Baby 2Dot has a fractured spine, he was humanely euthanized.

Gotcha!

Life can be harsh in the wild. I came across this scenario as I was doing chores this morning. It was -8 outside but very sunny. As you can clearly see the imprint of a large bird wing, you can also see the trail of a rabbit where they converge. The rabbit track is the thick line coming in from the top and ending at the wing print. Unfortunately I'd walked near before noticing it so don't know if the rabbit got away.

I've seen a very large Rough-legged Hawk in the area for a few weeks and there is also a Red-tailed Hawk pair who are local residents. Roughies don't usually go after such large prey but redtails most definitely have them on the menu.

MTV !

My Temporary Visitors, that is. These four birds arrived here last night for various lengths of time. The top photo, a Short-eared Owl, and the second, a Red-tailed hawk, are going to live in Moorpark, CA on the 13th. The Bald Eagle will be heading for the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum in West Marlboro, VT and the Golden Eagle is here for further rehabilitation.

The Golden Eagle may be releasable but she needs some further flight time. All four birds came from my friend, Diane, in Gillette. She's now retired so has had to stop accepting rehab birds. As these have to be flown to their new homes, it's easier to bring them to Cody than take them to Casper or farther.

On the first full day of being here the Golden Eagle flew the 80' length of the flight barn to the tower on one end. Then back to the highest wall perch, almost 20' above the ground. That is awesome so her prospects of being released are wonderful.