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