Red-tailed hawk release in Genoa

Nancee Goldwater gave visitors to the Mormon Station a lesson in ornithology Sunday afternoon.

A crowd of forty people sat quietly while Goldwater explained the details of falconry she has observed, such as their sense of humor, something she sees in their more light-hearted moments.

"They will ride the thermals like paragliders do," Goldwater said.

Goldwater also described the way raptors "catch their prey with their talons and quickly snap their necks with their beaks, killing them instantly" and how people in big cities have a problem with rodent part bombardment because of Peregrine falcons enjoying their in-flight meals above their heads.

After the lesson, Goldwater let a juvenile red-tailed hawk out of a box, and walked around with her before releasing her, after which the hawk disappeared into the trees that shade the park. The hawk then circled back around offering a "fly-by" for the audience and was observed flying high above the people below.

"There she is!" one man exclaimed.

The hawk was healed thanks to the efforts of the Wild Animal Infirmary for Nevada, which began in 1978, and was started to care for ill, injured and orphaned wildlife.

When the birds and animals have recovered, they are returned to the wild.

"The organization is operated by medical people," Nancy Laird R.N. of WAIF said. "Two veterinarians do the examinations, diagnoses and surgeries, Dr. Fischer in Carson City is our opthalmologist, he treats eye problems, and I'm a registered nurse so I do the nursing care with the help of some volunteers."

Of the Genoa hawk release on Sunday, Laird described the process preceding the event.

"There are a lot of birdwatchers these days and they like to see these critters up close and personal," Laird said. "Nancy (Goldwater) releases a bird from here that has been compromised and leaves as a healthy citizen."

According to Laird, they've had a high release rate this year, partly because of the drought.

And among the high numbers contributing to the high release rate was seen a boom in barn owls.

"We've raised an enormous amount of baby barn owls, when they move haystacks there are open spaces where barn owls lay their eggs then the ranchers move or sell those bales and they just throw the owls and the eggs out on the ground," Laird said.

The organization will host an open house July 26-27 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.