fellow bird freaks,

  On my daily walk to the prairie yesterday evening, I spotted some feathers
that weren't there yesterday.  Then my dogs found a Red Shouldered Hawk on
its back on the ground.  With a sheet and gloves, John and I were able to
rescue the bird and get it back to the barn.  We called a friend who knew a
little about hawks, and he said that the symptoms were classic
electrocution.  He told us to keep the hawk in a cardboard box, and that it
might recover.

   Today the bird has shown some signs of recovery.  I had let it loose in
the workshop,  and it had finally assumed a normal sitting posture, and
hopped all over the place when I came to check on it. At the end of the day,
it had hopped into a box of wood shavings to roost.  It doesn't seem to be
able to fly yet, but we are hopeful.  We tried to find some nearby rehab
people (Perry County between Zanesville and Lancaster), but have had no luck
yet.  May have to take it to Columbus tomorrow, but we really want to
release this bird back into our own prairie, where it and its mate have been
seen catching snakes quite regularly.  They have become very common out
here.  I have located a nest site the last two years, hear them every day,
and see them quite often.

    I have provided water and turkey franks, and will bring it a roadkill
squirrel tomorrow, if I see any, and I often do. As thanks, it has pierced
my finger with very sharp, very powerful talons.

    Any suggestions from this knowledgable group would be appreciated.

Joe in the woods
Somerset, Ohio
Perry County

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