Published in the Oct. 15-28, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Colleen Grzan holds the red-shouldered hawk moments before its release. Photo by Marty Cheek
As cameras clicked away to record the exciting moment, about 50 people received a treat at the Oct. 4 Tarantula Fest at Henry W. Coe State Park as they witnessed the release of a red-shouldered hawk by volunteers with the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center.
The hawk was brought to W.E.R.C. July 14 with a fungal infection that diminished the bone density and strength of its wings, said Joy Joyner, a volunteer with W.E.R.C. and a member of its board of directors.
“They found him in a field in the Harvey Bear County Park area and he wasn’t flying, he wasn’t moving around very well,” she said. “He was lethargic and very underweight. Because he was in such bad shape, they were able to pick him up and bring him to us.”
The hawk weighed 353 grams when it was brought to W.E.R.C., making it too emaciated to fly and thus unable to hunt. It should have weighed closer to 500 grams, Joyner said.
The release at the Tarantula Fest helped to educate the public about how vital birds of prey are to the natural world of the South Valley region. After the bird was released by W.E.R.C. volunteer Colleen Grazn,the animal quickly flew into a nearby oak tree.
“I’ve done it quite a few times, but every time is fantastic. You never get tired of it,” Joyner said of the release. “We really like it when we can do it publicly. It’s important because people see us at outreach events where we show our birds, and they hear the stories that we’ve had these birds. But to actually see these birds being released shows how important these birds are to our natural environment. It lets us educate the public about the role that these birds serve in our natural environment. The kids really enjoy it. When you educate the kids, they like to be able to share the experience with their parents.”
The public will have another opportunity to see W.E.R.C. animals up-close with the annual barbecue that will be held noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Buddhist Community Center. For more information, visit www.werc-ca.org.
