Just thought i'd add this to the rescue forum. Goes back a few years, but anyway.
About 1.00am one morning, we were woken up by splashing in our pool. Went down to look, and in there was a boobook owl, in trouble, tiring quickly. I jumped in and managed to get it out. We placed it in a box with a towel etc. We contacted our vet, who is also a wires volunteer. He came down and we can happily report this beauty was given the all clear and released back to the wild,
Cheers
Mick
Good job Mick.
FT
Makes you feel good doesn't it! I rescued a Kookaburra off the road that I suspect had eaten something that disagreed with it. Possibly poison of some sort from the council spraying the road verge. Anyway after about a week it recovered and was released again to take its chances in the wild. I was however disappointed with the amount of people who said they should not be re-released as they are not native to Australia! I am pretty sure they are aren't they! And I would do the same again if the occasion arose. I have also raised elegant parrots and rosellas from a few days old and successfully released them although some need a little persuasion to keep them from trying to get back inside the house where life is a bit easier than on the outside world. The rosellas have even brought their partners and offspring back to show off which really makes it all worthwhile.
Yes I am in the far south west. Albany to be precise and yes if it had been been a starling I might not have risked the morning traffic to rescue it.
Anyone who says the Kookaburra isn't Australian obviously hasn't been in Australia very long! Kookaburra's ARE the sound of the Aussie bush!!
As for the Boobook Owl - did you have any trouble handling it? They are quite small but still have powerful talons.
Yes it was a little difficult handling it. But i used a towel and it was tiring from being in the water. We took it into the laundry and placed it in a large cardboard box with a dry towel and in the morning called our vet down.