My wildlife project was designed not only to provide a safe haven and environment for indigenous species for relocation for the different protective wildlife organizations, but for me to do a bird of prey center. I have had the pleasure of helping so many birds of prey that eventually would return to their wild and migrate into their comfort zone, and once again after capture, were given the chance to be returned to their lives and families. I was given the opportunity to help this happen. Let me share with you some of the wonderful experiences that I have seen.
I was licensed by the federal government and the state fish and game commission to offer my wild life preserve for their relocation use. They also brought to my hospital many damaged or young birds that had either been abandoned or had fallen out of their nest, of which their parents could not retrieve them.
I have always felt that if one of these beautiful birds was unable to return to their world, it was unfair to keep them in our world for mere viewing.
One day, the Department of Fish and Game brought me this wonderful young red tail hawk with a fractured right wing. Normally this would be an easy fix, however the break was close to the elbow which often makes flight impossible. I did not want to amputate the wing and see this lovely bird for freedom, spend the rest of his life in a cage for humans to view. I set his wing and hoped that motility would return to his wing and euthanasia would not be the final act. I would do anything to help Junior to live. He tried so hard to return to normal. I fed him chunks of meat and chicken. He would carefully climb the stairs of my veranda. He was trying so hard, that there was no choice but to honor his efforts and his life. He spent his time at night on the veranda. Each day, I would feed him. He reminded me of a little old Rabbi, as he made his way to the food. Soon he realized he could use his healed wing a little bit. He worked very hard and his broken bone healed and he still had use of his elbow.
WOW!
Junior now can fly but not well. As he regained his “air force wings”, the other territorial red tail hawks began to chase Junior. I would leave the garage door open for him so if the other hawks chased him, he would have a safe haven. Slowly but surely he became his own hawk. For dinner I could whistle for him and hold a lamb heart in the air, and he would pluck it for my hand. I think his vision may not have been good up close, because I still have scars from his efforts. He did manage to become the king of the hill. I was given custody of my 7 and 11 year old in 1978. [ definitely another story}. My boys would fly their kits on a windy day, and Junior would drop down from 10,000 feet and knuckler their kites. When my boys would walk up my farm road to wait for their school bus, Junior would follow them and land on each telephone pole, and wait for the boys to leave in their school bus and then he would fly back.
Soon Fish and Game brought out a big female red tailed hawk. I definitely try not to imprint these birds before they go back into the environment, but you know, I do a little. I called her Bianca. Apparently Junior took her for his mate. At the end of my canyon, was a huge eucalyptus tree. This is where they established their nest. I would have an occasional on the veranda, and I remember one afternoon when a party was in full swing, Bianca flew by to show me what she was going to feed her baby. It happened to be a 6 foot gopher snake. All seemed well. With the 150 to200 birds I rehabilitated each year they all seemed to be migratory.
The next Valentines day, the rain was very heavy. I happen to look out at the railing, and here was my Junior, with his blue sear on his beak. I looked beyond him to a large split rock on the back side of my preserve, and there was Bionca and their baby. I hope you can imagine my emotions. It was raining so hard that there was really nothing that they could catch, so they came home to Dad. I had some chicken breasts of which Junior flew back to his wife and child. Soon their family moved on and to this day, when I hear the scream of a hawk, I look to the heavens to see if it is my Junior.
Yours in Health
Dr. Al Plechner DVM
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