Great horned owl rescue takes a team

Nathan Alley, a ranger at Kiptopeke State Park, received quite a surprise when he happened upon a juvenile great horned owl that had fallen nearly 50 feet from its nest to the ground during his April 6 patrol.

“I’m glad he happened to come around the corner,” said Bill Dyas, park interpreter.

Dyas has been monitoring a pair of adult great horned the owls for five summers but had never been able to locate their nest. The incident provided a clue to the whereabouts, and rangers were able to locate a precariously built nest and an additional juvenile female owl within.

The park placed a call to the Eastern Shore Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which picked up the displaced bird for a night of rest and a few good meals.

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"I got a call from Bill that they had picked up a baby great horned owl,” said Kathy Cummings, licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

“The good thing is about little great horned owls is that when they’re small like that they tend to bounce really well,” she said, laughing.

Cummings made a stop by the Eastern Shore Animal Hospital, where the owl was examined and X-rayed to check for potential injuries. The clinic regularly provides the Eastern Shore Wildlife Rehabilitation Center with support.

“They are always there for us,” Cummings said. "They’re always very generous with their time to give our wildlife the best chance possible. We would not be able to do the things we do without their help.”

A "pseudo nest"

A discussion began about how to re-nest the animals, since the existing nest had either been taken over from a previous predator bird or damaged by heavy winds.

It’s likely, too, that the larger sibling simply pushed the smaller bird out of the nest, Cummings said.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia provided some guidance and a new “pseudo-nest” was constructed out of a wicker basket, previous nesting materials and existing food sources, including two decapitated birds and chunks of squirrel. It was important that the sides were high enough to keep both birds in while allowing them to be able to defecate over the side and keep their nest clean, as they’re instinctively known to do, Cummings said.

The question of retrieving the owl sibling and the nest required some creative problem-solving.

“I looked up in that 50-foot tree and realized I was too old to climb it,” Dyas said.

Dyas contacted the Cape Charles Fire Department and Bill Powell, president and chief engineer, arrived with a truck to aid in the rescue.

The department has assisted the park with maintenance tasks like tree cuttings before due to the size of their truck, said Powell, but nothing like wildlife rescue.

“We’ve had a couple of cats in trees and stuff like that, but wild animals, no,” said Powell. “I didn’t know what to expect until I got there. It was right neat to experience something like that.”

The sibling was collected, the old nest removed and the pseudo-nest screwed safely into the crook of the tree. The birds were set back into place and were monitored closely for signs of the returning parents.

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A Kiptopeke State Park Americorps volunteer finally heard the call of the adults Sunday morning. The re-nesting of the birds seems like a successful endeavor, thus far.

“They’re up there making some noise and moving around,” Dyas said.

“We’re very glad that it went well and the baby is back, and we’re hoping that he is able to stay in the nest,” Cummings said.

According to the Nature Conservancy, great horned owls begin nesting in January and will continue to raise and care for offspring for several months after birth. Great horned owls are monogamous and usually lay between one to four eggs.

For more information on wildlife rehabilitation, visit www.shorewild.esva.net.