Tweeters-
What a strange way to be awoken today. My neighbor called me to say that I might want to come down to our outdoor pool area to check on a "window" bird strike.
Seems that 2 of our 3 local Belted Kingfisher's were doing what they do , chasing each other at high speeds around the area. This time, they flew down low over our lawn and one went "SMACK" into the surround of our pool. The one following it went up and over the surround, turned it's head to check on the other one and went "SMACK" into the opposite side of the pool surround. My neighbor watched it all as if it were in slow motion.
By the time I got down there, the first one was still alive but it's head was more comfy over it's back and the other one was sitting up right but not too frisky in the grass at the opposite end of the pool. I had thought to bring a towel and a milk crate from my house. I put the crate over the more seriously injured bird and the towel over the more lucid.
Got both of them, still alive, in the milk crate and threw the towel over the top of them. Our facilites guy drove my up the hill to our exotic animal vet, who said we had to call Sarvey Animal Hospital in Arlington to find out where we could take these birds. In Washington state, a vet must carry a license to examine or care for a wild animal and she did not. So, back into the car...called Sarvey & they said that I could take them to the local VCA 5 corners Animal Hospital in Burien.
By the time we got there, the more injured bird had died, but the other one was doing better, but did show signs of some injury. I put a note at the bottom of the surrender form letting them know that if the other one survived, it would be great if they released it back on our beach, as we have a total population of 3, and a breeding pair.
I hope the second one survives!
I told the birds that although I had been looking to see them close up for years, this was NOT the way I had hoped to do so....
I'm attaching a link to my G+ posting with a pic of the one, more lucid bird before I put it in the milk crate.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/101466381868120571637/posts/2gYEVjkm7Fi
Hope your days go better than mine started,
Whitney H.Des Moines, WA