As you know, rehabilitation facilities don’t take days off…animals need to be fed, medicated and cleaning every day regardless of whether or not it’s Thanksgiving. So, this morning was no exception in that regard.
While I was working I heard the distinctive Kreee-eee-eear sound of a Red-tailed Hawk. No, it wasn’t a Red-tailed from outside – not even a Red-tailed from the flight chambers. It was a Red-tailed from inside.
It’s not unusual to have owls call to each other while in rehab. We’ve had Great Horned Owls and Screech Owls both call during the evening hours. With all of the birds we treat, however, we’ve never heard the Kreee-eee-eear of a injured or ill Red-tail.
The Kreee-eee-eear repeated over and over until I went to check on everyone to make sure that no one was hurt (or soaring!). Everyone was fine and they all looked at me like they had no idea why I was so curious. The Kreee-eee-eearing stopped after my visit but it had been a wonderous sound.
Happy Thanksgiving to me!
Dawn