Ricky Update!

Greetings folks!
Hope everyone has kept warm these past couple of days. It seems February is trying to remind us it's still winter here in the Western Hemisphere! Good amount of snow at the higher elevations, but the valley was spared the fluffy goodness. In this blog we're going to catch you up on Ricky, the Barred Ow.

We took the Ricky, the Barred Owl with the wing injury resulting from a run in with a barbed wire fence, to see the vet. The vet said the wing looks very good, no necrosis (dead tissue), and the owl is using the wing very well. There were a few small holes that were sutured closed, and they also look great! Ricky has to stay inside during the cold winter nights as it will lose a lot of body heat where the feathers are missing, but it can enjoy the sunshine during the warm days! We are ecstatic at the progress this owl has made - such a trooper!

When raptors have as many feathers damaged or missing like our Barred Owl (Ricky) we have two choices. Number one we can wait until the bird molts, which means its naturally grows in new feathers on its own. Number two we can imp in new feathers, which is taking feathers from another bird and attaching them for the injured bird to use till its own grow in (much more difficult than it may sound). The extent of damage for these two raptors is too great and in the wrong location to imp, so we will have to let the new ones grow in, and then evaluate their flight.

We'd like to give a big thanks to Clinch River Raptor Center for letting us use their flight pen for Roscoe the Great Horned Owl!

I hope everyone is enjoying keeping a watchful eye on all our current patients! Should there be any questions about anything at all please feel free to drop us a comment, or shoot us an email. One of our main goals is to help educate the general public about raptors, and what we do! Again thank you for your support!

Excited,
Upstate Birds of Prey

This is Ricky (Viewer Discretion Advised)

Good day all!

I'd now like to introduce you to our greatest challenge to date. 

This is another Barred Owl named Ricky. 

One of the common injuries to owls who live in rural farm areas is barbed wire fence injuries. Owls fly in for their prey, do not see the thin wire, and get their wings caught in the fences. This normally happens in Great Horned Owls as they hunt primarily in open fields, but this time a Barred Owl, Ricky, was the injured raptor.  Please note the photos of the wound are sad, and viewers discretion is advised. 

Ricky came to us via UT's Veterinary School of Medicine also, and they will be helping support us through this rehabilitation. The outlook for survival and release of Ricky is 50/50. Right now our job it to give antibiotics, anti-inflammatories  medicines, and keep the skin moist. Physical therapy is also necessary when there are no open wounds along with other medical treatment. As you can see in the photos this owl will also have to grow in new feathers, and even molt other damaged ones before it can be released. This can be up to a six month process.

So stay up to date with Ricky, and its progress! We will post any new interesting updates as we can. We will also post new photos as this Barred owl progresses. 

As we take in more and more raptor patients we'd also like to make you aware that here at Upstate Birds of Prey we are in great need of a 50x10'x12' flight pen. The estimated cost is $15,000.00. It is in the flight pen that large owls and hawks are given time to; build flight endurance, observed as to their ability to take off, land, fly silently as in the case of owls, and hunt live prey. It is their time to get completely ready to take care of themselves and hunt in the wild. If anyone would like to help finacially please visit our website Upstate Birds of Prey, and click the 'Donations' tab to learn how to donate. If  you have lumber supplies you would like to donate please call 865-680-9624, and Tim will be more than happy to talk to your about our needs. All donations are tax deductible as we are a 501(c)3 organization, and are recognized by the state (Tennessee) as a tax exempt non-profit. Thank you in advance for any help you can give the future rescued raptors at Upstate Birds of Prey!

Remember keep checking back for updates on our current residents, and be excited for a future releases!

Much appreciation,

Upstate Birds of Prey

Meet Lucy

Good day all!
I would like to introduce everyone to Lucy.

Lucy

Lucy is a Barred Owl (notice its dark eyes). It is the fourth raptor to make its way to Upstate Birds of Prey. This particular owl made its way from UT's Veterinary School of Medicine as well. Lucy, like Roscoe, came to us emaciated, but Lucy was to the point to where we had to feed it the same foods its parents would have as its digestive system was also weaken. Poor Lucy came in extremely under weight and weak. It is now a healthier 600g (owl are weighed in grams), which mean its gained 275g while with us. Lucy is now in a mew. In raptor talk, a smaller holding sanctuary is called a mew. These enclosures are used after the bird comes out of the hospital situation. Lucy is not yet a good enough flier to leave the mew, but there is no apparent reason why Lucy will not one day soon be another successful release. At this point we will be four for four! How exciting!

Again please keep posted to see how Lucy is doing! Also be sure to watch for its release photos!

Working diligently,
Upstate Birds of Prey

Introducing Roscoe

Greetings Upstate Followers!

I'd like to introduce to you one of our in rehabilitation residents - Roscoe!

Roscoe

Roscoe is a Great Horned Owl! He is our third bird of prey to make his way to Upstate. Though we are sadden he has to see us - we are thrilled to be able to help him find his way back home! Roscoe came to us in early January after the snow and ice to which we had. He is a juvenile Great Horned Owl who was emaciated, and also has some parasites problems. We believe many times with emaciated juveniles they did not learn how to hunt well enough from their parents, and so during the winter time when food is more scarce they simply do not have the necessary survival skills, and need a little more help in learning. This raptor, just as Grumpy our last released Eastern Screech Owl, also came from UT's Veterinary School of Medicine.

Our job with Roscoe is to fatten this fellow up, rid him of his parasites, and make sure he graduates from flight/mouse school, and then release him back into the night. He is well on his way, and we hope to be releasing him real soon! We will keep everyone informed of his status and any new news about Roscoe, and post release photos as soon as he takes flight! Be sure to keep up with Roscoe, because he'll be hootin' up the night in no time!

Thanks for reading,
Upstate Birds of Prey

Grumpy's Tale

Grumpy

Hello all! Our second story of triumph is of another Eastern Screech Owl, also in Red Phase, named Grumpy. The term Red Phase simply means the coloring. In general the red phase owls tend to be found in the south, where as gray in north and west. This particular raptor came to us from the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine - Exotics Department. This poor fellow came to us with a fractured Ulnar which prevented him from flying. After six week of rehabilitation, flight/mouse school, Grumpy was ready for release!

Grumpy ready to take flight! Pictured; Haley, Luna, & Todd

This was our first public release. I (Haley - Upstate Blogger), my husband Todd, and my one and a half year old daughter Luna were given the amazing opportunity to help in the release of this noble creature of the night. After a great introduction to Grumpy by our rehabilitator Natalie and some instruction as well, I was actually able to hold Grumpy, and release him into back to his home - the wild. It was quite intimidating to hold such a creature even though he was no more than a pound or so. It was like holding on to nature itself. As I release my grip on his now strong body, he lie still for only a moment, and off he went to find refuge in a nearby pine tree. It was truly something not to be taken lightly. Grumpy is now hunting, screeching, and flying just as he should be!

Go Grumpy! Go!

Hoping he's no longer grumpy,
Upstate Birds of Prey

Hope's Saga

Good day friends!

During the next few blogs we will be playing a bit of catch up. We will be telling the story of two owls we have rehabilitated and released. We will also be filling you in on three we currently have in our care, and are working diligently with to get them back to their wild and free status! As we discuss our raptors statuses we will be including photos, and should any photos be overly graphic a warning will be posted in the title of the blog. We fill though that photos help you comprehend the necessity of our presence in their lives, and the urgency to the care they require.

Here at Upstate Birds of Prey we understand that wildlife is just as the name states wildlife. We in no way try to make birds of prey our pets, because that would never work, and it is not fair to the birds if we were to try. We do give them names, not to endear them to us, but for right now we believe it will be the easiest way for us to keep which raptor is which. For example, our first two owls were Eastern Screech Owls - Red Phase. It was easier to refer to them as Hope and Grumpy rather than Owl #1 and Owl #2. We may eventually move on to patient numbers, but for the time being they will have names. Also we do not know for sure the sex of these birds without a DNA test, or other observations such as egg laying, so the names are once again for reference only.

So without further adieu; this is Hope's saga.

Hope

Upstate Birds of Prey's first raptor with all of the Federal and State Permits in our new facility was an Eastern Screech Owl - Red Phase named Hope. In late November 2012 two young ladies observed this raptor on the side of the road along railroad tracks for a 24 hour period. They then preceded to rescue it (being a hero is easy), and bring it to us. After complete examination it was found to have a displaced coracoid - which ultimately meant it could not fly. After two months of rehabilitation, flight school, and mouse school it was released! She spread her wings, and without a hesitation in her flight took to the night. You could feel she was glad to be back home in the wild. 

Ecstatic about our first release,

Upstate Birds of Prey

Welcome!

For Photo Credits Click Here

Welcome to Upstate Birds of Prey blog!

The goal of this blog is to inform the world about Upstate Birds of Prey. We'd also like to keep everyone up to date on the happenings of our current raptor residents which can include all North American birds of prey. More can be found out at our website Upstate Birds of Prey. Please visit often, because we are constantly updating!

Our first entry will serve as a small introduction, and again much more info can be obtained about us at Upstate Birds of Prey.


Natalie Mong is literally Upstate Birds of Prey. She's the founder and sole rehabilitator. Her husband, Tim, is the other half of Upstate Birds of Prey. He loves caring for the raptors as much as Natalie does. A lot of the cost for the rehab facility are offset by Tim's carpentry skills. My name is Haley, and I am the current blogger. I have a great interest in these wonderful creatures, and am a greenhorn volunteer hoping to do my part.

At Upstate we feel we are providing a voice for North American Birds of Prey. We were established to assist in the capture, rehabilitation, and release back into nature, injured and orphaned birds of prey. We are a 501c(3) organization, and all contributions made on behalf of our animal care is tax deductible. We work closely with some of the best raptor rehabbers and veterinarians in the world. Since Upstate Birds of Prey is a 501(3) Organization (a Public Charity) we operate solely off the generous donations of individuals and corporations. Every board member and volunteer offer their time and talents without receiving anything monetary in return.

For Photo Credits Click Here

The purpose of Upstate Birds of Prey is to:

• Foster and encourage interest in North American Birds of Prey.
• Teach how small changes can make a big difference.
• Promote education through schools, churches, and community centers.
• Rescue, care for, and release injured and orphaned Birds of Prey.

Thank you for taking interest in the majestic North American birds of prey, and in Upstate Birds of Prey! We hope you enjoy our blog, and will keep it up to date as often as our beaked guest allow! 

Sincerly,

Upstate Birds of Prey

"The godly care for their animals..."

Proverbs 12:10 (NLT)