Tree Climbing For Wildlife

Recent heavy winds left a fledgling great horned owl stranded on the ground in a Bloomington back yard.

The homeowners contacted WildCare Inc., who provided temporary care for the young owl and helped search for the original nest in a stand of white pine trees. WildCare Inc. also called Matt Baldwin, an ISA Certified Arborist on staff here at Bluestone Tree.

Matt has volunteered with WildCare to re-nest local raptors for 15+ years. Matt has successfully reunited many raptors with their parents, including Eastern screech owls, barred owls, red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks.

Matt and Simon arrived on the scene to ascend the tree and return the fledgling back to its nest. Despite the search however, no owl nest was found. It likely blew away during a storm that left the little owl stranded on the ground. However, Matt discovered a squirrel’s nest with a safe platform which was sturdy enough for a young great horned owl still learning to fly.

The young raptor clacked its beak and struggled, upset at being placed in a transport bag, but was safe and secure once he was placed in the borrowed nest.

The next day the fledgling was seen crawling out on a branch. The parents were in the area and a younger owl was also discovered. This was an awesome opportunity for everyone involved and we would like to thank Simon Normile for his assistance and WildCare Inc. for contacting us!