Road Kill

Out this evening with the camera and on the way back home spotted a Barn owl on the main Fakenham-Cromer road.
It appeared dead but after what seemed an eternity(loads of traffic) I managed to get turned around and get the hazard lights on.
To my amazement it was still alive so I scooped it up and put it in the boot.
The point I am trying to make is that its always worth having a look as in this case it would surely have been flattened sooner or later.
I have it in a box in the dark now and if its ok in the morning its off to the vets to get some liquid in side it.Fingers crossed.
Its such a beautiful bird and a real shame as I would think its chances are slim.
Hope no one minds the post.

Major.

The price that is paid for our technological society, countless times a day. I hope it survives OK.

It happens Major
Want the truth ? We all know it cannot get any better .
less cars on the road - but there are more barn owls using road verges. Only one result.
Sorry
John

Hello Major, a few years ago a Tawny hit my windscreen, (my wind screen hit a Tawny), after a two hour searching the verges and ditches I found nothing. The following evening the Tawny was back in its usual spot, here’s hoping.

Good on you for taking the trouble Major. I can think of two occasions when I have found birds of prey lying in the road ( a hobby and a little owl) and on both occasions, the birds were fine after a couple of days. I believe that they can often be stunned by flying into the pressure wave in front of a truck or hitting curtain-siders; so I hope you have the same luck. In some respects they seem a bit less fragile than your average blackbird, or maybe their reactions are a bit quicker. Fingers crossed. We have a guy around here who gets and endless stream of BoP off the roads, some he can't release and some he can, but a surprising number survive.
Eric

Did the owl survive the night Major?

Thanks all.
The bird was still alive this morning and had coughed up a pellet in the night.
It didnt look good though.
Sadly after a visit to the vets he adviced putting it to sleep as it had damaged to the wing with exposed bone (renedering it flightless) plus chest damage(Lungs).
Leg ring GC32726. for those interested will let you know in near future.

Major

Poor thing. At least any suffering will now be over.

Very nice of you to try to save the owl Major, and a sad ending yes,but at least he died under his own steam rather than being crushed by future cars.

Kudos for trying Major, always awful to find an animal or bird in distress, well done for doing your best.

Nice try Major, a shame.
eric

Hi Major

Well done most people just drive straight past and at least it had a chance but an unhappy ending!
Have done it twice with mute swans one mistaking our local dual carriageway for a stretch of water damaging its legs,survived thanks to the local vet the second one mistook our local outdoor clothing shop roof for a river and got stuck on the roof,rescued and was unhurt thankfully,as are building encroaches into the countryside this becomes common place!


Cheers

Craig
www.craigchurchill.co.uk

Always worth trying to rescue them - whatever the animal.

Wayne R recently had an episode where he'd spotted a young porpoise that had been separated from it's parents and was being played with by seals. Despite help from various people in keeping the youngster afloat, unfortunately the two vets who attended ended up putting it down as it was too exhausted and too young to survive on its own (it was still suckling). It was one of those occasions when you look back and realise you where so busy trying to save the critter that you didn't take any photos.

Thanks for that all. As a result of my find my friend has been this afternoon to inspect one or two boxes within proximity This was a male and there was always the possibility that he was feeding young.

Major