OK, this little tale has nothing to do with riding, but I'm going to share it here anyway. I was on my getting the day started and went down 8th street towards downtown. I see a hawk kind of sitting in the grass in front of the Wells Fargo there, I thought strange, then that ain't right. So I turned in to the parking area and parked me car since it was raining here today. I took a very wide path around the bird to get in front of it. Why? Well birds have excellent vivsion, and I didn't want to spook it in to a busy 8th street if it were hurt. It just stood there so I moved a little closer and it hopped off but dropping its left wing, well there ya go it had a broken wing. I could tell by the markings the bird was a red tail, but he just didn't have the right marking so I'm guess he was an immature, and may have still had some downy feathers as his guard feathers all hadn't grown in. During this procedure another woman pulls up in here truck and is like wow that bird isn't right and was already on the phone, so I yelled out, "animal control, call animal control" she did call animal control and with luck they were on the island and not out in Callahan or something so it would only be a few moments.
I was kind of hanging out by the street and driveway skirt slowing folks down as they were heading into the bank, really it seemed odd no one noticed this bird just me standing there. I was kind of keeping him from heading into the street. I know your thinking sweetheart way didn't ya just go and get the injured baby hawk. Well, having done rescue work, and wildlife work in the past with a place called Cedar Run in Medford NJ some years ago I know what a hawk's powerful talons and beak can do to you if they make contact. I will tell you its not pretty. So I needed to call someone with the right equipmet right? The bird hops across the drive and towards a little creek and a thickit of tangled southren wild mess. he sits there for awhile and watches us. 10,20 minutes pass and still no AC, hum he's getting annoyed and bord with us off in the distace kind of flollowing him. So he darts across the stream and into the wild. YEAH, every rehabers dream to go tromping through the thickets and creeks for critters.
Ah, Fernandina Beach Humane Society shows up, dam less experence with wildlife they are but they got the equipment needed. So, the other lady and I are standing on opposite sides of the creek when the HS gets there. They go," where"," I go there he's camo'd there","oh boy," the one said, I said," hell yeah nothing like mud or much to make the job easy." So, remember I said they have good eye sight right, well I let the gals go at it they sneeked up on it like it was a blind, death, ancient animal working on its last breaths, the bird waits as they get closer then bolts like lighting on two feet down thru the bramble bushes across the thick muddy bank, and into an open area, where as they run after him dam if mom don't scream and dive bomb them, I yelled, " mama's pissed your messing with her kid" as they were in the clearing trying to figure out what to do I walked aroung him wide and scooted him back to the wooded creek area. That will keep Mom out of the picture, ya dig, cause if she decides to make contact with us its going to be ugly man.
I asked if they had a net, cause they had a rabies poll and blanket with them, yes do you want me to get it? yep, I went back to the truck got the "wildlife" net (fishing net) and marched back to the creek where Mr hawk put himself, meanwhile the other lady and I are covered in little scratches from the brambles, we got leaves in our hair and shoes covered in much and the creek stink water as I walked across the creek and climb up the muddy slipper bank. Now this hawk has 4 folks in different directs around him. He's standing in the stream, which is bad, stress, cold water equals hypothermea. I walk up and then extend the handle and move like lighting to net the guy, he's freaked I sat to the girl grab him with the blanket and get him out fast, before he stresses to death, We get him up and out of the net and almost into the carrier when she says I think he's dead. I announce I'm the head tech at such and such clinic and boom, she hands me the bird I said nope not dead but in shock. He's stressed cold and wet. got another towel I wraped him iin the dry towel put him in the carrier, put another towel over him, tell them to turn on the heat, turn off the radios and such and get him some dex, and glucouse as soon as you can. The two gals just stare at me, and I had to say go move do it now! WTF man, hawks are awsome birds of prey man, and I know I trust and like them a hell of alot more then most people. Besides I didn't run around in the ran, tromp thru the brambles, mess my awesome hair up, get creek sink water in me show mudd up my pants, and look like a wild woman for them to let the bird die.
So, the creek water stinks, god know its street run of and sewage run off and whatever else yuckie on me, my hair is full of leaves and sticks and a general mess, I got muddy knees and rear from the sides of the creek and now was time to go to the market. Well, I wanted to dry do instead of driving to the market which is only like 4 block from the bank, I didn't want my truck to stick like the creek right. So I walked to the super market shopped, got in line, I guess I smelled less than fresh cause a couple of folks said please go ahead of me, checked out in minutes and walked to my truck. The next time I go to the market I think I wear these clothes as I won't wash them so I don't have to wait in line.
I'll call tomorrow to check on the immature hawk, have a great one "T"
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