It is very unusual for me to go into the city on a Friday.
My knee has been causing me fits for weeks and I finally had enough pain and resorted to making an appointment to have an injection.
On Wednesday after feeding the 3 feral cat colonies, we made a quick pass by one of my favorite places to visit and I saw that the Tulips were about to open. That being said, and since I was going to be in town anyway, why not, with the high cost of fuel, as the saying goes, "kill two birds with one stone..."
I arrived at the site just minutes after the gates opened at 8:00 AM. Before driving to the Tulip beds, I thought about the rare encounter I had seen on March 14, when the Red-Shouldered Hawk had mated with the Red-tailed Hawk. I had learned two weeks later that the nest had failed and then last Saturday one of the groundskeepers rang me up to tell me that he had witnessed the Red-shouldered Hawk and pair of Red-tailed Hawks soaring together and that there seemed to have been some activity in the area of both last year's nest and the new nest are, just a couple of acres away.
Immediately my mind changed course and I decided to check it out first and I am thankful, so thankful that I did. As I approached the nest area, I saw a Red-shouldered Hawk on the ground and as I drove by, it never flew away. My hope was that it had landed on a meal and maybe just waiting to move it higher. Quickly I turned my car around and went back and it was still on the ground. I slowly got out of my car with camera in hand and was taking photographs , but as I got closer, I could tell something was really wrong, the bird seemed stunned, and I went in save this hawk mode! I put my camera down and lifted the injured hawk up into my arms. In all of the years of watching these beauties, I had only handled juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks, never an adult before.
My heart was going through so many emotions, but I had to act quickly! I rang up my friend Chuck Culp with Wingspan of Kentucky. Fortunately, I know this number by heart and Chuck answered. Chuck had me take the hawk to a Veterinary office that he works with, not too far away. I held the hawk close to me...yes, I was buckled in all the way there, speaking softly and telling him, he could not die on my watch!
A couple of hours went by and I finally spoke with Chuck...the good news, the hawk was alive...the bad news, he had a serious head injury causing one totally detached retina and one partially detached retina. DREAD IT, I hated the news! Chuck later took the bird to another Veterinarian who checked out the birds eyes, which were now filled with blood. He loaded the bird up with medications and Chuck took him to his rehab/release facility. It will be at least 3 weeks before we know how those beautiful eyes are healing.
One can release an Owl with only one eye, but not a hawk. If this beauty can only see with one eye, maybe he can be used for educational purposes, but my ultimate prayer, is that he see with both eyes once again~
So many wonderful people that have joined the Riff Raff Hawkwatch page on Facebook have been posting comments about this hawk...does he know how special he has become... Thank you to those caring individuals too!
Many thanks to Chuck, to Wingspan of KY and all wildlife rehab/release facilities.
Chuck is calling the hawk CH for now.
This make me want to reclaim my federal rehab and release permit in many ways, yet not so easy to come by any longer.
Please keep this beauty in your heart thoughts, that he will survive, that he will recover his vision, that he will be able to be released one day soon, once again, to soar with his unusual friends the Red-tailed hawks, and that maybe, just maybe, I can share those images in the not so distant future.
For wildlife, for each of us...life can change in a matter of a heartbeat...be kind to yourself, nature and mankind and take care~
My knee has been causing me fits for weeks and I finally had enough pain and resorted to making an appointment to have an injection.
On Wednesday after feeding the 3 feral cat colonies, we made a quick pass by one of my favorite places to visit and I saw that the Tulips were about to open. That being said, and since I was going to be in town anyway, why not, with the high cost of fuel, as the saying goes, "kill two birds with one stone..."
I arrived at the site just minutes after the gates opened at 8:00 AM. Before driving to the Tulip beds, I thought about the rare encounter I had seen on March 14, when the Red-Shouldered Hawk had mated with the Red-tailed Hawk. I had learned two weeks later that the nest had failed and then last Saturday one of the groundskeepers rang me up to tell me that he had witnessed the Red-shouldered Hawk and pair of Red-tailed Hawks soaring together and that there seemed to have been some activity in the area of both last year's nest and the new nest are, just a couple of acres away.
Immediately my mind changed course and I decided to check it out first and I am thankful, so thankful that I did. As I approached the nest area, I saw a Red-shouldered Hawk on the ground and as I drove by, it never flew away. My hope was that it had landed on a meal and maybe just waiting to move it higher. Quickly I turned my car around and went back and it was still on the ground. I slowly got out of my car with camera in hand and was taking photographs , but as I got closer, I could tell something was really wrong, the bird seemed stunned, and I went in save this hawk mode! I put my camera down and lifted the injured hawk up into my arms. In all of the years of watching these beauties, I had only handled juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks, never an adult before.
My heart was going through so many emotions, but I had to act quickly! I rang up my friend Chuck Culp with Wingspan of Kentucky. Fortunately, I know this number by heart and Chuck answered. Chuck had me take the hawk to a Veterinary office that he works with, not too far away. I held the hawk close to me...yes, I was buckled in all the way there, speaking softly and telling him, he could not die on my watch!
A couple of hours went by and I finally spoke with Chuck...the good news, the hawk was alive...the bad news, he had a serious head injury causing one totally detached retina and one partially detached retina. DREAD IT, I hated the news! Chuck later took the bird to another Veterinarian who checked out the birds eyes, which were now filled with blood. He loaded the bird up with medications and Chuck took him to his rehab/release facility. It will be at least 3 weeks before we know how those beautiful eyes are healing.
One can release an Owl with only one eye, but not a hawk. If this beauty can only see with one eye, maybe he can be used for educational purposes, but my ultimate prayer, is that he see with both eyes once again~
So many wonderful people that have joined the Riff Raff Hawkwatch page on Facebook have been posting comments about this hawk...does he know how special he has become... Thank you to those caring individuals too!
Many thanks to Chuck, to Wingspan of KY and all wildlife rehab/release facilities.
Chuck is calling the hawk CH for now.
This make me want to reclaim my federal rehab and release permit in many ways, yet not so easy to come by any longer.
Please keep this beauty in your heart thoughts, that he will survive, that he will recover his vision, that he will be able to be released one day soon, once again, to soar with his unusual friends the Red-tailed hawks, and that maybe, just maybe, I can share those images in the not so distant future.
For wildlife, for each of us...life can change in a matter of a heartbeat...be kind to yourself, nature and mankind and take care~
I
am also linking with World Bird Wednesday, please visit other birding
photographers and enthusiasts from around the world at:
http://www.pineriverreview.blogspot.com/
http://www.pineriverreview.blogspot.com/
