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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/short-eared-owl-galileo-9048-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"short-eared-owl-galileo-9048-ron-dudley\\"")
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This is Galileo yesterday morning on the floor of his mew and seeming to contemplate his next meal (in front of him at lower right). I didn’t want to disturb him unnecessarily so we left him on the floor where he feels very comfortable instead of putting him on the glove. He didn’t have a tail for a very long time after his rehab but he’s looking spectacular right now.<\/p>\n
HWI Volunteer Coordinator Nelson Holmes told me that Galileo is working out spectacularly as an education bird. He’s adapted to his pampered existence very well, he’s calm on the glove and his audiences throughout Utah and elsewhere love him. He’s a handsome devil with a beguiling personality and he’s fairly unique as an education bird so I can see why he’s so adored. Nelson said there are very few Short-eared Owls being used as education birds and his audiences respond to him in an appropriate and very positive manner.<\/p>\n
HWI feels lucky in that they now have owls of three species in their education bird mews – Kotori the Great Horned Owl, Artemis the Western Screech Owl and now Galileo the Short-eared Owl so they can now offer owl-centered presentations to school kids and other groups. That pleases this retired biology and zoology teacher immensely.<\/p>\n
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So, how did I do with my four goals stated above during my unannounced visit to HawkWatch?<\/p>\n
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- Other than Nicki Wayment most of my HWI friends were absent during my visit. I missed seeing HWI Board of Trustees member Mike Shaw (who helped with Galileo’s delivery to rehab – he took time out from Father’s Day to do it) and I have to remember that good friend and HWI volunteer Tana Peery Hunter works in the mews on Wednesdays, not Tuesdays. For some reason I always think it’s Tuesdays.<\/li>\n
- I was able to personally congratulate Nikki on her well deserved promotion to Executive Director. In addition she gave me a tour of the beautiful new raptor-centered murals being painted on many of the interior walls of the HWI headquarters. Old friends of HWI have quite a treat in store for them when they make their next visit.<\/li>\n
- \u00a0Yes, I’m the proud owner of a new HWI Bearded Vulture T-shirt<\/a>. I have other HWI apparel featuring various raptors but this is my first one with a vulture theme.<\/li>\n
- As I mentioned above, thanks to the graciousness of Nelson Holmes I had a nice visit with Galileo who is doing very well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Yes, in a perfect world Galileo would be flying free in the wild again but given what happened to him his new role as an education bird is the next best alternative. And I couldn’t be happier that it was HWI who ended up with him. He very easily could have gone elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A progress report on the bird I love more than any other. <\/p>\n
- As I mentioned above, thanks to the graciousness of Nelson Holmes I had a nice visit with Galileo who is doing very well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n