Red-Tail Hawks Rescued at New Melones Lake

Written by: Patricia Sanders

What a beautiful face! Baby red-tail hawk closeup On May 26, 2016, at approximately 9 p.m., Natural Resource Ranger Pat Sanders received a call from Natural Resource Specialist Sandra Patania and Park Ranger Mike McGraw regarding three very young red-tail hawks that had fallen from their nest at New Melones Lake’s Big Oak Campground, within the Glory Hole Recreation Area.

The Park Ranger on duty that evening, Ryan Hinojoza, stated that the three young birds had been on the ground for a couple of days, and their parents were still feeding them. As it was the Thursday before the big Memorial Day holiday, the Rangers consulted with Rose Wolf Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation ( http://rosewolfwildlife.org/) and decided that the baby hawks would be brought to the New Melones Lake Headquarters to safely spend the night.

The next morning, Park Ranger Diana Popkins took the three babies back to Big Oak Campground to place them in a tree near where they’d been found so that their parents could continue to care for them; however, the birds were unable to perch in the tree, likely due to weakness and dehydration, and it wasn’t safe to leave them on the ground. At that point, Ranger Popkins transported the babies back to the New Melones Headquarters where Nina Resnik of Rose Wolf Wildlife was called for advice. Soon volunteer Elissa Wall came to the Headquarters to pick up and transport the three young red-tailed hawks to Tri-County Wildlife Care (http://www.pawspartners.org/tcwc.html).

The same evening the three young hawks arrive at Tri-County Wildlife Care, volunteer Pat Benik notified New Melones Park Ranger staff that the birds were doing well. They were a little dehydrated and much too young to fly, so their removal from the campground had been critical to their survival. Ten days later, a follow-up on the three youngsters showed them perching and eating on their own. They will be released when they are ready to care for themselves.

Photos provided by Elissa Wall of Rose Wolf Wildlife, and Pat Benik of Tri-County Wildlife Care.

Published on June 22, 2016