Our Birds Need Some of Your Catch

We Are Starving!

In late August, we received a phone call from some fishermen in Stevenson, WA. They had observed an Osprey who was unable to fly. Upon examination, Dr. Jean determined that he was very thin male fledgling, probably born late in the season and possibly the runt of the litter. He was too weak to fish and would have undoubtedly starved to death if the fishermen had not intervened. But after several months of feasting on Northern Pike Minnow donated by a local fisherman, the Osprey was fit enough to release back into the wild. Unfortunately, by this time the Osprey had left the Gorge for migration south. We had no choice but to keep him for the winter and release him this spring when the Ospreys return and food is plentiful.

Osprey are difficult to overwinter as they do not tolerate cold very well and they are poor eaters in captivity. They eat only fish and this particular fellow will only eat fish that look like fish. He will not eat a chunk of fish; it must have a head and an eyeball looking back at him. We have run out of frozen whole fish and he will not touch the pieces of salmon that we offer him. He has not eaten for two days and we are getting a bit desperate for some small Osprey-sized fish that have both a head and a tail. He will eat two or three fish per day, depending on their size and the weather. When the weather is cold, he huddles in his insulated pen near a heat lamp and eats more to stay warm. The rest of the time he is flying free in a large aviary, building up strength for his spring release.

In addition to the Osprey, we have a Great Blue Heron that we will probably keep for another few weeks or until the weather warms up significantly. He was found starving near Rowena Dell during the very cold spell we had before Christmas. The pond he lived near was frozen solid and he wasn't able to find food. He's in the same situation as the Osprey . . . he will only eat fish that look like fish. He also eats several fish per day. We've resorted to force feeding him until we can find some smaller fresh fish.

Thanks for helping us out.

So anglers, please help out our fellow birds by donating some fresh catches from our area waters. They should be whole with eyes and tails intact. Frozen fish are fine. Keep in mind that anglers should know the regs on keeping fish in the waters that they are on. Smaller hatchery fish are ideal. Consider--where else in the world can you fish for a good cause?

The Rowena Wildlife Clinic was started by Dr. Jean Cypher D.V.M. as there was no local option for injured wildlife. Everyone who helps out at the clinic is a volunteer--including Dr. Jean-- and the Clinic works because people like you offer to help the animals out when needed. Please call Carol at 541-490-1513 donate a part of your catch or arrange for pickup.