Wishing You Peace and Joy in the Coming Year
2018 has been full of challenges, accomplishments and a record number of birds. We are very grateful for your investment in BMW. With your help, we cared for more than 1450 native birds and inspired more than 5,000 students by helping them make a personal connection with live birds of prey. Whether it’s a classroom visit from BMW’s avian ambassadors, or the release of a tiny owl, the birds make a lasting impression.
As we begin a new year, we invite you to invest in the future of Blue Mountain Wildlife with a year-end contribution.
Thank You Avangrid Renewables
Blue Mountain Wildlife has received a $10,000 grant from Avangrid Foundation, in partnership with subsidiary Avangrid Renewables. Grant funds will support BMW’s internship and education programs, and lead testing of raptors. We are very grateful for Avangrid’s ongoing support.
Red-tailed Hawk 18-763
We ended 2018 on a relatively quiet note with just six admissions this past week: 1 Western Screech Owl, 1 Long-eared Owl, 1 Golden Eagle and 3 Red-tailed Hawks.
I’m hoping Red-tailed Hawk 18-763 will be the last gunshot case of the year. The hawk had a small amount of blood on his right wing, and my first thought was that he had been electrocuted. A physical exam revealed a fractured right humerus, and what felt like an old fracture of the right scapula. Radiographs told a different story, the hawk had been shot. We were palpating a lead projectile, not a fracture.
In order to better evaluate the scapula, we took a second radiograph, a lateral oblique. Intern Lahari watched closely as the hawk was positioned on his right side with the right wing pulled backwards and the left wing pulled forward, rotating his body and exposing the right scapula. Fortunately, the scapula does not appear to be damaged. (In case you are wondering why no one is wearing a lead apron, it's because we all step out of the room when the x-ray is taken. The bird is anesthetized and held in position with masking tape.)
The humerus fracture is too close to the shoulder joint to be repaired surgically. The humerus was immobilized with a wing/body wrap. The prognosis for having a fully functional shoulder is probably guarded, but we won’t know unless we try.
Golden Eagle 18-765
A call came in late Friday afternoon about a Golden Eagle who had been hit by a car in Baker County. Volunteer Tara picked up the eagle from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Saturday morning, after temperatures warmed and road conditions improved, Tara met Winnie in La Grande. Winnie brought the eagle on to Pendleton.
He doesn’t appear to have any broken bones, but he does have a serious head injury. He also has a blood lead level of 19.4 micrograms/deciliter, a toxic amount of lead. In addition to receiving supportive care for the head injury, we have begun chelation to remove the lead. His condition is slowly improving.
