Rescues

I am one of the people in this Southeast corner of Minnesota that can go capture up injured raptors to first bring to my friend Foxfeather for stabilization (she is our local wildlife rehab professional), for eventual transfer up to either the University of Minnesota Raptor Center or the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for non-raptors. On September 28 I got a call for a vulture down. I was able to locate this poor unfortunate bird with the help of the person who had reported it. Eventually I found that the bird was put down, as its injuries were too extensive, and its condition very poor. When I caught it, for the 30 seconds I held it before placing into the box for transport, a whole bunch of mites jumped off the bird and onto me. This is not a good sign, when parasites are looking for any available source to abandon the host they are on, especially when the new host is not a much warmer bird. I had to go right home and take a shower!!

A short time later on the same day I was contacted for a supposed Merlin in someone's back yard here in my little town of Saint Charles. I was just a little skeptical, as this is an uncommon bird for our area, and many people don't know how to properly identify raptors. 

Rich and I responded, and walked around the large backyard not finding the downed bird, then turning, and looking in some shrubs next to the house . . . . and Holly Sh**t!!  It really IS a Merlin!!  This is an intermediate sized falcon, larger than our smallest kestrel, but smaller than the iconic peregrine. I happened to have brought along my box of assorted hoods just in case. I popped one onto its head to keep it calm for its journey to Fox.

This bird too unfortunately was deemed beyond saving, and was euthanized by the Raptor Center, but for a brief moment I was able to hold this little bundle of fire. Falcons truly are very wonderful creatures, even when they are injured.