Bird spent nine weeks recuperating
By Edgar Kelley, The Inter-Mountain
BOWDEN, W.Va. — A small group of onlookers watched an adult male red-tailed hawk be released back into the wild Monday afternoon at the Bowden Fish Hatchery.
The hawk, which had been injured and was rescued on July 19 by Elkins residents David and Kimberly Leary, took flight without any issues Monday after being released by raptor specialist Jo Santiago, who operates Flying Higher LLC.
“The hawk first flew straight out and then completely did a 360 all around us, which I’ve never seen one do, before ending up in a Norway spruce” Santiago told The Inter-Mountain. “I’ve released a lot of birds and never had one circle us like this one did.”
The Leary’s rescued the hawk this summer when they were traveling down the Allegheny Highway on Route 33 East near the Fish Hatchery.
The hawk had been struck by a vehicle and was flailing in the road when the Leary’s were passing by and saw it, Santiago said.
Read more: https://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2024/09/injured-hawk-released/
