Rescue a Hawk. Lose Power. Enjoy the Flood.

So on Wednesday I was driving around Charles County visiting schools, solving problems, selling School Specialty products and shmoozing. It's what I do. I got to do some birding too. Well, not exactly.

I was driving on Route 6 in the extreme Southwestern portion of Charles County when I noticed this RED SHOULDERED HAWK sitting on the side of the road. I stopped, for there could be a good photo opportunity. Route 6, despite it's rural location, is a rather busy road. The cars on Wednesday were in a bit of a rush. In any case, I got out of the car and walked towards the hawk. It was very happy to be photographed. As I got closer, the hawk still didn't move and that is when I knew something was wrong.

I grabbed a towel (always have one in the car) and an empty School Specialty catalog box and scooped up the injured raptor.

It was now about 2 PM and the weather was about to turn ugly. I called Kent at the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia in Falls Church, Virginia. He answered, "Hey Dan. How's the bird?" Somehow Kent knew I had an injured raptor in my possession. What are the odds?

I drove an hour through some torrential storms in rush hour traffic to get the bird to Ken. The diagnosis, as I suspected, was that the bird was probably hit by a car. There were no serious bone breaks and all of the bird's functions appeared to be okay. It could not stand too well during it's examination. Ken got some fluids into it's system and began treatment. Shock probably best described the bird's situation at that moment. One thing for certain, it wouldn't have survived without some timely first aid.

The sad news is that this hawk was probably one of a mated pair. That means that there are, more than likely, some hungry chicks that need care and feeding. Hopefully the other half of the pair will assume this now larger responsibility. As a new parent, I know a lot a great deal about this subject. If my wife were ever hurt, Declan would sure have a time of it with just me!Oh, the other part of the story: when I returned home Wednesday evening, the power in my home was out and our basement was flooded under four inches of ground water. Today (Friday) the flood finally receded when the power returned. There is nothing better than a battery-powered back up sump pump (brand new) that fails! I saved my guitars. The cases and a lot of other stuff (carpet, furniture, walls, etc) did not fair as well.

PS: If there are grammar errors, it's only b/c I'm in a huge hurry to get back to the mess that is my home!

Have a great week!

Dan

Red Shoulder Spotted and Doing Well

The RED SHOULDERED HAWK that was rescued in January and released last month has recently been spotted by an Annapolis resident.Russ Mader (CLICK on his name to view his website. He has some GREAT photos!) thankfully got this great photo of a RED SHOULDERED HAWK with a silver band on it's left leg. He recently posted his raptor sightings on the MDOSPREY listserv. He mentioned in his post that he had managed to snap a few photos. Since he lived right here in Annapolis, I decided to send him an email. I thought perhaps he could keep an eye out for our released red raptor. As it turns out, Russ lives less than a mile from where the bird was rescued. Coincidence?

I think this is a fantastic way to end the weekend. Here is a photo of the bird just before it's release at Greenbury Point. I do love success.Happy St. Patrick's Day. See you at the Ram's Head Tavern on West Street tomorrow from 2 to 4 PM for some irish shenanigans! Josh and I will be playing music in the tent out back!

-Dan

RED SHOULDERED HAWK RELEASE

This afternoon a RED SHOULDERED HAWK, that I helped to rescue from the thick mud of Back Creek last January, was released back into the wild. It was a wonderful event that I will not soon forget.The release took place on Greenbury Point in Annapolis, at the Nature Center just beyond the golf course and new athletic facility. At just about a mile or so as the 'hawk' flies from where it was found stuck in the mud, if this hawk so choses, it could easily find it's way back to Back Creek. If not, there is always lots to eat on the Point.The release was performed by Linda Moore (that is her in the photos!) from the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. Actually, Linda is a biologist at Washington DC's National Zoo, which is run by the Smithsonian Institution. The point I making is that Linda is a trained, skilled, licensed pro when it comes to the art of releasing rehabilitated birds back into the wild.Kent Knowles, the fine gentleman in Falls Church, Virginia who runs and operates the Raptor Conservancy, should receive loads of credit as well. He not only cared for this bird, he brought her back to full health from the mud-caked state of trauma she was in when I brought her to him back in early January.This strikingly beautiful hawk was vocal for a brief bit just prior to her release, but it was not enough to get the attention of the locals. There are at least two local RED SHOULDERED HAWKS that I've seen recently on Greenbury Point. They didn't make an appearance during the bird's release. However, by now I feel quite certain that she's made their acquaintance.Linda, who drove all the way from Virginia, appeared about as happy as I was to be releasing this gorgeous bird. After a few minutes of conversation, questions and answers, Linda handed the hawk over to me an in less than a minute, she was free to fly. I was instructed to simply loft her into the air and the hawk would take care of the rest.The hawk was named 'Roberta' by the neighbors who live in the community where she found mud. Those neighbors were so very helpful that day, providing me with towels, a long pole and a kayak that helped me retrieve this raptor. They were even kind enough to squirt me with a hose on that relatively warm January day!The hawk flew up and into the pines, where she rested for a moment. Very soon after she took off heading Northwest into the blue sky. The release was fulfilling, uplifting and quite amazing, despite it lasting all of ten minutes.So if you're ever in and around the Annapolis area and you see a RED SHOULDERED HAWK, do check to see if the bird is wearing any silver 'bling', as our little Roberta has been banded.
I also would highly encourage you to donate to Kent and the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia, as they are a non-profit and do wonderful work! And go out and get a copy of the Capital newspaper on Tuesday. Their environmental reporter Pam Wood was there with their best photographer, J. Henson, covering the event!

All the best,

Dan