April 18, 2004

I wandered down to Sawyer Point in Cincinnati yesterday to catch the Earthday shindig put on by the Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition. There were some fascinating displays and I got some great pictures. Unfortunately, this blasted computer isn't letting me upload any more than the two owls. Stupid machine...

The owls were part of the RAPTOR, Inc. demonstration. RAPTOR stands for the Regional Association for the Protection and Treatment Of Raptors. It's a nonprofit organization whose volunteers care for injured birds of prey and also provide educational programs, such as the one I caught yesterday.

They care for injured birds of prey until they can be released back into the wild. Not all birds can be released. You may notice the discolored eye on the barred owl to the left. It's blind in that eye and would be unable to survive long on its own.

There was also a red-tailed hawk with a broken wing that was unable to fly. The spokesperson said that that was a common injury to red-tailed hawks. They tend to perch on streetlamps overlooking the highway and sometimes when they swoop down for prey are struck by oncoming vehicles. There is a red-tailed hawk I see regularly on a lamppost on I-471 in Newport, Ky. I hope it's careful.

To report an injured bird of prey in the Greater Cincinnati area, or to schedule an educational program, call 513-825-3325 or send an e-mail to: raptor16@fuse.net.