ospreys impacted

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How did the intense hailstorm impact wildlife?

Saturday, I spoke with Dr. Cheryl Greenacre, DVM, Associate Professor of Avian & Zoological Medicine at UT's Veterinary Teaching Hospital. She was on duty last Thursday at the hospital located on Neyland Drive near my home. After the hailstorm and tornado passed through South Knoxville, she had never dealt with so many injured wildlife in one day. It was like triage for a MASH unit.

Cheryl said the surprising thing was the number of ospreys they received and most had broken ulnas: the major bones on the back of their wings. It appeared they had been on their nests mantling their clutches: holding their wings open like umbrellas to shield the eggs, very much like the above photo.

I've watched ospreys many times do the same thing to shade their young on hot, sunny days.

A few of the ospreys UT received were coughing up blood and had to be put down but the ones with only broken wings might be saved.

A check of the two closest nests near my home and consequently closest to the path of the tornado/hail turned up parent ospreys at both. One appeared to have one incubating with no sign of its mate. The other, on the railroad trestle at UT near Neyland Stadium, had both parents. We saw one fly in to take over nesting duties from the other.

At this time of the year, both nests are probably late in the incubation period or there may be young ones to protect. Osprey incubation lasts between 34 and 40 days and the nestlings fledge eight to ten weeks after hatching.

I'll keep you posted.

Osprey nest on railroad trestle at the University of Tennessee
on Sunday after Wednesday's storms.

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