Celeste
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Celeste came to NNWR in 2019 after the closing of an organization where she had been part of an education program that was focused on increasing appreciation and understanding of wildlife. Her background made her a wonderful addition to NNWR and we are very grateful to have her on our team. Celeste’s arrival at NNWR also meant that we have ambassadors representing all four species of owls that are native to Virginia. In order of size, largest to smallest, are Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Barn Owl and Eastern Screech Owl. From these photos you can see that Celeste has a much sleeker look than our other owls. This is because Barn Owls have very few downy feathers compared to other species of owls.The near-lack of downy feathers also means that more of a Barn Owl’s legs are exposed, which allows us to see just how long an owl’s legs are.
Starr
Barred Owl (Strix varia)
Starr often considers himself the "Star" of our presentations. He is very talkative and can often be heard vocalizing while waiting to be introduced to “his” audience. Starr was a very young nestling when he came to Nature's Nanny in 2017?. He had been found on the ground by concerned citizens and was re-nested in the tree. However, shortly after that he was again found on the ground. Re-nesting failed yet again and this young owl was once more on the ground. The lack of recent storms/high winds in the area led us to believe he fell or was pushed out of the nest because of some sort of medical issue. Our initial thoughts were validated when our intake exam showed Starr to have cataracts in both eyes. The cataracts eventually dissolved but a follow-up exam by the ophthalmology veterinarian who had been treating Starr deemed him to be non-releasable because of poor vision in both eyes. Because of the young age Starr was when he came into the care of humans he readily adapted to his role as an Education Ambassador.
Sunny
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Sunny is a Great Horned Owl who came into NNWR care in 2017. He was found by the side of the road in Williamsburg, VA and was extremely sick with Avian Pox and West Nile virus. He was also loaded with parasitic flat flies and unable to stand. His initial prognosis was not good but with supportive care and regular meals he started getting stronger and feeling better. However, his mentation was unusual and he did not act like a wild owl would.The most unusual aspect was that he wanted to be physically close to humans. Inappropriate behavior alone meant we could not return him to the wild once he was better but he also had physical disqualifiers for release. The Avian Pox and West Nile Virus left him with swollen joints in his feet, which would have made it hard to hunt.He also had permanently damaged feathers on his right wing which precluded silent flight that an owl must have in order to be able to successfully hunt. Prior to applying for a permit for Sunny to become an Ambassador our veterinarian consulted with a number of other vets to ensure the condition of Sunny’s feet would not cause chronic pain in his feet. The consensus was it would not and Sunny joined the team. He prefers to “handle” himself when we are at events and instead of perching on a gloved hand sits on top of his crate and observes the activity going on around him. Sunny appears to enjoy people watching, with children and dogs seeming especially entertaining to him.
Harvey
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Harvey is a red-tailed hawk who came into our care in 2019 with a very interesting rescue story! We got a call there was a hawk that had landed on the shoulder of a security guard at Hampton University . . and it would not get off! Upon arrival we found it to be a young-of-the-year bird with severe head trauma. One of his eyes was severely damaged and swollen and the hawk would not let go of the guard's shoulder. We speculate this was because he was dazed and afraid he would fall. Upon being removed and taken back to NNWR he stabilized well and soon began to exhibit a delightful personality. When the ophthalmologist verified that he would not regain sight appropriate for release we quickly made the decision to bring him into our education program. Harvey has a calm demeanor and is a volunteer favorite!