Injured Owl? UPDATE

Injured Owl?, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

I got a call from a friend who was concerned about an owl that was in her barn. She thought it must be injured or sick because her kids were doing their chores in and around the animal this morning, without a disturbance from the owl. I drove over and found the same thing as I entered the barn. This guy looked pretty normal without visible signs of injury. His eyes seemed droopy, but then plenty of light flooded the interior of the barn. I approached on my knees very slowly, stopping and checking for signs of stress along the way, until I got to about 5 feet. There were no signs of stress or warnings, i.e. hissing or barking, etc... I checked the barn for feathers and saw 1 tail feather but that was it. I checked both flanks, and as far as I could see, no injuries. I called Flint Creek and am waiting on them to return my call...

UPDATE:  Took the owl to a rescue.  Very lethargic so will call and get updates on its health tomorrow...

UPDATE:  It died of neurological issues around 4:30pm yesterday.  The vet worked on him all day and at 1 point thought there was a chance, but then turned for the worse.  Suspect: West Nile Virus

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

A rare species for Illinois, this Yellow-crowned Night Heron showed up in my hometown a week or so ago. What luck! A friend discovered this guy and put out the word... Seeking him out, I was pleased to find him quickly and in decent light.

Various angles, interesting lighting and a catch of the day sealed the deal!

He was also pretty tolerant, letting me approach to about 50 feet. I try never to push him to stress, so I observed his movement and behavior. As long as he fished, I knew he was comfortable. If he watched me for too long, I backed off immediately so that he could continue his natural behavior. He caught a crayfish and I was rewarded for my good wildlife photography etiquette!