Winter Birds Hawk Release
Red-tailed Hawk 20-007 circled the slough in front of an appreciative crowd at McNary Wildlife Refuge complex before landing on a power pole across the water to gain his bearings. Thank you to Cherie Baudrand for sharing her photo of the hawk release.
The hawk had been found a month earlier near Grandview, WA along I-82. He was presumed to have been struck by a vehicle, although we could find no obvious injuries. We did find a blood lead level of 9.8 micrograms/deciliter using our LeadCare II machine. That is considered subclinical lead poisoning, but since there is no safe level of lead, the hawk was chelated, reducing his lead to 5.0 mcg/dl before release.
BMW’s raptor program is always popular at Winter Birds. There was standing room only at both presentations. Thank you to all who attended and to all who purchased BMW’s newest t-shirt featuring artwork by Walla Walla artist Todd Telander.
The Week in Review
Business continues to be fairly slow. Michele reports that spring is in the air at BMW’s Tri-Cities Center. Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks and Barn Owls are all courting! There were just four admissions at the Pendleton Center: one Great Horned Owl, one Prairie Falcon, one House Finch and one Northern Goshawk.
Northern Goshawk 20-024 was a very sad case. The goshawk was brought to the refuge Saturday morning before we arrived for Winter Birds. After returning to Pendleton, an exam revealed the hawk had been shot. Four pellets can be seen in the radiograph, one in the head, one in the lower abdomen, and one in each wing. The damage to the wings was too extensive to repair, and the hawk was euthanized.
