Just a quick post to let Lori know that I saw Bev today so I asked her if she received your BD card. She said she did, she really liked it and to "thank you" very much. She thought she responded to you on the forum but I told her I hadn't seen anything.
Oh, it was hot, hot, HOT at OWL today. The only saving grace was a slight breeze blowing off the bay but you could only feel it if you were in the shade. The unofficial temp, according to an old therometer outside the care centre, was 88 F (in the shade) - not as bad as some places who are having to endure 100 or more, but still bad enough. (Is it just me, or is much of the planet on fire? - some of it literally).
The other odd thing was that I didn't see 1 wild eagle today. That's the first time I can remember that happening. Usually I see several, especially around the OWL property, but not one today either on the drive there or going home. The only thing I can think of is that they are all seeking whatever shade they can find.
Oh well, summer will be over all too soon, and then I'll be complaining about the rain again. You just can't please some people .

woooooooohoooooooooo Jewill!! No I didn't see her post anything either that's great though to know. I'm glad she liked it. It sure makes my heart happy everytime I see his sweet face and hairdo

yes it's hot hot hot!!! I've been wondering whether I'll survive this summer. Man alive, with the humidex we've been over 100 plenty of times here in Ontario already. The eagles are smart and hiding somewhere cool I guess

Bring on the snow!!! yesterday! I'm so a winter person and just can't wait.

Hi everyone - on Tuesday, last day of my Vancouver vacation I got to go see Bev and the staff at OWL again. What a fabulous place and I urge everyone to renew or get a membership (single only costs $15). My sister and I had a wonderful tour and got to see some of my favourites. Serenity is looking as beautiful as ever with her two beaus in her cage. The work that Bev does goes beyond phenomenal. All the animals are treated with the utmost respect and tenderness. It was a treat to visit again and I look forward to the next visit. You guys are FANTASTIC!

Just thought I’d pop in to say “hi” and if for nothing else to keep this thread alive. Sorry I missed you Terri but I’m glad you got the VIP tour.
It was an interesting day at OWL today. I went on 2 rescues, the 1st for a young eagle that had been hit by a car and was lying in the middle of the road but was still alive. Rob sent myself and Cara (another volunteer) out and we even got to take the fancy new rescue van. Unfortunately the location that was given covered almost 1 mile of country road with farmland on either side. We drove back and forth several times and could not locate the bird and to make matters worse the lady who called it in was not answering her phone. I’m guessing that the bird somehow made its way off to the side of the road and into some bushes so as not to be exposed to predators. Hopefully it wasn't badly injured and will simply rest for a while and then fly away.
The 2nd was for a Red Tailed Hawk who was lying on the ground. Cara and I took off again and at least this time we located the bird, but it doesn’t look good. When he was picked up he was limp with his head hanging down, his talons curled up tight, he wasn't blinking and was just barely breathing – all signs of poisoning. We brought him back and Rob gave him a dose of activated charcoal plus some IV fluids; he was then placed in a kennel with a heating pad and all we can do now is wait and hope for the best.
I don’t mean to be such a downer today – it’s not all bad news.
The good news is that it’s been raining for 2 days now and it's expected to continue until tomorrow – yes, I said “good” news that it’s raining. It’s cooled off considerably and I can only hope that it’s helping with the forest fires. Late in the afternoon Rob asked me to catch a Great Horned Owl that is going to be released up in Whistler this evening. When I entered her cage she was flying really well, making it all the more difficult to net her but after several tries I snagged her. When I grabbed her to take her out of the net she pierced my glove with one of her talons, and it was one of the thick leather eagle gloves. She didn’t draw any blood but I still have a little dent and a bruise on my finger. I took her back to the medical room for her final weigh-in and check up where she almost bit Rob when he was removing her temporary band. She tipped the scales at a very healthy 1.6 kilos (3.5 lbs) and judging by her nasty attitude she is going to have absolutely no problem adjusting to life on the outside again.
All I can say is “Look out all you Great Horned Owls in Whistler; a she-devil is on the way!”

Thanks for the update, jewill. I hope the eagle and the hawk will both recover. Was it lead poisoning that the hawk has?
That great horned owl was very feisty. :huh: It sounds like volunteering to handle the birds is not for the faint-hearted!

Terriboo!! woooow long time no see your name, how great to see you first and that you got to go to OWL you lucky, lucky person! Thanks so much for sharing that with us.

ohhhh Jewill what a horrifying thing that you couldn't find the juvenile eagle! oyvey I sure hope he was stunned or something and will recover on his own or perhaps he'll show up again and whoever finds him does a better job staying on top of it. awwww the poor RT Hawk that would break my heart seeing that. I'll sure be pulling for him that what Rob did was soon enough to save his sweet self.

hehe I loved the story with the fiesty Owl she-devil, just my kind of critter! woohooo to the rain and yes bring it on, you guys need all the help you can get with those fires.

Thanks so much Jewill, I so love your updates and I do hope Ellen comes back sometime too.

Good Morning All!
Hi BOP – to answer your question, the Red Tailed Hawk probably was poisoned by Warfarin, otherwise known as rat poison. The farmers spread this stuff around to kill the rodents, which it does very effectively, but not immediately. While the rats and mice are dying the raptors (and cats too) come along and think they have found an easy meal. Then the coyotes and raccoons, etc. join in and it goes all the way up the food chain.
Raptors can be affected by lead poisoning if they eat a duck that has either been shot with lead ammunition and left behind by the hunter, or more likely, the lead pellets that missed the target sink to the bottom of the pond where the ducks mistake them for food. It is a much slower process than Warfarin.
I will find out on Wednesday the fate of the hawk; I could phone but I prefer to hope that things will turn out OK for him. I promise to let you know – one way or the other.
Ellen is enjoying the last week of her Mom’s visit from Germany. She has promised to be back on the forum once she gets back into her regular routine, I’m guessing sometime in September.

Jewill: I really enjoy reading your updates. thanks so much for taking the time to do them!