Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious Soarin’ Hawk financial matters -
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a ringing,
As of some one gently ringing, ringing on my phone
“’Tis some wrong number” I muttered, “tapping at my phone
Only this and nothing more.”
“Hi, Jody from Hamilton, there is an injured Great Horned Owl on 427. There is a police officer at the scene of the accident. Will someone get the bird?” “Of course”, I answered. Jody, “OK, I’ll call the officer and let him know.”
H-m-m, who lives near Hamilton and will answer a phone at 11:15 PM ? No one! OK, I guess,I’ll go. “Ann, there is a GHOW near Hamilton that needs help. There is a police officer with it. There is no one to go, but me” I blurted to the recumbent figure under the bedcovers.
“What is wrong with you?” came the strong reply from the figure that bolted upright.
“Well…..” “It is snowing, the roads are bad, you’re nutz, ….!!!!” “Well if I don’t get the bird it will die.” “H-m-m,do you need any company, NO? good”, mumbling “but be very very careful” as she snuggled gratefully under the warm covers.
Jumping into the van I headed off to Hamilton, a new destination for me. Once I reached “downtown” I called the Detective Torrey who gave me directions beyond Hamilton heading toward Ohio.
He was parked on the side of the road about 4 miles NE of Hamilton. His spotlight was on the bird bundled in a police jacket.
The owl had flown across the road from a 20 ft tree, after a prey item and was struck by a car. The car suffered a broken headlight and the bird ended up stunned on the side of the road. When Detective Torrey arrived, the bird was starting to stand. After the accident scene was cleared, the bird walked away toward the ditch dragging its wing. Knowing it might wander away, the detective placed a spare jacket over the bird which it grabbed with both talons. I arrived about 20 minutes later after an uneventful but fast dash up I69 and maneuvering some interesting snowy backroads. With a help from the officer, I crossed the ditch, uncovered the owl that greeted me with wide eyes and a little bill clacking. In an on-the-spot training session, I demonstrated for the detective, how to pick up a raptor without incurring injuries. A quick exam showed a broken left wing. The bird was placed in a rescue box for its half hour ride home. Since Pat would probably not be awake at 12:45 AM I decided to take it to Pine Valley Vet Clinic later in the morning.
My apologies to Edgar Allen Poe.
Click here to track the progress of this Great Horned Owl
