"Yes, this is Bartholomew County dispatch. We'd like to speak to Gregory Lammers."
Weeeeeeeeird.
"Yeah, the Indianapolis DNR representative gave us your number."
Oooooooohhhkay...
"We've got a few highway patrolmen sitting on the highway by a big bird--a hawk, we think--that won't leave, and keeps walking out into traffic. DNR said you might be able to help."
NOW we're talking!
Art for Art's sake:
Used a tablecloth for starters...all I had in the car. Then, we dropped by my church, 'cause I knew I had a roll of masking tape in my sound booth to truss her up for the trip home.
Conned a few guys at church into helping hold things down, etc.
Female Juvenile Red-Tail. Just got her out of the jacket, ready to take a look and see what's wrong.
She's standing limply...if she was feeling well, she'd be nearly 10" taller...she's sagging (note the length of the drooping wings)...almost like a squat.
Last photo, I'm pointing at the joint where the radius and ulna connect to the joint which controls feather spread. Both bones are broken, and there's a bloody rough spot over the area. She's currently at a local raptor rehab center ~5 miles from my house, and if the wing is fixable, I'll be fostering her through her rehabilitation after surgery. If the joint is actually destroyed, they'll be putting her down.
We're about 50-50 on whether it was a gunshot or a car collision....x-rays will tell all.
*whew*
What a day!
