HawkTalk

Denise Release! Woot!

2012-02-03T12:42:00.000-05:00

A perfect send-off!

Imping a train on a Red-tailed hawk

2012-01-31T17:16:00.000-05:00

This bird belonged to a falconer whose house caught fire and in its panic, broke off all the tail feathers...

Denise and Roman update...

2012-01-27T13:44:00.002-05:00

New patient...

2012-01-23T21:19:00.001-05:00

Update on Denise the Red-tailed hawk!

2012-01-21T14:13:00.000-05:00

New unexpected baby chicken!

2012-01-15T11:53:00.002-05:00

Latest patient, Denise the Red-tailed hawk

2012-01-14T13:53:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll,

I'm hoping that I can pursuade our email subscribers to click on the BlogSpot link and come over to this site to read our updates so I don't have to transcribe both. It isn't hard, just time consuming. Also, for those of you who are on our email list and decided to click on this link, it's a lot easier for you to view the videos using this format.

"Roman" is doing really well! Although Dr. Martinez hardly ever sees wounded crops and was looking forward to a the repair, we were delighted with the bird's progress throughout the week leading up to the surgery date. Kept on anti-biotics and flushed twice daily with the super-duper salt solution, the gaping wound is nicely scabbed over and he is able to eat more at one time. (see video below). He may end up losing some crop space due to scar tissue/adhesions, but he's a heap site better than he was before! NOW, let us hope the feathers come back in correctly and not corkscrew.

"Denise" is our newest patient who presented yesterday, Friday the 13th. A nice lady called to tell me of a hawk that had been struck by a vehicle very close to where I live, which was why I was able to go do the rescue myself. Her entire left side has been compromised but our immediate concern was an open fracture of the lower part of her keel with subsequent blood loss. We tried gluing it, but the hole was too big, so we popped under anesthesia for a few minutess, just long enough to throw some sutures in and get her back up. With the blood loss she suffered, we didn't want her blood pressure to drop any more by keeping her under for a radiograph. We'll follow up with that on Tuesday. Thank God for my doctor! http://www.semobilevet.com/

Her eyes are so dark, I didn't even notice until this morning that she has uveitis in her left eye, which isn't good. Started her on pred drops after staining it to make sure there wasn't a defect on the cornea, so hopefully that will help with the inflammation. If there's no improvement, we'll make an appointment with the ophthalmologist this week to get her seen about. (I hope they don't make us read the eye chart). You can tell the left eye is a little smaller than the right one. Hopefully, it won't deflate or we'll have major problems.

She's a large, robust bird and has a lot of fight in her, so hopefully, she will recover from her wounds and be released back on Densmore, a scant few minutes from my home. I will caution her to stay away from dead food unless she promises to look both ways before crossing the road!

"My Morning with Hawks" video clip is a reminder of why we need "Mouse Money'. If you can spare a little, please consider helping HawkTalk with a charitable contribution. You can go over to our web site and follow the PayPal instructions, or you can drop a check in the mail to:

HawkTalk
P.O. Box 130
Holly Springs, GA
30142

Oh, we still have some calendars available for a donation of $20.00.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog....m.

My morning with the hawks

2012-01-14T12:38:00.002-05:00

THIS is why we need Mouse Money!

New patient for HawkTalk...

2012-01-14T08:26:00.000-05:00

This is why, if possible, I will stop and pull an animal off the road that has been killed by a car...

Update on "Roman", the Red-tailed hawk

2012-01-11T15:04:00.002-05:00

Checking in

2012-01-11T12:52:00.001-05:00

Hey y’all,

Just checking in on this dreary Sunday, but at least it’s 50 degrees and RAINING. Given that it’s only the 8th of January, it could be worse. A LOT worse.

All the owls were successfully released…Stacey, Wally, GW. We had to imp in some tail feathers on GW before the send-off, but that went off without a hitch.

If you watch the above short clip of the imping process, you might see a terse reply to a nasty comment left by just another fool on the hill. I don’t suffer them gladly, no I don’t.

One of my new cases is a mystery…a first year Red-tailed hawk with missing primaries. However, after I received the bird and examined it, his feather issues are the least of his worries because he has a GAPING hole on the right wide of his crop. Too week for surgery, I have been offering him very small, very frequent pieces of skinned mouse over the last week to get him built up enough so he can survive anesthesia for the surgical repair of the crop. I don’t know if he was impaled by something or if he ate something and the bone shard got stuck and migrated out causing the wound. I have him on killer antibiotics and hopefully, we can get him through this rough patch.

He wasn’t doing so well in the first clip…

But what a difference a day (and some mice) makes!

He’s on the schedule for another try at surgery Tuesday…

Look who’s come to dinner?

Feeding some grapes to my very happy chickens…

Morning chicken ritual…

I hope you are saying safe and dry today. Thank you for all the nice holiday well wishes and Mouse Money. I know it’s scary for just about everyone, but with school programs having all but dried up, HawkTalk, like Blanche Dubois, have come to rely on the kindness of strangers….m.

www.hawktalk.org

Loves me some chicky-poodles

2012-01-05T16:59:00.001-05:00

What a difference a day makes!

2012-01-05T11:25:00.002-05:00

MUCH better...steady as she goes.

Update on "Roman" the Red-tailed hawk

2012-01-04T10:48:00.001-05:00

Guess who's come to breakfast?

2012-01-03T13:27:00.001-05:00

Hank's here...

Barred Owl GW!

2012-01-02T20:06:00.000-05:00

Visit http://www.hawktalk.org and never miss an espisode!

This is a video clip of imping tail feathers back on so he can be released!

Red-tailed hawk video clip

2011-12-30T18:47:00.002-05:00

Oh, holy crop...the mouse is peeking through ye.

2011-12-30T18:36:00.001-05:00

Ugh...this is bad. Beautiful male, first year Red-tailed hawk that had his crop impaled. Old and infected, I irrigated the wound with Nolvasan and didn't realize the extent of the damage until after I fed him and saw mouse parts protruding from the wound. Started him on killer antibiotics to try to stave off the systemic infection he has going on.

His biggest problem? It's only Friday evening and thanks to the stinking holidays, can't get him seen about until Tuesday. How I am going to keep him alive for 4 days, I just don't know.

The calendars were such a hit, we now have more to offer! It's a lot easier for folks to give us some Mouse Money if they get something in return and you'll have something cool and functional for the whole year! You can go over to www.paypal.com and click on 'send money', key in monteen@hawktalk.org and it will walk you through the 20.00 donation process. Be sure to request a calendar and leave a mailing address.

You may also snail mail us the 20.00 to:

HawkTalk
P.O. Box 130
Holly Springs, GA
30142

Thanks so much for your help! ....m.

Hank, Wally and crew...

2011-12-28T01:53:00.001-05:00

Hey y’all,

Thanks for your calendar orders…they went out Thursday early afternoon. I have a few left so if anyone would like to get one, you can scoot over to www.paypal.com and insert our email address Monteen@hawktalk.org, slip us a twenty spot, leave your mailing address (and request a calendar) and I’ll get it out that day or the very next morning, depending on when I receive the notification.

Hank the Heron has been visiting. I’ve never had such a cool opportunity to get this close to photograph one. What a treat it’s been… The chickens become hysterical when he flies over, but that’s the signal that he’s at the pond so I take off with the camera. Since my action shots are sucky, I’m just trying to get some normal stills…

Yesterday morning, I heard the chickens screaming and then a loud thud on the roof; I figured that either Hank was here or Santa was late…it was the former.

I guess this was a belch

He was hanging out on top of the swing for this one…while the chickens were cowering under the privet.

My kids are in good shape and the rehab birds are doing well. Actually, the Barred owl with the fractured carpal joint (wrist) is faring better than I expected. The wing droops somewhat, but he might be alright in the end. We worry about too much calcification that comes along with the healing process and loss of rotation that is critical to their getting around properly. In another week or so, I’ll start putting him on the ground to see if he can pump up to the perch. That will be the main test, then I can make a better determination as to whether he can be released. He’s wild as a snake, so he’s not glove trainable and I don’t know how hard it would be to place him. With this blasted economy, centers have been cutting back their display birds over the last three years to help with their budget. I need a lot of land and a big fat budget so I can have a lot of static displays.

Those light blue things you see on the top part of his eyes are the Nictitating membranes…sort of like windshield wipers that voluntarily cover the eyes completely. They also contain the tear glands and double as protective barriers against punctures and abrasions. An ounce of prevention and all the rest of it….

Wally is coming along better than expected, too…he was the one that broke his leg AND his wing, the poor dear, when he got whacked by the chicken truck. Yesterday was the first time I actually saw him use his leg (I’ve had him 6 weeks). I wasn’t shoveling the food to him fast enough and so he hit the cage door with both feet. Normally, I wouldn’t like for them to do that, but in his case, I grinned! Our concern was that his toes wouldn’t work properly; they need to open and close and that they did, right around the wire grate of the door. He bows when I approach, so the wing is working, too! Thanks to Dr. Martinez for a job well done! You can see in the leg radiograph, that there is very little calcification after 4 weeks, but he’s coming along. It will still be a while before I put him outside, but he’s been an exemplary patient, which can mean life or death for them. If they’re nuts and break off their primaries and tail feathers then you have nothing left to work with…that was also another concern of ours; both breaks were straight across and can rotate during the healing process if the bird can’t remain calm. Yay for Wally!

OK…that’s it for things on my end of the swamp. I’ve got to make some note cards and drive them over to Rome (Georgia, not Italy) to try to off…the things I do for Mouse Money! ….m.

Oh…PS: Ho Ho Ho…

Wally the barred owl update

2011-12-20T13:47:00.001-05:00

He's doing GREAT!!!

Owls find a quantum of solace...

2011-12-15T02:03:00.000-05:00

http://hollysprings.patch.com/articles/owls-find-solace-in-hickory-flat#video-7922757

2012 HawkTalk calendar!

2011-12-12T17:45:00.004-05:00

Hey ya’ll,

Here’s a teaser…we have a calendar available for 20$ incl. shipping! You can paypal us the Mouse Money or snail mail a personal check! Just be sure to include your mailing address ….m.

www.hawktalk.org and follow the 'donate' instructions...

OR:

HawkTalk
P.O. Box 130
Holly Springs, Ga 30142

PS: Photography courtesy of yours truly! Woot!

Red-shouldered hawk...

2011-12-09T19:10:00.001-05:00

Owlie update(s)

2011-12-09T12:37:00.001-05:00

Wally update...

2011-12-04T20:44:00.001-05:00

Dinner with the Great Blue Heron...

2011-12-04T18:03:00.001-05:00

Barred owl - Wally and GW update!

2011-11-30T17:21:00.001-05:00

Millions of Bird Deaths in Nevada

2011-11-27T08:39:00.000-05:00

Millions of Bird Deaths in Nevada

Update on Wally

2011-11-25T14:06:00.001-05:00

...the HBCT (Hit By Chicken Truck) ....m.

Update on Wally and GW

2011-11-18T14:48:00.001-05:00

Happy cats...part 2

2011-11-16T17:39:00.001-05:00

A happy cat...

2011-11-16T14:49:00.002-05:00

Heron stalking pond Pt2

2011-11-14T19:43:00.001-05:00

Heron working the pond - part 1 of 2

2011-11-14T17:28:00.001-05:00

FOX 5 clip

2011-11-12T07:52:00.000-05:00

Hawk terrorizes local Atlanta neighborhood...

2011-11-11T18:50:00.000-05:00

I can't believe the guys from Fox 5 drove all the way out here for a 30 second sound bite for a story that's airing at 10pm... :) Stay tuned!

Video clip of GW stills

2011-11-10T19:11:00.001-05:00

Meet "GW", the very unlucky Barred owl...

2011-11-10T16:08:00.001-05:00

Quick update...

2011-11-08T18:20:00.000-05:00

Hey y’all,

I’m pretty good at a few things, unfortunately, marketing isn’t one of them and I keep forgetting to mention this site for those of you who do online shopping. http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx You key in our charity’s name, HawkTalk, do your shopping at all these cool sites (that people have actually heard of) and the stores send us some Mouse Money and you get a good bargain while helping out in the process. See? Everyone wins. Cool, no?

Wally the Barred owl that got whacked by a chicken truck is remaining calm and being as polite as he can possibly be. His demeanor is stable and he doesn’t seem depressed, which is more than I can say for a lot of folks I know…

And Stacy is waiting for an appointment with the animal ophthalmologist to see how the retina in faring. He’s keeping an eye out for us in the meantime…

The newest patient is Dieter the Screech owl, and has already been in hospital for treatment for a concussion.
You can tell he still has a headache… Thanks to Vicki and Daniel for bringing him to me!

I hope you have been enjoying this wonderful weather, but I’m covered up with leaves. This time of year, I fantasize about living in the desert without a tree for a hundred miles. But then I get over it….m.

www.hawktalk.org
http://monteenmccord.blogspot.com

Wally update...

2011-11-06T19:56:00.001-05:00

Ghostly visitors...

2011-11-06T17:55:00.002-05:00

Wally update...the day after.

2011-11-04T19:31:00.001-04:00

The right way...and the wrong way.

2011-11-04T11:58:00.003-04:00

Good morning y’all,

This link came up on my YouTube page this morning from CLAWS, Inc. I apologise ahead of time, but blogspot doesn't allow for hyperlinks, so if you wish to view the clip, you will have to copy and paste. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOP8wxCikDc&feature=related

I don’t know where they are located, but it’s a 4 minute clip of 3 Barred Owl orphans and their subsequent release. The big difference between HawkTalk and CLAWS (along with 99% of the other rehabbers) is the operant conditioning and subsequent HACKING of young.

The Barred owl babes from this season

When released, they aren’t thrown out to live or die…they leave chambers at their leisure and settle into the trees around the property

The term ‘hacking’ means to condition the babes to come to a certain spot for food while still in chambers (using a portable hack board), then moving the hack board outside the door to the chambers when the time comes to release them. They are wed to this hack board because they have been taught that it’s their food source. Rather than being taken to a strange place to be tossed out, the idea is that they will remain close by, developing their life skills while being fed on the hack board. This is a ‘slow release’, as opposed to what the CLAWS clip shows as a ‘hard release’. A slow release takes months of dedication and consistency because the babes are having to learn everything on their own while you make sure they don’t starve to death in the process.

The hack board – the life line to their survival

They venture farther and farther out and will continue to wean themselves from your help but every now and then, one will return to say ‘hello…remember me?”

I don’t know if there is any scientific data available, but it just makes sense to me that the orphans that are properly hacked have a much better chance of long term survival than ones that are grown to a certain age, then just tossed out to live or die. When you take into account that about 80% of the whole healthy babes that are parent raised starve to death before their first winter is up, can you just imagine the staggering mortality rate for birds that are raised to a certain age, then, as in this case – taken to the middle of a football field so they have to fly HOW FAR (?) to find cover, THEN hope there is enough prey to sustain three young, hungry tots that have zero life skills?

Please don’t email them and give them grief; I just wanted to illustrate that there is a right way and a wrong way to raise orphaned raptors to achieve maximum success and why anyone would wish to waste such time and resources to a less than successful end…I just don’t understand.

If I made the rules (and believe you me, we have plenty of them at the state and federal level) I would REQUIRE young to be hacked out and if you don’t have the proper habitat/skills, then you would be required to pass that baby along to someone who possessed those skills.

The clip below is of little Wally, who, by the feel of his keel and his disposition, is an adult Barred owl who was gliding along minding his own beeswax when he slammed into the side of a chicken truck Wednesday night. He broke his right leg and his right wing and underwent a huge surgery yesterday. A big HawkTalk hug and thanks goes out to Dr. David Martinez and the staff of Loving Hands Animal Hospital for patching him back together. This is the link to a video of a collection of stills that I took yesterday… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0CmQz0pZu8

He’s up today, with his bad leg propped up on a towel roll, leaning against the side of the crate. It’s going to be a long haul for this poor guy; I just hope his good leg can hold up for the three weeks it will take before we can pull the pin on the bad one because I cannot force him to lie down. *sigh*

As always, thanks for taking the journey with me and remember that if at any time, you wish to get off the train, just tell me and I will remove you from the mailing list….m.

PS: I know life sucks for everyone right now, but if you have a little Mouse Money to spare, it sure could go to good use. 

www.hawktalk.org (for the donation link and lots of cool video clips on the right side bar)

Sugery for little Wally...to the tune of SEVENTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS.

2011-11-03T18:54:00.001-04:00

Little Wally at hospital

2011-11-03T17:13:00.001-04:00

Update on Wally, the Barred owl...

2011-11-03T09:35:00.002-04:00

The sucky part of my job. :(

2011-11-02T21:54:00.001-04:00

Stacey overnight update...

2011-10-28T02:41:00.001-04:00

Stacey update!

2011-10-27T17:07:00.001-04:00

Stacey the Barred owl update and the morning chicken ritual

2011-10-26T09:53:00.001-04:00

Stacey the barred owl update102511

2011-10-25T12:14:00.001-04:00

Another textbook release!

2011-10-23T16:37:00.001-04:00

Stacey the Barred Owl

2011-10-21T15:35:00.002-04:00

Red-tailed hawk with torticolis...

2011-10-11T21:01:00.001-04:00

Whoo Cooks For Youuuuuuuuuu?

2011-10-10T21:04:00.001-04:00

A tender moment captured before I released her...

2011-10-03T09:47:00.000-04:00

Wow. Robert captured this frame as part of the video clip of the release of Francis last Thursday. It has had a very emotional effect on me for some reason...this one frame explains it all.

Francis -Her Last Supper...

2011-09-28T20:35:00.002-04:00

Francis and the Mouse Buffet!

2011-09-26T18:21:00.001-04:00

Ratz-a-roni!

2011-09-24T05:01:00.001-04:00

Lumpy in for a hump day visit!

2011-09-21T15:30:00.001-04:00

Well...lookey who came in for a visit! I think it's Lumpy!

2011-09-18T12:59:00.000-04:00

I'm a happy bird mom!

Awesome Francis update!

2011-09-15T21:56:00.001-04:00

Francis' foot...

2011-09-13T05:18:00.000-04:00

Went from this...

To THIS! WOOT!

Thanks, Liz, for turning me onto the super duper salt/mineral solution that helped so much and to Dr. David's undying willingness to help me help them!

I was in a car wreck almost two weeks ago and would have fared a little better had I not braced myself against the steering wheel when I saw a big F150 fill up my rear view mirror. Just damn. The poor Land Cruiser was hit hard enough to push the fan into the radiator, not to mention jarring the hell out of yours truly. The LC will probably be totaled and then I get to play footsies with their insurance company and I'd rather take a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Unfortunately, the seat belt caught me across the medial aspect of my right breast and I fear my 21 year old breast implant might well be damaged/ruptured. I'm supposed to get the estimate on having an endoscope done to check it's status. Sammy was in the car but is OK.

Speaking of Sammy, he went off his food a couple weeks ago and really scared the daylights out of me. The first test results showed that he was anemic, so I have been giving him his little dose of Geritowl dutifully every day and his report card was much improved on his next test. He is eating on his own, and seemingly back to normal...hooting and chortling and flapping his wings when I come into his chamber.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to have been given more time with him. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers....

Daylight update...

2011-09-09T20:45:00.002-04:00

Francis update!

2011-09-08T21:25:00.001-04:00

Francis...looking good!

2011-08-29T18:27:00.001-04:00

Letter from BoA

2011-08-27T16:02:00.002-04:00

Hey y’all,

Thank you for sending in your comments. Below is a note from the Legacy Asset Servicing Department, whatever the heck THAT means…

_______________________________________________________________

Ms. McCord, good afternoon. I hope that you are able to endure the hurricane safely.

When you have a minute would you call me at one of the numbers below? It’s regarding the proposals that a few of your avid supporters have sent to us, which we are presently analyzing.

In the meantime, could you tell them that we are in communication with you and that there is no need to send more emails.

Thank you, and again, our best wishes are with you during this difficult time.

Michael J Gross
Senior Vice President
Bank of America
National Mortgage Outreach
Legacy Asset Servicing
805-917-0387 O
818-584-5181 C
michael.gross@bankofamerica.com

_______________________________________________________

In other words, he’s saying, “STOP IT ALREADY!” *giggle*

I’m not sure if this is even a good sign or not, but I’ll call him Monday and see what’s what. In the mean time, people have also been sending me information on how the banking system works and I am diligently studying to see what my options are if they decide not to play nice in the sand box.

Thanks very much to all of you who responded.

I’m still flushing infection out of Francis’ foot every day, so Monday I’m going to request a culture and sensitivity, which will put me back a couple hundred bucks, but we need to find out what we’re dealing with so the appropriate medicine can be administered. If we can concentrate an antibiotic directly into the wound as a flush, rather than using it systemically, then I won’t worry about compromising her kidneys. In the mean time, she’s still very tolerant and knows that I am only trying to help her get well….m.

www.hawktalk.org - New and improved! Thanks Rick!
http://monteenmccord.blogspot.com new video’s below posted yesterday
www.facebook.com/hawktalk - New and improved! Thanks, Gary!

What happens if I don’t get the food shoveled to Francis fast enough…

Red-tail Pt 5

2011-08-26T19:12:00.001-04:00

Red-tail Pt 4

2011-08-26T19:08:00.001-04:00

Red-tail Pt 3

2011-08-26T19:03:00.001-04:00

Red tail Pt 2

2011-08-26T16:10:00.001-04:00

Red-tailed hawk in trouble. #1

2011-08-26T15:46:00.000-04:00

Barred owl update C

2011-08-25T19:04:00.002-04:00

Barred owl update B

2011-08-25T19:01:00.001-04:00

Barred owl update A

2011-08-25T18:55:00.001-04:00

Francis update

2011-08-24T21:17:00.001-04:00

2011-08-24T10:50:00.001-04:00

Good morning boys and girls…

Still waiting on judgment from the 2nd quarter Profit and Loss statement I sent to Carlos. I guess no news is good news, unless I see a bulldozer coming down the driveway.

In the mean time, please consider emailing the President on our behalf. And would you mind please sending us a copy so I can print it off for my records? monteen@hawktalk.org MANY thanks.

The bottom line is this, anyone who has been to my house knows it’s no trip to Hollywood and it’s no wonder that it didn’t sell for the 4 years it was on the market. It wouldn’t do any good to raze the house and rebuild because it was turned into a flood plain 20 years ago by accident and it’s my understanding that a building permit would not be issued for a flood plain area. The story goes that the adjacent property owner graded their hill just before a huge rain storm hit which created a mudslide that took out my driveway and side yard. Apparently it was a big, expensive mess for them to pay for…

Not only that, but the adjacent property owners (they built a church) set up the drainage system so that all their rain water is diverted onto my property to provide a water source for my landscaped pond that the previous owner installed about the same time. Of course, I was not made privy to this bit of intel until after I bought the house. Not only that, but I learned that it is not legal to divert water from one property to another. Oops.

With this bank having so many properties that won’t sell, they are giving them away and/or bulldozing them. For our situation, Bank of America would make out much better financially if they donated the house to HawkTalk and took the full tax deduction.

Mr. Moynihan’s email address:

brian.t.moynihan@bankofamerica.com

Thanks for helping us.

Check out our Youtube channel for latest video updates! http://www.youtube.com/user/MonteenMcCord?feature=mhee

____________________________________________________________________________

Here is a sample of a letter sent to Mr. Moynihan. Please feel free to copy and paste it (or my statement above) if you don’t have time to think of anything to say… Just take your cursor and highlight what you want to copy, hit ‘Ctrl C’, then place the cursor onto a new letter and press ‘Ctrl V’. See? Easy as pie!

Dear Mr. Moynihan:

Monteen McCord is one of the last remaining rescue shelters for RAPTORS in all of Georgia. If you foreclose on Monteen, you will be making eternal enemies with a lot of people in Cherokee County, Georgia. Where is she and her "saved" raptors going? There is a "tent city" in Cherokee County; but Monteen could not afford to take her hawks and owls with her. What are you going to do with these defenseless birds of prey? Are you going to release them to the wild? It can't be done, so you can't!

Looks like you need to rescue Monteen and all her "friends"! It will not affect the bottom line at BOA, so why not help her by donating the house to Monteen's 501(c)3 organization. This would make a lot of people in Cherokee County a believer in the capitalistic system; one that bails out banks, but brings the wrath of HELL to its own lowly believers that a capitalistic system even exists in America.

Donate the house to HawkTalk, Monteen's not-for-profit organization and stop the agony that Monteen and all of us are suffering; save our defenseless hawks and owls!

___________________________________________________________________________

I hope you are enjoying the nice day we’re having. I had some squirrels donated (thanks, Bill!) so I’m off to Acworth to collect them! Woot! ….m.

www.hawktalk.org (new and improved web site!)

http://monteenmccord.blogspot.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/MonteenMcCord?feature=mhee

"But you said you loved me!"

The impeccable personal hygiene of the chicken...

2011-08-13T16:50:00.001-04:00

Yard critters...

2011-08-13T14:01:00.001-04:00

I give you...Artemis.

2011-08-13T13:06:00.001-04:00

Update on Francis, the Great Horned owl

2011-08-13T12:30:00.001-04:00

Ghostly visitation...

2011-08-13T11:45:00.001-04:00

Barred Owl and Chicky-Poodles

2011-08-10T13:36:00.002-04:00

Update on Francis the Great Horned owl...

2011-08-09T16:09:00.001-04:00

HawkTalkFrancisVetVisit.MPG

2011-08-05T17:36:00.000-04:00

Checking in...

2011-08-05T06:45:00.000-04:00

Hey y’all,

It’s been a few weeks since I last checked in and I wanted to give you the latest happenings at the crazy House of HawkTalk…

Our new and improved web site has gone on line! A big HawkTalk thanks goes out to Rick of Pensacola for constructing our new site! www.hawktalk.org Please give it a peek and tell me what you think, I sure would appreciate it. This is a VAST improvement from the pitiful GoDaddy one-pager. I have personal experience now with site building and I STINK at it!

Another big thanks goes out to Gary of Woodstock for improving my search engine results and for helping spiff up my Facebook Fan Page. Please check this one out when you get the chance and ‘like’ us! http://www.facebook.com/pages/HawkTalk-Inc/87224255702

Gary also created our YouTube channel! I am UP TOWN, now! Woot! http://www.youtube.com/user/MonteenMcCord?feature=mhee

Here’s our latest video update on Francis the Great horned owl who found herself on the wrong end of a leg hold trap. Leg’s still very swollen and I’ve resorted to witchdoctor cures because conventional medicine isn’t progressing her very well. I’m applying colloidal silver, Arnica mixed with DMSO after drizzling her leg with 16 ounces of super-dooper Epsom Salts every two hours during the day. Here is a link to our latest video update that I shot yesterday. http://www.youtube.com/user/MonteenMcCord?feature=mhee#p/u/6/7SrP6D6nRBY

This next clip isn’t the soundtrack inside my head **crickets chirping**, but it’s my yard at 3am. Not much to look at, but the audio is awesome! http://www.youtube.com/user/MonteenMcCord?feature=mhee#p/u/8/4rEdrJD7ofA

Here is the latest on our home issue…Carlos called a few weeks ago and in what appears as a last grasping-at-straws effort, he requested I produce a second quarter Profit and Loss Statement for HawkTalk. Now bear in mind that charity’s aren’t required to produce P&L Statements because, GUESS WHAT, there IS no profit, which is why we’re referred to as non-for-profit-businesses! But, this is the zombie banker mentality that I’m dealing with, sooo…I enlisted help in the form of a young lady who is in her first year of college that has fun with numbers and spread sheets. (which most certainly isn’t yours truly)… Thanks to Elexis and Amelia for helping me pull this together.

NOW, I sit and I wait for them to render judgment…AGAIN. I’m still clinging to the edge of the cliff with my Lee Press-On Nails…so far, that cheap glue from China is still holding!

However, in the mean time…back at the ranch; guess what I found last evening on line? That’s right…the email addresses for Carlos AND the President of Bank of America! Woot! You know how radio shows have money bom bs? Well we need an email bom b! (I put the space in between the ‘m’ and the ‘b’ so I don’t send off red flags and Homeland Security doesn’t SWAT team my house:)

I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind please writing these two people and perhaps copy and paste your favorite you tube video link, or if we are Facebook friends, perhaps you could right click and choose your favorite photo to embed and ask them to please help us remain on this property. Anyone who has visited knows that the place isn’t much to look at and they would end up bulldozing it because no one wanted it for the four years that it was on the market and actually worth something.

brian.t.moynihan@bankofamerica.com

carlos.marcelo.escobar@bankofamerica.com

As tempted as I am to say mean things and remind them of issues they don’t want to be reminded of, (TARP/lawsuits, etc), my letter to them will be diplomatic…I need their help, so I don’t want to make them mad at me. Please do the same?

This is a clip of Elexis’s desert tortoise that I immediately fell in love with! http://www.youtube.com/user/MonteenMcCord?feature=mhee#p/u/16/D1P822oa5VY

Judy and Missy came out a couple weeks ago and produced this very cool video for us… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMxhnKjUb7U&feature=share Love the audio!!!!

I am still in the process of hacking the Red shouldered hawks, the Broad wings AND the wonderful little Barred owls. Everyone is doing well and it makes my heart glad that they look so good. I saw three of the owls at the same time yesterday, which was nice…haven’t seen the four together for some time and I don’t know if one has dispersed, or if they are just coming in for additional food at different times. Doesn’t matter…they are progressing beautifully and I’m still taking advantage of photographing them while they still allow me to get close.

I start off far away and ease up on them so they don’t startle…

Just a little fuzz left on his head! They’re growing up so fast…

The frog’s head is a lonely place without an owl perched on top!

Francis the Great horned owl…has been so polite in my ministerings to her. She knows I’m only trying to help.

Miss Karen – the Saipan Jungle Fowl. The is definitely the alpha female in my yard…

Richard – the silly sideways dancing rooster…

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog. If you have a little mouse Money you can spare at this time, please go over to www.hawktalk.org and click on ‘donate’, or you can snail mail HawkTalk a check to P.O. Box 130, Holly Springs, GA 30142.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a buzz 770.720.1847. Have a great weekend!

HawkTalkFrancis8411.MPG

2011-08-04T20:41:00.000-04:00

HawkTalkGreatHornedOwlFrancisPT.MPG

2011-07-30T12:59:00.000-04:00

Hawk Talk Rehab - birds of prey rehab facility

2011-07-30T12:52:00.000-04:00

Tortilinni0711

2011-07-14T05:06:00.000-04:00

Barred owl bathing071211

2011-07-14T05:05:00.000-04:00

Barred owl babes Stretching071311

2011-07-13T23:06:00.000-04:00

More monkey business

2011-07-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

Barred owl babes 071211.MPG

2011-07-13T21:39:00.000-04:00

BObabes bathing071011.MPG

2011-07-11T08:49:00.000-04:00

Non-profit bird rescue needs your help

2011-07-10T19:57:00.000-04:00

Non-profit bird rescue needs your help: "Hawk-Talk owner Monteen McCord fears if donations don't start pouring in, she could lose her business."

Meet Francis...

2011-07-09T12:12:00.000-04:00

Still my heart is an open secret...

2011-07-07T10:17:00.000-04:00

Hey y’all,

Here is a link to the Marietta Daily Journal’s coverage of HawkTalk. Wouldn’t it be nice if the local affiliates/CNN or AP picked it up…anyone know how to make that happen?

http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/14607641/article-A-soar-subject--Rehabilitator-is-seeking-help-to-save-birds-of-prey-center--home?instance=home_news_special_coverage

Comment to the above article:

That high number of rehabbers stated at the end of the article is quite deceiving when you actually start calling them for help. Some aren’t active at all; some are full, most aren’t falconers or have a flight pen that is 16x20x100 which means that they aren’t qualified for ‘long term’ care. Which beings us down to about 6 or 7 facilities in the state…

Thanks for the calls into Bank of America. Maybe Carlos is tired of all the calls because now he is refusing to say anything to anyone citing ‘company policy that unless I fax an authorization for EACH person who calls, he cannot talk to them.’ However, that is only required if you wish to receive third party financial information. It’s all a bit of silliness, really…you know I’m broke. :)

So, let us then concentrate on Pryana out of the Boston office. She is accessible and engaging. Here is her number again 631-847-8223. Please help us figure out a way to work this thing out so the young raptors that I have worked so hard to rear properly and hack, won’t starve to death.

Enough already!

Enough families have been displaced. Enough children have been uprooted from the only home they’ve ever known. Enough beloved pets have been given over to Animal Control to be put to death. Enough pets have been outright ABANDONED and left to starve to death outside AND inside the homes that now sit empty.

Enough is enough.

Still, my heart is an open secret; someone tell me, have I been gifted or robbed?

Just captured this shot yesterday. It’s rare to have all four in the same frame!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog....m.

www.hawktalk.org
http://monteenmccord.blogspot.com

Monteen McCord
HawkTalk
P.O. Box 130
Holly Springs, GA 30142

Calling campaign...

2011-07-04T10:32:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the calls last week! But the more we have, the better. The squeaky wheel gets the grease! My attorney has suggested that I blog again and ask that you make a follow up call to one or the other or BOTH of the nice people listed below.

Carlos – 818-713-2841
Pryana – 631-847-8223

One of the Barred babes got down into the pond last evening. He was so funny wading around in the water. I wish I had my video recorder with me while he bathed because the stills didn't turn out so hot (what else do you expect from my action shots?)

Two Babes down at the pond...one bailed in, one's thinking about it.

What's grey and goes a thousand miles an hour? An owl in a blender? Nope...it's an owl taking a bath, late in the day with a flash that only syncs at 60...

This is what I do...raising babies is like a golf swing. There has to be follow-through, otherwise all your work's for nothing.

Please consider making a phone call to Bank of America on our behalf. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and if you would like to donate a little Mouse Money, you can go over to www.hawktalk.org and click on the 'donate' button.

Running down the hall with my hair on fire...

2011-07-01T11:31:00.001-04:00

Good morning…

Thanks to everyone who has called Bank of America on our behalf. I really appreciate your emotional support and it’s not too late to call today in case anyone else is in the mood to kick-start their holiday weekend. As of yesterday, haven’t heard back from the folks holding my life in their hands, so perhaps no news is good news. But then again…it’s a holiday weekend and maybe they’ve gotten off to an early start. I know if I had to work for a bank, I’d have a bottle of vodka stashed in my desk drawer. :)

Carlos – 818-713-2841
Pryana – 631-847-8223

I’ll camp out on Brian Moynihan’s door step if I have to and handcuff myself to his gate. He’ll either make a phone call and help us or pepper spray me and have me arrested.

Someone asked whether or not the DNR or USFWS could step in and help…I was quick to inform them that if every rehabber went up in a puff of smoke, the two departments would join hands and do the Snoopy Dance all over the 110 degree parking lot. While our job is to end up making them look good, (like they actually care about the individual critter) we are nothing but a pain the shoulder for them. That’s why they make it as difficult as possible to acquire any kind of state/federal permit; they don’t WANT you to have one and they hope you’ll just give up and go away. It is what it is, I guess. That said, kudo’s to Michelle Outlaw with FWS, who is the only person who actually answers the stinkin’ phone if I need something, and even if it’s not her ‘department’, she’ll get the answer I need. Thank you for being there.

In the mean time, even though I am clinging to the edge of the cliff by my Lee Press-On Nails, I have to keep moving forward and caring for those animals that most people don’t think about…

I drove up to Pickens County yesterday to pick up a baby Broadwing Hawk that the nice folks at Appalachian Animal Hospital in Ellijay have been working on since Monday. Something tore into this poor dear and injured his crop area and damaged a large area on the outside of his leg. (Deep enough to damage the feather follicles, but maybe that won’t be a problem). The problem was that he was covered in maggots and fly eggs. I swear I hate those bloody things. Anyway, I think he’s on the road to recovery, but I can’t put him out with the other two for a while yet. He can use the leg enough that he can perch and self feed, which is a good thing.

Broadwing Hawks are actually the most common Buteo in North America, but you wouldn’t know it because you never see them. They are small, secretive hawks that spend their lives in the woods. Every once in a great while you’ll see them crossing the road in front of your car going from one patch of woods to the other, but unless you live next door to me J or spend time in a tree stand, you won’t see them. They make this really sweet Peee-WEEEEE call, unlike their larger cousins, the Red-shouldered hawks, whose call is obnoxious as all get-out and impossible to even spell.

Except for the size and call (and the eye color is slightly different), the BWH’s look a lot like RSH’s in their first year, which is why they get confused with each other when trying to ID them by sight.

Red-shouldered Hawk youngster “Yap, yap, yap…FEED ME!”

Cook ‘em for a while and they grow into this… RSH in First year plumage

RSH adult plumage

This is the BWH I picked up yesterday with the injuries…damaged crop area full of maggots

And the big boo-boo on the outside of his leg. At least it’s easy to get to…

I happen to have two healthy ones in the hopper right now…they are SO beautiful!

Haven’t posted Barred owl pics lately. I am successfully hacking 4 out of the 5 that I raised this season and 4 out of 5 ain’t bad odds…. It says so in the manual.

Thanks again for your help…I’ll keep you posted as to our fate. I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. If you are able to help us with Mouse Money, we sure would appreciate it and I’m still hoping to park this (otherwise wonderful) gas guzzling Land Cruiser, if anyone has something they are looking to get rid of.

We hope you have a safe and happy 4th! ….m.

www.hawktalk.org
Monteen McCord
HawkTalk
P.O. Box 130
Holly Springs, GA 30142