The Osprey Whisperer
- Thread starter 46er
- Start date
It would be a real topper if they could scramble up the pole and pick all the man-made junk out of it before the young hatch.
You could always volunteer
I'd do it if someone could keep her from pecking my head and hands.
I forgot to ask you ....are they going to give you updates? Are they taking it back to the location you found it?
Guy
They may not be able to do that, but you will get a helmet, gloves and a ladder to keep the splinters to a minimum.
Teegate, I didn't even think to ask about updates on the bird, but they did ask for my email address. They will be releasing the hawk at the same location that I found it. I left the coordinates on the sheet I had to fill out when I dropped him off at Waterford Cedar Run. I don't think that the volunteers would be willing to hike back to where I was, but instead will release him nearby. I was a mile away from any roads and in the muck.
I vaguely remember seeing a sign in the office stating not to call and inquire about a rescue because the staff is busy caring for the animals. Who knows...
I wasn't going to tell the story. I am a bit tired at the moment , so the tale may be long winded, but please enjoy it.
I had a few free hours last Sunday, so I decided explore an area along the Rancocas looking for orchids in bloom or emerging. I just happened to stoop down to get under an area of low growth and came face to face with the hawk pictured above. He was roosting on an exposed root when I came around the tree and brushed up against him. I was so startled I was shaking, and lucky for the two of us, the hawk was weak from a broken wing and hunger, otherwise I might have been injured. (You can see in the picture above that its right wing is broken.) After several minute to regain my composure and trying to decide what to do, I contacted Teegate and Dragoncjo. Dragoncjo responded first and directed me to contact Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. I called immediately and there was no answer, which wasn't a surprise considering it was Sunday and Mother's Day. So with that being the situation, I decided that I should see if anyone was at the Pinelands Center and if they could help with rescuing the raptor. The office was several miles away. I hiked out and drove the couple of miles to the office and of course the building were locked with no one to be seen. At this point I was about to give up and let nature take its course, but I returned to where I had last seen the hawk. I was hopeful that it would be gone but if it wasn't I would do what I had to do. So I hike back in! Cedar Run returned my call as I was making the trek in and was willing to take the hawk in as long as I can deliver the it to them. The young lady that I was speaking with assured me that Red-tailed hawks were docile enough to be handled and all I had to do was secure in some fashion so it wouldn't hurt itself more. Keep in mind all that I had was a sweatshirt.
This is the point were I am not to sure if will be able to do this alone being that I have no clue what I was doing. As I stoop down and crawl into the clearing, where I last saw the hawk, I find that he is gone! I figured he must have bounced back from whatever had happened and flew away. Nature and its events had taken course and I went back to exploring the area. I only walked a few hundred feet away and saw that the hawk was perched on tree that had fallen over. (I later discovered why the hawk was in the clearing. There was an old kill that was being scavenged.)
I approached him head on, like bull fighter, with my sweatshirt stretched between my two arms, not knowing what was going to happen. I didn't know what would occur, but in my mind I was expecting a fight with flapping wings, pecking and strikes from the talons. When I got close enough to him to touch him with the shirt, it was uneventful. He opened his mouth and slowly went on to his back. Who would have thought that would be the reaction, belly up and submissive?! No, I quickly found out it was a defensive position. I fought with that hawk for ten minutes trying to get the sweatshirt around him so I could carry him out. After a push from stick and push from my boot, I had the shirt around him like a burrito. I was attempting to tie the sleeves up like a handle to make the trip easier while carrying him out when he nailed me through the shirt. I think he must have simply been trying to grab hold of anything for security. I was opened up like a can and bled all over as I walked back to my truck. The entire trip out he was calm and didn't fuss. All I saw was an open beak and its glaring stare. I strapped him onto the front seat with the seat belt and headed over to the refuge.
An hour later, after missing a couple of turns, I made it to Cedar Run. I filled out some paper work, gave a donation and answered some questions. I found out there that I had rescued a mature male and that his wing was broken. More than likely the injury was from a female they said. I left specific direction to where I had found him. Their policy is to release the animals back to the same location from which they where rescued.
It was an awesome experience. The staff was terrific and I got to save a hawk. (My hand still hasn't healed entirely and I left a few details out, like the wrong directions to the refuge from their own staff and the local police department.)
I had a few free hours last Sunday, so I decided explore an area along the Rancocas looking for orchids in bloom or emerging. I just happened to stoop down to get under an area of low growth and came face to face with the hawk pictured above. He was roosting on an exposed root when I came around the tree and brushed up against him. I was so startled I was shaking, and lucky for the two of us, the hawk was weak from a broken wing and hunger, otherwise I might have been injured. (You can see in the picture above that its right wing is broken.) After several minute to regain my composure and trying to decide what to do, I contacted Teegate and Dragoncjo. Dragoncjo responded first and directed me to contact Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. I called immediately and there was no answer, which wasn't a surprise considering it was Sunday and Mother's Day. So with that being the situation, I decided that I should see if anyone was at the Pinelands Center and if they could help with rescuing the raptor. The office was several miles away. I hiked out and drove the couple of miles to the office and of course the building were locked with no one to be seen. At this point I was about to give up and let nature take its course, but I returned to where I had last seen the hawk. I was hopeful that it would be gone but if it wasn't I would do what I had to do. So I hike back in! Cedar Run returned my call as I was making the trek in and was willing to take the hawk in as long as I can deliver the it to them. The young lady that I was speaking with assured me that Red-tailed hawks were docile enough to be handled and all I had to do was secure in some fashion so it wouldn't hurt itself more. Keep in mind all that I had was a sweatshirt.
This is the point were I am not to sure if will be able to do this alone being that I have no clue what I was doing. As I stoop down and crawl into the clearing, where I last saw the hawk, I find that he is gone! I figured he must have bounced back from whatever had happened and flew away. Nature and its events had taken course and I went back to exploring the area. I only walked a few hundred feet away and saw that the hawk was perched on tree that had fallen over. (I later discovered why the hawk was in the clearing. There was an old kill that was being scavenged.)
I approached him head on, like bull fighter, with my sweatshirt stretched between my two arms, not knowing what was going to happen. I didn't know what would occur, but in my mind I was expecting a fight with flapping wings, pecking and strikes from the talons. When I got close enough to him to touch him with the shirt, it was uneventful. He opened his mouth and slowly went on to his back. Who would have thought that would be the reaction, belly up and submissive?! No, I quickly found out it was a defensive position. I fought with that hawk for ten minutes trying to get the sweatshirt around him so I could carry him out. After a push from stick and push from my boot, I had the shirt around him like a burrito. I was attempting to tie the sleeves up like a handle to make the trip easier while carrying him out when he nailed me through the shirt. I think he must have simply been trying to grab hold of anything for security. I was opened up like a can and bled all over as I walked back to my truck. The entire trip out he was calm and didn't fuss. All I saw was an open beak and its glaring stare. I strapped him onto the front seat with the seat belt and headed over to the refuge.
An hour later, after missing a couple of turns, I made it to Cedar Run. I filled out some paper work, gave a donation and answered some questions. I found out there that I had rescued a mature male and that his wing was broken. More than likely the injury was from a female they said. I left specific direction to where I had found him. Their policy is to release the animals back to the same location from which they where rescued.
It was an awesome experience. The staff was terrific and I got to save a hawk. (My hand still hasn't healed entirely and I left a few details out, like the wrong directions to the refuge from their own staff and the local police department.)
This is the first photo I took of the Red-tailed as soon as I my heart rate came down.
Thanks, Chris and Guy! Chris the text conversation was a classic!
Thanks, Chris and Guy! Chris the text conversation was a classic!
I had an interesting hawk experience several years ago. One of my neighbors, an elderly lady, called me into her backyard and pointed to a large inverted plastic milk crate with several bricks on top of it. She told me to look inside. I did and saw a hawk sitting in there. I asked her what the hawk was doing in the plastic milk crate.
She told me they saw it walking around the yard and were afraid a cat would get it. I asked her what she was going to do with it.
She told me she was going to call the animal warden. I told her the animal warden in town could barely handle cats and dogs and probably knew next to nothing about hawks. I told her I would call the Raptor Trust.
I called them and as it was the end of the day they told me they were closing. They told me to get the hawk into a cardboard box, put it in my basement and bring it down to them in the morning as a skunk might get it if left outside over night.
Now I asked the obvious question - how do I get the hawk to go into a large cardboard box. They told me to toss a blanket over the critter and put it in the box that way but be careful not to get bitten or clawed.
I went back out there with a cardboard box and stared at the hawk for a while. I decided to try something else.
I was afraid it would get ticked off or frightened if I threw a blanket over it and it or I would get injured.
I got a pair of very heavy leather gloves. I approached the crate, lifted it slowly and slowly and carefully slipped my gloved arm under the hawk and pressed it against its chest. The hawk stepped onto the gloved arm and i lifted him into the box, let him off then closed it up and took it into the cellar.
Nest day I drove down to the raptor trust and delivered the critter.
She told me they saw it walking around the yard and were afraid a cat would get it. I asked her what she was going to do with it.
She told me she was going to call the animal warden. I told her the animal warden in town could barely handle cats and dogs and probably knew next to nothing about hawks. I told her I would call the Raptor Trust.
I called them and as it was the end of the day they told me they were closing. They told me to get the hawk into a cardboard box, put it in my basement and bring it down to them in the morning as a skunk might get it if left outside over night.
Now I asked the obvious question - how do I get the hawk to go into a large cardboard box. They told me to toss a blanket over the critter and put it in the box that way but be careful not to get bitten or clawed.
I went back out there with a cardboard box and stared at the hawk for a while. I decided to try something else.
I was afraid it would get ticked off or frightened if I threw a blanket over it and it or I would get injured.
I got a pair of very heavy leather gloves. I approached the crate, lifted it slowly and slowly and carefully slipped my gloved arm under the hawk and pressed it against its chest. The hawk stepped onto the gloved arm and i lifted him into the box, let him off then closed it up and took it into the cellar.
Nest day I drove down to the raptor trust and delivered the critter.
Tgeorge, I would have to say that gloves, especially padded shoulder length gloves, are important when handling birds of prey. A pair of long gloves, is the first thing the staffer grabbed as he headed out to retrieve the hawk from my truck. The bird had a bad disposition and I had enough by that time!
Yes, these were long, heavy duty work gloves - like gauntlets. But the bird was pretty calm. If it wasn;t I would have used the blanket.