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As many of you know Bernard Forsythe has been helping Barred Owls in our area for years, has his own owl nesting box in his backyard, three young were raised this year. Most years after the young have fledged the adults tend to bring their family to our woods or close-by - we are only about a km west of his property. Our woods obviously offer a substantial supply of wildlife. About a week ago I woke in the early hours to hear much owl vocalization indicating the family were here in the trees outside my bedroom window. Welcome sounds. You will be saddened to hear what happened to one of them. Yesterday mid-morning (Tues) a visiting friend drew my attention to an unusual visitor sitting very still on our back patio. It was a banded fledgling Barred Owl but when it turned we could see it had a very badly broken wing with bone protruding. Here was this beautiful young bird with a mangled wing, quite heartbreaking. It took a couple of hours to find rescue/help. DNR technicians were 'out' but a message was left. Bernard who had been out was finally located, came here to check the band number as he wanted to know if it was possibly one from his backyard family. It turned out to be the first one he had banded at home this year. Must have been a sad moment for him. A few minutes later thankfully, a DNR technician arrived who, on her way to work had heard my message and responded. She and Bernard caught the owl, and it was taken away. I found out later it had been taken to Hope for Wildlife, and this morning the news was not good but rather expected. It had succumbed to its injury. Obviously the cause of its injury will never be known but very early the same morning before 6:00 am I had heard a great racket of crow calling which led me to think at the time the crows sounded as if they were 'mobbing'/harassing an owl they had found in our trees. This makes me wonder if this young owl was the object of their scorn and it possibly panicked or tried to evade them and ended up crashing into a large tree limb, breaking its wing. I am still amazed that it should have turned up on our patio, was it seeking refuge away from the woods... Judy Tufts >>>>>>>>> Judy Tufts Wolfville NS <<<<<<<<<
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