Sept 23rd - Medina Raptor Center
Osprey Rehabilitation Story
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 BACKGROUND ON OUR OSPREY
Our osprey came to us last May after being shot (at Portage Lakes, Ohio) in the right wing and suffering a fractured metacarpus in that wing. She was brought to The Medina Raptor Center by Ohio Department of Natural Resources. We deemed her to be a 2-3 year old female.
She had surgery at the vet's office and came back to the raptor center to rehab. We kept her in a quiet, dark 4x4 cage for the initial stages of her recovery.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 During this time, the only ones who had any contact with her were Laura Jordan (who runs The Medina Raptor Center) and her husband, Bill, who is very involved in the raptor center. Laura knew how difficult osprey were to keep in captivity, especially getting them to eat, and she knew her chances were slim but she felt she had to give it her best shot. Laura contacted The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota for advice.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 GETTING HER TO EAT
This was the most tricky part. The "osprey expert" at University of Minnesota recommended using "clicker training" to get her to eat. Laura would feed her small pieces of fresh fish and use the clicker when she swallowed. Then she would use the clicker when she took the pieces of fish on her own. Then she would lay pieces of fish on her feet and use the clicker when she noticed them and picked them up in her beak. This whole clicker process took several weeks. Finally, when the osprey started picking up the fish and eating on her own she was ready for the next step.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 TRANSFER TO A FLIGHT CAGE
Now that our osprey was eating on her own...and her wing injury was just about healed, Laura decided it was time to move her to one of the large flight cages and give her a try. She was pretty weak but she could get up on the lower perches. She built up strength stretching her wings and before long, she was flying all over the flight cage. Now we started placing fish (dead ones at first and later live ones) in a small pond in the flight cage. This proved to be no problem for the osprey. She was fishing!
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 CONDITIONING FOR FLIGHT BY CREANCING
As summer was coming to a close, our osprey was doing so well it was time to start thinking and talking about releasing her back to the wild. We had to be sure she could go a longer distance than her flight cage allowed and we had to be sure she could get lift, bank and turn. We do this by creance technique. We put leather anklets and jesses on her and attach them to a 70# fishing line.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 One person mans the fishing rod/line, one person films (to send to University of Minnesota) and two people take turns retrieving her and bringing her back to the starting point. She started small but, each time we took her out, she got stronger and stronger. University of Minnesota confirmed she looked "good to go". The only set back she faced was that she had broken off 6 of her tail feathers.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 IMPING A NEW TAIL
University of Minnesota air mailed us the tail feathers we needed. We hooded the osprey and took her into the hospital. Laura was able to replace all of her broken feathers with new ones through the imping process (using small sticks inserted into her feather shaft and the new feather, then using epoxy to make them stay). Once the bird goes through her next molt, these imped feathers will be replaced by her own growing back. She tolerated this process beautifully.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 SMALL SET BACK
We had the release all planned when our osprey suffered another set back. She broke a blood feather and couldn't fly. Laura bumped up her vitamins and the blood feather dried up quickly. She also grew new feathers into a large space she had from her molt (which stops when they start creancing). She was good to go again.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
(That's Annette in the picture - Editor)
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 RELEASE BACK TO THE WILD
We took our osprey to Buckeye Woods (near Chippewa Lake) and flew her on the creance line one last time just to be sure (after her blood feather experience). Bill was manning the fishing line and he had trouble stopping her this time.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 We took off the leash, jesses and anklets. Laura placed her on the ground and we all held our breath. She took off beautifully and started to fly away.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 She suddenly banked and turned back towards where we were standing. When she got over us, she spread those beautiful wings in that classic "M" shape and soared over us for a minute or two.
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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 Then she turned again and started to fly away. She must have caught a good thermal because she spiraled up high in the sky and disappeared into the clouds. Our osprey was wild and free again!!!!!!!!
Annette Piechowski story and photo; used with permission.
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| Thanks again for the great story and photos Annette, and continued success to you and the all of the staff at the Medina Raptor Center with your important work. |
