WHATELY — A small crowd gathered around Wildlife Rehabilitator Tom Ricardi recently as he released two previously injured barred owls back into the wild in a field near Long Plain Road.
At first, the owls were cowering in their holding boxes when Ricardi opened the box’s door. Soon, however, they found their wings again, leaping past the awed crowd, flying to freedom.
“The first owl we released had a slight fracture, the second owl had a bad eye that recovered fine,” Ricardi explained while the birds were perched high in a few pine trees not far away. Ricardi said the second barred owl had been hit by a car.
The owls recovered at Ricardi’s rehabilitation center in Conway, where he rehabilitates and keeps dozens of other injured predatory birds and raptors, including about a dozen other barred owls, red tailed hawks, peregrine falcons, a rare African black hawk and a golden eagle.
Raptors that can’t be released back into the wild, Ricardi enlists as wildlife ambassadors, taking them to group events for educational purposes.
“None of this would be possible without the help of Dr. (Robert) Schmitt and Dr. (Karen) Burand at South Deerfield Veterinary Clinic,” Ricardi said. “Over the years, they have set broken bones, performed surgeries, supplied me with medicine, and always gave me good advise and never ever sent me a bill.”
Both owls were found in Whately, one last October, and a second in January. Whately police Sgt. Donald Bates was the officer who responded to both calls.
On Oct. 7, 2016, local resident Amy Heflin was driving down Haydenville Road when she spotted the first owl in the grass.
“I saw these amazing wings on the side of the road, flapping and struggling, and cars were coming really close,” Heflin said. She turned around, pulled over, wrapped the bird in cloth, and called police — who in turn phoned Ricardi.
The second owl was found on Long Plain Road near Hatfield on Jan. 17. Once again, Bates connected with Ricardi.
“It’s pretty amazing. We don’t do this. And as police officers, we’re in poor light right now,” Bates said. “This is just a completely different aspect, and off the beaten path from what we normally do.”
Bates was on hand with his family to witness the owls’ release. Since his interaction with the injured owls, Bates said he’s become interested in their plight on a broader level. To that end, he’s built a few owl nesting boxes, mounting them to trees on his property in Whately.
The raptor rehabilitation operation is run entirely by donations. For those interested in helping financially, send donations care of Mass. Birds of Prey to Box 26, Conway, MA 01341.