ANGRY OWLET: “Oh, no!” cried Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society president Merrilee Prior.
She was just starting out to meet the ferry at Saltery Bay, which was transporting two swallows, when photographer Michelle Pennell called to say a great-horned owlet was down.
There was no way to put it back in or near the nest so the parents could feed it, so Merrilee quickly called PROWLS volunteer Braelyn, who was with us last year and starting the following day. Could she help?
They quickly arranged for Braelyn to retrieve necessities for the rescue, then go to Michelle to collect the very young raptor. On the way back with the swallows, Merrilee arrived at Michelle’s just in time to pick up the owlet and continue back to PROWLS.
This was one angry baby! It clacked and hissed and gave us the evil eye as we started to arrange its care and transport with the raptor specialists in Delta: Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL).
Concerned about internal injuries from the fall, we did not feed it that day. It became angrier and angrier as time passed, so the following morning it was given a mouse.
The owlet snatched and gulped. After that, it was given a mouse every two to three hours. It soon figured out the routine and would open its beak and beg, then leap at the coming food.
The following morning Pacific Coastal Airlines carried it safely to Vancouver and handed it to an OWLs volunteer. It will spend the next few weeks in the company of other orphaned owls, learning to hunt and be an owl. We look forward to its return.
