One foot in front of the other...

We've had some good progress with the Red-shouldered hawk that Steve rescued from the golf course a week ago Monday. I got the go ahead from my doctor and started physical therapy Friday. (Insert Advert here - I use a lot of an antiseptic glue product called Skin Shield. I've been using it frequently since PT started since he likes to bite the MUD out of me...) I can't exercise his legs with gloves on, so I just have to suck it up.

He stood for the first time yesterday afternoon and then again today! And just now, he actually pulled his own food for the first time! Now I know his legs work, although the left one isn't as good as the right, but we're going in the right direction.


I'm a little worried about the kestrel. She can flutter around, but I can tell her left wing hangs down lower than normal. Anybody need a Linda Blair stand-in? Honest to spit, this is one of the meanest little birds I have handled in a while...


A few weeks ago, I picked up yet ANOTHER hand raised crow. He stayed with me for a week while trying to coordinate the transportation out to Rockdale County to someone who specializes in Corvids. While I enjoyed the visit, I spent about 10 bucks on various unsundry foodstuffs and it's like keeping up with a two year old when you let him out.

Here he is stealing the hawk food. Since they are omnivores, mice were included in his diet...


I am grateful my room mate has a sense of humor. It's mandatory around these parts.


Here is little Edgar waiting patiently as I prepare his supper...


Apparently, I'm not fast enough...


Yap...yap...yap...DEFINITELY female!


Here is a pic of one of the Barred owls that I'm hacking out...


Well...that's enough for now. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and don't forget to pass the link along to anyone who might enjoy our escapades! And who knows...they might also have an SUV that needs a loving home....m.

Still runnin'...

Hey ya’ll,

Sonny, the beautiful Red-tailed hawk that was scooped off the grounds of the governor’s mansion will not be releasable. Her coracoid and clavicle are completely displaced and so she can’t gain height going straight up. The radiograph looks like mashed potatoes where the shoulder bones should be, but cosmetically, she’s perfect except for the part of her cere that is missing from the attack. Her sinus might be compromised on that side too, since she sort of honks like a goose. She sure is pretty, though!

Sonny


As many of your know, Scully, my elderly Screech owl moults his entire head during the month of August. God bless ‘em, he looks like the moths has gotten hold of him, but it’s only for a couple of weeks, then he’s back to his beautiful self!

Now, don’t you laugh! Of course, it didn’t help that he has just taken a shower when I snapped this…

Scully


And what my baby normally looks like – THAT’s more like it!


My former hubby called Monday for some help with a Red-shoulderd hawk that he rescued at a golf course that he frequents. (See, the poor guy can’t get away from me!) And Steve’s horribly allergic to poison ivy and oak, so he’s probably sitting in the doctor’s office right now waiting for a shot of pred! The radiograph was negative, but the bird has a huge bruise on his back near the base of his tail and he cannot stand or use his legs. He can twitch his tail, so I know he isn’t paralyzed. When birds are in this down condition, you have to cut up their food in tiny pieces and hand feed them. You have to prop them up too, because they have to be able to push their head down to swallow the food. It’s messy and frustrating for the bird and time consuming for me, but there you have it… Also, I had to de-maggot him three times, which is gross beyond words. My wonderful doc at Loving Hands AH in Alpharetta dosed him with Ivermectin which will kill any parasites he might have AND kill the baby maggots that are on the inside. The ones on the outside are another matter that I have to take care of. Hopefully, they are all hatched out and over with because I hate those little buggers with every fiber of my being.

This pic is of his right nictitating membrane covering his eye as I approach with the forceps. This is a protective measure on his part because he’s thinking, “This fool’s gonna poke my eye out!”


All settled into his little donut after the feeding.


I met a couple of really cool ladies the other day who brought me a Kestrel that had apparently flown into the side of a building at Berry College and knocked herself senseless. This is a female, ’09 hatch American Kestrel. They are one of the few raptors that are sexually dimorphic, in that there is a color difference between the sexes. You will hardly ever see this little guys, so she was one lucky little bird to have hit the ground where she did. They are so cute, but have the hateful Linda Blair, head spinning, pea soup puking personality. Making friends with these ungrateful creatures is impossible! I pray she gets well soon!

She looks all sweet here because she’s still addled from the impact…


THIS is more her style… “Come any closer and I’ll tear your head off!”


I have more cases and cool pics to share with you, but this one has gone on long enough. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog….m.



Monteen McCord
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Holly Springs, GA 30142
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Running down the hall with my hair on fire...

Georgia has stayed for quite a while, longer than I wanted, really. I think she either ran off or killed the little Cooper's hawk I was hacking out. Ugh... I never thought my hacking operation would work so well that they would actually come back! I haven't seen her in several days and hopefully, she has ventured away. I even tried trapping her with Han's modified bow net, but she was much too clever and I came closer to catching my cat Elliott than crafty Georgia. Once again however, she has proven to be a beautiful model and afforded me more photo opportunities...


I have released three Screech owls since my last blog and they are doing well and coming down to the hackboard at night. One is even roosting in the barn by day.

Here they are upon arrival


And as they grew...

And grew...

Here is their first night out in the big, bad world...


Speaking of which, I have to scoot and call them in for supper!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and please remember if anyone out there has a reliable old SUV (with a good a/c) hanging around with no one to love it, I have room in my heart (and driveway) for it! ....m.