LONG STAY: A young steller’s jay, hit by a car and concussed, spent three to four days in a yard near Alberni Street and Harvie Avenue before Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society was called.
Although starving, this jay was difficult to catch. Having taken refuge under an elevated canoe it would run back and forth, successfully dodging the butterfly net. Newly-moved-in folks took on the task and soon experienced success.
Finally at PROWLS and being well fed, the jay was found to have the avian pox. Betadine was applied to the lesions and eventually they began shrinking and finally dried up completely.
As the lesions healed, the jay became stronger. Now gaining weight, it was put outside in a flight cage to practice its flying. All seemed well until the sky opened and it got drenched, having lost its natural weatherproofing during its indoor convalescence.
Back indoors, the jay finally started preening, spreading its natural oils throughout his feathers. Once again out in the large flight cage, its outer feathers were wet but it was fluffy and dry underneath and definitely letting PROWLS president Merrilee Prior know it would take a real fight to get it back inside.
It still had a droopy shoulder, but it was strong and agile, able to catch a flying insect in mid-air.
Arriving November 4, 2020, it was never imagined this starving steller’s jay would be at PROWLS for almost four months, one third of its life.
Finally released, the young jay is hanging around the PROWLS backyard, taking shelter in the open flight cage when needed as well as snacking on emergency provisions.
