<@EagleEye_>" Syd is a healthy owl at this time with an injury and is in HER nest where she feels the safest. If at this time they attempted to capture Syd she is too strong and will flee with fear, that is the LAST thing we want to do is scare her away from her nest so that she doesn't feel safe there, she will abandon the nest to begin with and then will be outside with no protection to continue healing, if she flees with an attempted rescue more damage can be done then help, so at this time since she is alert, standing upright and her feathers are smooth and unruffled she is NOT in distress at all, she is doing what she needs to do and that is be safe in her nest and let nature heal her as the ants are doing a wonderful job cleaning the area.
There is NO infection now,, it is swelled because of the gash, but there is no infection because red blood is coming out cleaning the wound and if you notice there are No flies around, flies smell the infection and dead tissue so we know with no presence of flies she is ok. I can't tell you how many times I would have to tell people there is nothing that can be done as long as a bird can fly but wait until they go down, that sounds heartless perhaps but it is a reality, if you spook a bird that is all ready in distress from being hurt you are only adding to that stress and that is the last thing Syd needs now. She also has Mel who is a proven provider and he knew last night she was in trouble by seeing her safely home. I have had birds drop dead from heart attacks from the stress of being captured and handled, they really are very delicate that way so please know we are not going to let anything happen to her but at this time the decision is made to monitor her and see how it goes."EagleEye is a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator
